Hello and thanks for taking the time to read my post. I am fearful of bulbar onset als. I have been having symptoms of a weak swallow. It feels like all of the food doesnt go down my throat. It feels like it sticks in the back of my throat. I cant seem to get rid of this feeling. I have health anxiety and this feeling has come and gone over the past few years. I have a phlemy feeling at the back of my throat as well. I dont know if some of the food is being caught in that phlem. I do not have any speech issues or swallowing liquids it just seems to be solids that are bothering me. I could be just hypersensitive to my body as this comes ith my anxiety.

May I direct you to http://www.alsforums.com/forum/index.php. I have NMD but am not an expert in Bulbar. Most of the posts say that thin liquids are the hardest to swollow and almost always the presenting symptom is slurred speech. The latter is from my neuromuscular doc. Do not make yourself crazy, there are many things that can cause your symptoms.

I agree with samson77. My mom had bulbar ALS an thin liquids and slurred speech were her first symptoms.

Just throwing my two cents in. I was having swallowing problems and my tongue felt numb and heavy (speech was only slurred slightly where others didn't notice) and my face was tingly. I was also having problems where my throat felt like it was closing and I wasn't getting air. I was in and out of the ER (they said anxiety) saw GI doc who did 2 esophageal dialations and that did help with the breathing in my opinion. I was eventually able to see doctors once I got insurance and after about a year of seeing ENTs, Neuros, Allergy docs, and GI docs, one neuro took me serious. He asked what I thought I had. I said bulbar ALS. He tested me for everything, LYME, MS, and most other diseases. I was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis, that effects primarily my bulbar muscles.

My husband has ALS.He was gagging on solids but not so much on fluids.He lost around 50 - 60 pounds.He is now on a feeding tube which is not as horrible as it sounds and has stopped losing weight and may have gained a few pounds.