Hi Marlo,
I hope they find out what is causing this and it's not related to ALS.
Years ago I had a symptom that no doctor could figure out. If I coughed, I'd pass out. They put me in the hospital and the doctors were showing me to all the Interns because they could not figure it out. The neurologist came in and said you cannot be passing out when you cough. Here stand on the side of the bed and cough for me, bang, down I went like I had been shot. He thought I was faking so he did the rub your sternum real hard to cause pain "test" and I did not move. So then he begain to scream at the nurses and me, quick get a crash cart.
I had told him I always am out for about 2 minutes when it happens, and did not breath, or anything. When I came to I said, see what I mean? He turned around left the room and never came back.
They never did figure out what caused it, but named it cough syncopahny, or something like that. Anyway it went away on it's own over time?
God Bless
Capt. AL