My Dad is having problems with his saliva becoming very thick which causes him to have trouble breathing. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to thin the saliva?

Hi Betsy,
How has his oral care been? Maybe adding a tooth paste that has baking soda in it and I also would increase his water intake. I hope this helps some!

Hi Betsy,
Could your Dad be suffering from some kind of regurgitation problem? It can happen without any warning and there is no control over it. I have known of someone who suddenly gets a thick sort of mucus in her mouth and it is difficult to swallow. She ends up spitting it out. For her, it's not really saliva, but actually gastric contents. Can he tell you if it taste bitter or sour? That might give you a hint.
Also, don't rule out mucus draining down his throat. That is hard to get up or down too. Just a couple of thoughts.
Sallyann

Well Dang!
I meant to add, ask his physician. Even without the the complication of LBD, he should be able to tell a patient what is causes this, and what would help him.
Sallyann

Now that you say that I was just thinking about acid reflux. I know that when I get that I have to swallow more. Thanks for that thought. I will try to see if when he has trouble swallowing follows when he asks for Tums for his stomach. Isn't it such a game to try to figure out what is causing these symptoms and how to treat it with the least amount of reaction? YIKES

Dear Betsy, Some good suggestions here. Of course please ask the MD. Does your LO have any sinus drainage problems? If the nasal passage is congested, drainage sometimes occurs orally. Does he have swallowing problems? A swallow test may help. Please don't use Tums for true GERD. They're for occasional upset stomachs, but can't help clinical regurgitation disorder. That needs a clinical diagnosis. Ask the dentist about oral infections. S/he may want an oral swab to rule out infection. A number of folks whose LOs have LBD use oral mouthwash and toothpaste brand-named Biotene. Seems to cut the heavy saliva when it's "simply" part of the nervous system disorders that go with this disease. There is also a medication used by MDs who treat Parkinson's patients that cuts back on heavy saliva. I am uncertain of the name - something like "rubinol." You can find specifics at RxList.com, DrugDigest.com or the National ParkinsonFoundation web site. Finally, the PD docs also sometimes suggest light Botox injections to help this.

My mom has both PD and LBD, and her salivation has become very heavy in the last several months.

Best wishes. Peace, Lin

Dear Friends, Couldn't let go of this topic so did some lit research tonight.
There is a very useful review of the problem, causes and treatments at the American Academy of Family Physicians web site. Article is Sialorrhea: A Management Challenge. It's at http://aafp.or/afp/20040601/2628.html. That led me to many other clinical articles. Basically, treatments range from focused X-ray, Botox injections, surgical diversion of the ducts, medications. Authors do recommend ruling out oral probloems, GERD, etc. The meds are mentioned along with warnings about side effects, especially for those with neuro diseases. I also read about Rubinol which I mentioned previously, and realize I wouldn't give it to my mom - again, nasty side effects. I'd consider the Botox, which has to be repeated every few months, but mom is terrified of needles, so probably wouldn't let the MD near her.

I do want to find out how to reduce the irritation of skin where mom drools. Skin is turning red due to the enzymes in the saliva, and she says it stings. Acidic, so of course it may hurt.

As always, you're all in my thoughts.

Peace, Lin