Hi My dad has psp he's doing well apart from a very loud choking cough even if he's not eating it keep him awake most of the night

[mrsfarringdon]

He's had barium xrays and test there's no chest infection somtimes a clear phlegm any surgestions how to calm it dowm a bit

Thanks

[peterjones]

mrs farrington i have psp but i try and stop coughing at night i try and eat early and no snacks or biscuits i have my dinner at 6pm then nothing then i go to bed about 10-30 pm to 11 pm at night

but definatly no biscuits unless they are dunked in the tea through out the day as the crumbs hang around in your throat and agitate it when you go to bed & relax hopefully \\ i hope this helps anything is worth a try good luck mrs F peyer jones queensland australia psp sufferer

[Hidden]

My wife will occasionally have a very loud gutteral cough or two during the night. I've asked her whether it is a problem with excess saliva (that occurs in some PSP sufferers) or a dry mouth. She says it is a dry mouth. I'm not sure if this is the case with your dad. There are some simple moisterising gels (we had a sample tube of "oralbalance" biotene from our speech/swallowing therapist), which are used just before sleep or during the night if woken by coughing. It may or may not work, but it may be worth trying.

(and peterjones' advice is worth taking into consideration from his practical experience).

All the best.

[SharonAB]

My husband has gone through a series of distressed sounding coughs that sound he is choking and it normally more prevalent in the first hour of going to bed in the evening.

John has had videooscopies (not sure how to spell!) to check that nothing is caught and look at how the swallowing & breathing pathways are going. The speech therapist at the neurological unit for state govt health has been able to provide some great assistance. John at different times seems to have a dry mouth and/or at other times an excess of saliva where a little drools out of the corner of his mouth (which distresses him to no end).

Every four months John has what I call a 'wellness check'. Amongst other things the speech therapist discusses with John his swallowing technique (he now 're swallows' after swallowing to ensure food goes down correctly and quite often does a little cough to make sure it has gone the right way), posture whilst eating (chin & head at the best angle to assist) , types of food and liquids he finds more comfortable to eat, and not mixing drinks with foods and concerntrating on eating his food with no interference (including no background noise). The speech therapist also shares a small meal with John to gauge if what he says he is doing is in fact reality. It is an occasion which John enjoys and is a pretty relaxed affair (A pleasant surprise as I did not think it would be so when I arranged the first consult!).

Along with addressing foods,drinks and swallowing techniques the speech therapist is a heavy advocate for Biotene products. John pretty much uses every products of theirs available - has done for years now. We initially were bying products one by one which proved expensive so I then changed to ordering the products online as John pretty much drinks the mouth wash (so to speak - mind you the therapist said it was OK if he swallowed a little) and it was costly to buy as it was only available through pharmacies. Now the products are available in Australian supermarkets and are packaged in different sizes so that has reduced the price.

N.B. the speech therapist informed John that biscuits and anything with crumbs should be out of bounds (along with watermelon & rockmelon) - but I do know he loves them so I hope he is dunking them like Peter suggests (yes just the biscuits!)

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Alana - Western Australia

[springbank]

Do you have an electric adjustable bed? Raising the upper body may help.

[mummybear]

Hi Mrs Farringdon, some tips, if you cant raise his bed pillow use a book or two under the head of the mattress, or ask for a foam wedge off your community nurse, also give hubby some pineapple or grape juice to thin saliva an hour or so before bed, you can also use it throughout the day as well, the coughing i have found is up and down and is a way for hubby to get rid of unwanted saliva, please call the local Parkinson nurse whom should give you information about this disease and were to get help, it will be needed. Keep your chin up.

[Hidden]

Definitely an upwards slant helps drainage but also if he is on his side make sure the pillows are not pressing (even slightly) against his throat. Other than that also avoid milky things such as very milky drinks, yoghurts etc at night as these can notoriously make the best of us a little 'phlegmmy'. I notice mum did not have such good control of her tongue later on and that could be another factor if it is dropping back. side sleeping would remedy that but of course we all have our best sleep positions.

[jimandsharynp]

My wife also coughs at night. It is the build up of saliva in the mouth that doesn't get swallowed or gets swallowed improperly. Saliva of PSP patients tends to thicken for some reason. Perhaps it's because it stays in the mouth so long. I've also heard that milk and milk products cause thick saliva in the mouth. I limit the amount of milk my wife can have (yogurt included). Perhaps someone else can confirm this for us.

Jimbo

[jillannf6]

Hi allo

It is a real problem The choking coughing and a

Snoring in my case at night

I did not realise that milk is a problem and shall try tea when I wake coughing in the future

Thsnks 4 the tips

Lo l jill

[peterjones in reply to jillannf6]

hi jill i always have a glass of milk before i go to bed i had a bone density test and they reckon i have the bones of a 20 year old i said its a bloody good job i do because i have had that many falls this year ive got to have something going for me\\\ but getting back to the milk i know it makes mucas in me but i have a passion for drinking milk now that i do not have tea so much and i reckon it helps with my bones as well rightly or wrongly

now to get on with the serious business of you snoring perhaps you have sleep apnea

i wear a mask with a machine to put air into me after i went to a sleep clinic i get a deeper sleep now but still wake up at 2-3 4 in the morning but i feel more refreshed now and i do not snore so i have less chance of having a stroke i look like the phantom of the opera when i go to bed but it helps along with psp i think its hilarious at times you have got to laugh at yourself now and again \\ anyway jill hope you had a lovely holiday peter jones queensland australia psp sufferer and ex snoooooooooooooooere

[cabbagecottage]

my husband has the same Robles . In FTC I am sat up in bed at this moment waiting for the next episode . I have recently tried giving him a Tyrozet to suck just before he lays down . On the odd night that he has slept in his rise an d recline chair he seems not to be troubled quite as much so maybe the change of atmosphere going to the bedroom makes a difference .He also has a hospital bed which I raise the head . I also raise the knee part a little takes the stress of his bottom .

[carolinesimmons]

Have you tried scopolamine patches or atropine drops? The patches help my husband with his saliva which accumulates, goes down the wrong way and makes him cough. Sometimes, sitting forward leaning on his walker helps though it's hard to stay that way long.