oc gal
Member
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2008
- Messages
- 11
- Reason
- Loved one DX
- Country
- US
- State
- Iowa
- City
- Rock Valley
My father was diagnosed in December, 2006 with bulbar onset ALS. In just the last two months things have really taken a turn. All of a sudden everything is getting weaker including his legs and arms. He just switched from his own bed upstairs to a hospital bed downstairs and is really struggling. He is having a terrible time with saliva. He's up half the night sitting up trying to get rid of it. He already takes amytriptilene 2x a day, 50 mg. but it doesn't seem to be doing it anymore. He also has a bladder infection that is really kicking him. I'm wondering if anyone has any tricks as to getting rid of that saliva? He is becoming incredibly miserable. Is it possible switching beds, etc has created a certain amount of anxiety and is possibly increasing his saliva? I'm also wondering about the catheter. He has had a cath for about two weeks. What happens as a person is unable to leave the bed? Can a person have a cath for a long time? How does that all work? Sorry for all the random questions. This is all of a sudden getting to be too much.