Mouth Problem

[Lou H]

Hi, (M-70 yoa)I've been diagnosed w/ PD for 4 yrs and during the last year have been experiencing progressive difficulty with my speech. Drool a lot and transfer of saliva to throat gets worse as the day goes on. Also, lips sucking, involuntary movement of the tongue and jaw and weakness of all. Anyone out there experienced something like this?

Thanks

[Teretxu]

That's part of PD, but it can be controlled with proper medication and dosage. What PD meds are you taking? If you have not been started on Sinemet (levadopa), it's high time!
Take care
Teresa

[EnglishCountryDancer]

My husbands worst symptom apart from tremor is drooling.Does anyone know how DanioLabs testing of DL06001 and DL06002 is getting along as it is especially targetted at drooling or dribbling as we call it in U.K

[Lou H]

Hi Theresa, thanks for your interest. I have been on and off Carbidopa-Levo for the last three years and at points have been on it 3 pills 3X a day. At present 1.5 pils 3 X a day. I am also on several other meds for hi B/P, Stroke and TIA's (which stroke specialist says has nothing to do with this condition), Cholesterol, Warfarin...Ugh! Anyway, the thought was that perhaps the Carbidopa-Levo was the cause and tried to reduce the dosage but once I got to 1-3X a day, weakness of rt arm and overall was present. Now, back on 1.5 3X a day till next month when I see the Neuro again. However, the fast progression of the movements of the lips/jaw and drooling, causing a speech impairment is not common (as I've been told).
Thanks for the reply.

[Lou H]

Hi Theresa, thanks for your interest. I have been on and off Carbidopa-Levo for the last three years and at points have been on it 3 pills 3X a day. At present 1.5 pils 3 X a day. I am also on several other meds for hi B/P, Stroke and TIA's (which stroke specialist says has nothing to do with this condition), Cholesterol, Warfarin...Ugh! Anyway, the thought was that perhaps the Carbidopa-Levo was the cause and tried to reduce the dosage but once I got to 1-3X a day, weakness of rt arm and overall was present. Now, back on 1.5 3X a day till next month when I see the Neuro again. However, the fast progression of the movements of the lips/jaw and drooling, causing a speech impairment is not common (as I've been told).
Thanks for the reply.

[chasmo]

is to chew gum or suck on hard candy. There is a med that dries your saliva up, but I am unfamilar with it.

You realize that it is NOT excess saliva production, but rather not swallowing in a timely fashion that is usually the problem. The gum or hard candy reminds you to swallow.

Charlie

[Lou H]

Charlie, thanks for the info and you are right. However, when I have hard candy in the mouth, my tongue seems to favor the upper left area of the palate which in turn causes jaw to droop and lips to purse tight. This I've told is a strange case.

Thanks again

[Teretxu]

Lou, it's as common or uncommon as everything else about PD. Some people have no tremor but are very stiff and others are the exact opposite.
As Charlie says, you're probably drooling because your swalling reflexes are slow, and that could be insufficient levadopa levels in the brain.
On the other hand, keep in mind that almost everything you eat or drink can affect your symptons (I writhe with dyskinesia everytime I take a multi-vitamin pill, for instance). So, maybe it's an interference from another medication that causes those symptons.
The last time I ate Chinese food my jaws were tight as a clamp for about 6 hours and I had a storm of facial ticks, to include lip pursing. I suspect the MSG (flavor enhancers) or other neurotoxic additives were the trigger.

[geraldo]

I picked up a help sheet at the last support group meeting that gave a list of things to try besides gum or hard candy. I have not tried or even heard of some of the suggestions so, see if any work for you.
EXCESS SALIVA
1, 1 Tsp soy sause in 4 oz water or tea
2, Sage from a health food store (power,capsuleor tea)
3, Horseradish from a health food store (powder, cap.,or tea)
4, put a small amount of meat tenderizer in a glass of warm water ,swish in
mouth and spit out.
5, Take one tablet of Benadryl at night.
6 Medications
Scopolamine patch
Tricyclic amitriptyline
Beta antagonists
Glycopyrrolate
Benztropine
Benzhexol Hydrochloride
Sal-trope (pill)

Check with your doctor about the meds.

Good luck--jerry

[Lou H]

Geeez, Teresa, thanks a lot.... Now I'm gonna have to watch what I eat.... Only kidding... I know certain proteins affect the brain cells. You know what? When I rest pretty good the stiffness is gone for a few, but after playing ball or sporadic exercising, the right arm gets pretty stiff. The mouth symptoms also seem to be triggered by any usage of the rt arm. I guess the best bet is to go back to the gym and start an everyday program.. The question remains, why the quick progression of the mouth symptoms?

Gracias Teresa.

[Lou H]

Jerry, thanks for your help. I've tried Amitriptyline and
Glycopyrrolate with no results so the neuros will keep trying. Like Teresa says, PD is a very complicated disease that is very hard to diagnose/treat. I only wish the very best for all of you who participate and try to help others out. There is some good in our world.

[ZucchiniFlower]

Hi Lou,

Do you have tic tac in the UK? I put a tic tac in each corner of my mouth and leave them there. Makes the sucking symetrical. I don't know why I thought you were in the UK!

In this study they found that "The Hoehn and Yahr score and the results in the ROSS test did not correlate, indicating that swallowing disturbances are due to nondopaminergic degeneration."

http://www.springerlink.com/content/n0v0387k2j483753/

So there is probably something else going on aside from the lack of dopamine.

[Lou H]

Thanks for the info. Was also looking around and came across this interesting site:

http://************/parkinsons.disease/symptoms.htm

Thanks again, Lou