Just found this site and read a bunch of comments. Looks like a great place for us caregivers. I am taking care of my husband of 32 years who was diagnosed about 3 years ago with Early Onset Alz. at age 59 and seems to be in the midstage.
In the last few weeks, he has begun to have trouble recovering his breath in a normal recovery time after physical activity and choking on his pills or even water. He has a stress test scheduled for tomorrow. I am very concerned that his illness has suddenly taken a leap in progression.
Has anyone here experienced this sort of breathing and choking in the midstage of Alz progression? If so would you share with me what to expect next?
what meds is he on? Good that he has the appointment tomorrow but make sure they know his current problems. In fact, I would contact his doctor either tonight or tomorrow before the stress test so he is aware and/or if it gets worse.
My husband also had a stress test early on when we weren't sure that he had AD he was probably 56 or 57. The Techs that gave the stress test were very aware of his condition with breathing problems. They immediately had to stop the test because of the equipment they were using registered he couldn't continue. After that his dr. told me he was to never have a treadmill test again. So...when you take him in for the test I would just be sure that they are very aware of his problems. My dh had COPD as well as a heart condition. Does your dh have either of these conditions??
Glad you found us and keep asking questions and read as much as you can. There are always someone that has had the same problem.
Thanks for the comments. His doctor was the person who examined my husband because of the breathing issues then sent him for stress test. He has no known heart problems nor COPD. Glad to hear the equipment can see if he should stop the test.
Cardiologist said husband's stress test indicates he has a very strong heart and can continue to exert himself without concern. I guess I just have to ignore the breathing noices or point it out to see if he will stop. I will watch the swallowing issues and get him back to the doctor if they impact his ability to eat.
Teri, A friend of mine has a husband with AD/FTD. He was having chronic coughing problems. She took him in and it turned out he had pneumonia from aspirating. He was no longer swallowing poroperly. He was referred to a specialist - I think a speech therapist. He now goes for therapy 4 times a week. The said his tongue had become very weak, but he is making good progress just after a few visits. I don't know if this applies to your situation , but maybe...
swallowing issues seem to be a very common side effect with the disease. the disconnect of brain and what to do with the saliva. just like so many other organs over time. we have the swallowing issues now that hes in later stage as well as urinary disconnect where they forget how to go to the bathroom for necessities. they also can get dry mouth due to lack of hydration which we also know is quite difficult to get them to drink alot of fluids. it may be a good idea to try a different type of softer foods as well now, like macaroni, mashed potato, oatmeal, small bites of meats that arent difficult to chew or swallow. and many of us find we must dissolve the meds in applesauce or pudding to get the medicines down. ask the pharmacist if its ok if you want to do this to make sure they can be dissolved first. i have been doing this for a decade now. its the only way to get them down. or you can ask a compounding pharmacy to blend the meds foryou in liquids if possible. some find the sippy cups for toddlers easy to get directed amount of fluids down too. the autonomic processes of our bodies are most definately affected by the disease, some parts sooner than others. divvi
Hi Teri, my DH had some similiar issues, particularly swallowing. When the dr was ruling out causes for his memory loss, he was given a stress test and apparently fainted (no one told me). He did have some severe swallowing problems 2 years ago after aspirating on his food (yougurt, no less!). A speech therapist should evaluate your husband's ability to swallow properly. DH was immediately put on a pureed diet and someone needed to feed him and coach him when to swallow. Fortunately after 2-3 months he was able to swallow normally again, but we still make sure his food, particularly meat, is cut into small pieces. Because he has FTD, his implse control doesn't exist, so when you put a plate of food in front of him he will put everything in his mouth and then not be able to swallow and could choke/aspirate again. So we give him smaller portions and monitor what he puts in his mouth.