My dad, who has been diagnosed with dementia, recently began coughing and spitting clear mucus. The coughing sometimes becomes dry heaving. He has stopped eating and has lost over 20 pounds. He complains of something in his throat and thinks he will throw up if he eats. He is getting very weak. The hospital discharged him after 4 days and lots of tests. The ENT dr is setting up a swallow therapist. Apparently, this is something doctors just aren't familiar with and its been hard for us to find out what's going on and how to handle it. A talking forum would be really helpful. Maybe there are others going through this that have found information we haven't and would share. Thanks.
Swallowing difficulty
- Thread starter Linda McD
- Start date
My husband has big problems with over production of mucous. It got frighteningly bad at one stage because it was causing choking .
He now has scopalamine patches which have mostly brought the proble!m under control. It can also be treated with busciopan tablets but the patches are good if swallowing is a problem.
Don't if know that will help but it made a huge difference to us.
He now has scopalamine patches which have mostly brought the proble!m under control. It can also be treated with busciopan tablets but the patches are good if swallowing is a problem.
Don't if know that will help but it made a huge difference to us.
Hello and welcome to Talking Point.
Hopefully the referral to the Speech and Language Therapy team, also called SALT on the forum, will not take too long and they can help your Dad.
Swallowing sometimes becomes a problem and food needs to be of a soft consistency or puréed to make swallowing easier. It seems As if your Dad has a feeling of something in his throat and not his swallowing problem. The SALT team will be able to help and advise.
Hopefully the referral to the Speech and Language Therapy team, also called SALT on the forum, will not take too long and they can help your Dad.
Swallowing sometimes becomes a problem and food needs to be of a soft consistency or puréed to make swallowing easier. It seems As if your Dad has a feeling of something in his throat and not his swallowing problem. The SALT team will be able to help and advise.
Swallowing
My 60 year old wife has had Lewy body dementia for 9 years and she s now bed bound and does not move hardly at all. She also has pressures sores and has to be turned every 2-3 hours. I have her at home in a special extension. She is now not being able to swallow food. The salt team are assessing tomorrow. I purée food but it trickles out. Does this mean she has lost muscle activity in her throat and maybe cannot recognise that there is food in her mouth? She occasionally swallows. She can no longer speak so I can't ask her.
My 60 year old wife has had Lewy body dementia for 9 years and she s now bed bound and does not move hardly at all. She also has pressures sores and has to be turned every 2-3 hours. I have her at home in a special extension. She is now not being able to swallow food. The salt team are assessing tomorrow. I purée food but it trickles out. Does this mean she has lost muscle activity in her throat and maybe cannot recognise that there is food in her mouth? She occasionally swallows. She can no longer speak so I can't ask her.
My dad has been coughing up mucus for past 2 years. He was diagnosed with unspecified dementia in January and the mucus coughing continues and now he is having trouble eating certain foods like bread or peas.
The hospital lost his teeth so I blamed it on not chewing but the mucus can't be his teeth
The doctor said give him gaviscon after he eats and before bed.
How do I get a SALT referral ?
Thanks all
The hospital lost his teeth so I blamed it on not chewing but the mucus can't be his teeth
The doctor said give him gaviscon after he eats and before bed.
How do I get a SALT referral ?
Thanks all
I don't have anything 'new' to help, but my dad has swallowing difficulties diagnosed by the SALT team- they are involved with dad thru hospital referral/ GP after he left hospital. The only thing I would say to you is that your dad has lost a lot of weight, very quickly, by the sound of it. If his appetite is poor, anything he eats needs to be of maximum nutritional benefit, so a dietician needs to be involved too.. Chase those referrals up! I wish u and your dad all the best, it's a frightening thing when there are eating/swallowing difficulties involved. X
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