Saved from Despair: Lyme Symptoms

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Valentine2

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I just came across this website before I got to the point where I was going to a) go to emerg b) take off to somewhere tropical for my 'last trip' ever or c) do myself in. I have had every symptom on this board for three months now and was/am at the end of my rope. However, upon 'miraculously' or perhaps even spiritually being diverted to this site from some obsure Lyme site I am somewhat convinced that perhaps I should stick around a bit longer. The only thing is, out of hundreds of posts
there is only two responses for this symptom and als is pretty much the ONLY disease that comes up when you type in excessive salivation. That or 'dealing' with dogs'. I have no trouble talking, chewing or swallowing but yet I have this symptom of saliva just pouring down my throat all the time that has 'baffled' almost every doctor on earth that I've been to in the past few months. I was checked by a neuro but he was VERY brief and knew I had anxiety so I feel he brushed me off. My mom said he could be sued if he found something significant and didn't report it but I'm still real worried as more or less no-one else seems to have this saliva thing. Am I wrong? :(
 
I've had excessive salivation for the last 2 months. Doctors tell me the same thing they tell you. I'm not an 'anxiety' prone person so I don't attribute it to anxiety. I am constantly spitting or swallowing the saliva. It drives me absolutely nuts. I have not found any answers for it.
 
Hi Val2:

My 14 year old daughter sometimes used to complain of too much saliva. She would keep spitting into the sink or a keenex. I heard somewhere, that too much saliva could be an indication of worms, so I gave her some de-worming med. She hasn't complained since, which was about 2 years ago. However, I do know someone else who complains of this problem and it is nothing. Some people have over active saliva glands and other people might over active sweat glands. It is not indicative of anything sinister, in and of itself.

Welcome aboard.
Cheers,
Basso
 
Thanks for the comforting suggestions. I will look into all these possibilities that don't seem life-threatening. I know some people just have more saliva but that is a new thing for me so it's a bit scary when there are only references between saliva and als on the internet.
I keep testing myself constantly for muscle weakness because I was told that symptoms are unlikely related to als if no true weakness exists.
But then there is the bulbar kind of als with oral symptoms. But like I said I can talk, chew and swallow ok so I guess I will try to start to resume a more normal life. I am also getting tested for Lyme. It is hard to hard live like this though (bfs). I keep worrying that the people on here really go on to develop als and we just never hear about it. I pray that I am being paranoid and that all the insane symptoms on here are truly benign.
It is at least comforting to know that other people in the world have these strange symptoms. Thanks again.
 
This implies burning though I'm quite sure and I don't have that but thanks anyways. The saliva increase is not really extreme but still bothersome because I never had it before. I hope some of the previous suggestions might be the case.
 
Diego4Life is quite correct about water brash. Lots of people have reflux (gerd) and do not feel the burning, sometimes just the voice gets husky, or a person seems prone to laryngitis, or they constantly feel the urge to clear their throats. Look up reflux or gerd on the net and you will find out about this condition.

Cheers,
Basso
 
I hoped it was gerd or laryngeal reflux. However, my doc put me on Nexium 40 mg bid, which is a whopping dose, and it has not had any effect on my excessive saliva. Anyway, thanks for the suggestions.
 
Did you consider the other possibilities? What are your other symptoms?
The saliva is of course my main worry because it seems so 'unexplainable'. How old are you if you don't mind me asking and also just in case you want to discuss more- how long has the saliva thing been going on for? Are you prone to anxiety?
 
In als you don't have excess saliva, just inability to swallow it. I salivate a lot just thinking about chocolate so I think it's something that can occur just by thinking about it.
 
StephG22- I would so, so, so like to believe you but I read on one site that it can be overproduction not just innability to swallow. I believe it was only a few of the sites that mentionned this though. Maybe even just one. Most mentionned it way at the end when everything had fallen apart not at the beginning of als symptoms. It makes definate sense to me, that if one salivates at the thought of hunger, that they could salivate at the thought of fear or salivation itself. But why, why, why then does nowhere explain salivation in psychological terms- only 'neurological' terms. I guess we are wrong then. I am so confused.
 
I "had it", when I was convinced I had bulbar *** (which, by the way, was the toughest fear to get over for me).

I feel silly now, because I now know that the "excess salivation" *** patients experience is NOT an actual increase in salivation, but a failure of the muscles in the mouth and adjacent areas, thus failing to keep saliva in the way a properly functioning mouth would.

Try this (courtesy of a family friend doctor from the Health System of Manitoba) -

Open a Coke (or Diet Coke). Put a straw in it. Drink it (through the straw of course). Then, when done with however much of it you want, purse your lips around the straw, and pull it out of the can.

If you were able to drink the soda through the straw, and then pull the straw out of the can with your mouth, you are ABSOLUTELY in the clear with any of the things you are worried about. I did it while he was talking to me on the phone. When he asked if it worked, and I ocnfirmed it did, he laughed a little, and reminded me not to believe everything I read. "Excess saliva" is actually a VERY poor way of describing what these unfortunate folks are experiencing. Loss of bulbar muscle/nerve function IS what is taking place, and is a very physical manifestation of nerve decay, not just a little extra drool

JG

BTW - when I was scared to death because I couldn't stop salivating, I researched it too. Among the MANY things that could cause "excess salivation":

* Hard candy
* Stress (which can also cause dry mouth interestingly)
* Gingivitis
* Sinus irritation

etc.
 
You do not have als. Sometimes we begin to focus on something in the body which can then be perceived in a way that our minds begin to create symptoms for us. Like some of the others here I have experienced thinking I had excessive saliva but then when I forget about it for one reason or another it resolves. Bulbar onset als is brutal and I can tell you that in 3 months you would other complications besides excess saliva.

I reference the case of tom watson's caddy who, over a six month period, sounded like he was drunk as he was slurring his speech so much. This would come and go for a while and then was constant. He would have horrible coughing fits, trouble swallowing, and shortness of breath.

You don't have als. You have anxiety-induced hyper-fixation on your body which is a pain. I have it. The shrink calls it soma something or other...

Rest easy and please don't end your life but take the vacation ;)

Peace to you,

Mark
 
Thank you so much for responding everyone. I am going to do my best to ignore the new extra salivation.I have noticed, that when I cry (which has been quite often since this ordeal started three months ago) I definatley salivate more. My mom says this happens to her too. So wouldn't it just make sense then that constant fear/anxiety could cause it too? It actually makes logical sense to me but yet 'dry mouth' the complete opposite always comes up whenever I search for salivation
causes like anxiety. So it makes me think that I alone am some kind of alien that experiences this..I know so many people have told me to stop surfing but I'm only three months into this so it's still very scary.
 
Thank you so much for responding everyone. I am going to do my best to ignore the new extra salivation.I have noticed, that when I cry (which has been quite often since this ordeal started three months ago) I definatley salivate more. My mom says this happens to her too. So wouldn't it just make sense then that constant fear/anxiety could cause it too? It actually makes logical sense to me but yet 'dry mouth' the complete opposite always comes up whenever I search for salivation
causes like anxiety. So it makes me think that I alone am some kind of alien that experiences this..I know so many people have told me to stop surfing but I'm only three months into this so it's still very scary.
 

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