Quote:
Originally Posted by gerryann
I don't think the OP is posting this for professionals. A lot of folks are dealing with loved ones who have this dreadful disease.
I often wonder about the noises and movements. Does anyone else see this in Alzheimer's? What I mean is......mouth noises...sucking, chewing on nothing. Took him to dentist to be sure it's nothing medical......also, obsession with skin...scratching, picking, etc. Dermatologist can't find anything.
This is all new behavior.
|
Gerry. I am not a medical person. The only time I have had any dealings with involuntary facial movements was when our daughter Helene started her first Chemo several years ago and was given a tranquilizer, phenothiazine, as is generally done, and it caused drug induced Parkinsons that took several weeks to go away. Some people react to certain drugs in different ways.
When I googled chewing movements I came up with this for what it is worth.
Dystonia
Dystonia is the third most common movement disorder, after essential tremor and Parkinson's disease. It is characterized by sustained co-contractions of opposing muscle groups that cause twisting or repetitive movements and abnormal postures. Dystonia is classified according to the number of muscle groups affected. It may be may be focal and limited to one area (such as the face, neck, larynx/vocal cords, or limbs), or it may be generalized and affect the whole body. These conditions can be both painful and debilitating. Aside from medications, dystonias are frequently treated with Botox injections. Patients with regional and generalized dystonias and normal MRI scans may benefit from deep brain stimulation therapy. The following are examples of focal dystonias:
- Blepharospasm is marked by involuntary contraction of the eyelid muscles. Symptoms may range from intermittent, increased frequency of blinking to constant, painful eye closure leading to functional blindness.
- Oromandibular dystonia is characterized by forceful contractions of the lower face causing the mouth to open or close. Chewing and unusual tongue movements may also occur.
- Laryngeal dystonia or spasmodic dysphonia is due to abnormal contraction of muscles in the voice box producing changes in the voice. Patients may have a strained-strangled quality to their voice or in some cases a whispering/breathy quality .
- Cervical dystonia (CD) or spasmodic torticollis is marked by muscle spasms of the head and neck may be painful and cause the neck to twist into unusual positions or postures.
- Writer’s cramp and musician’s cramp is a task-specific dystonia, meaning that it only occurs when performing certain tasks. Writer’s cramp is a contraction of hand and/or arm muscles that happens only when a patient is writing. It does not occur in other situations, such as when a patient is typing or eating. Musician’s cramp occurs only when a musician plays his/her instrument. For example, pianists may experience cramping of their hands when playing, while brass players may have cramping or contractions of their mouth muscles.
<Back to Top>
Hemifacial Spasm
Hemifacial spasm (HFS) is characterized by involuntary contraction of facial muscles. HFS usually occurs only on one side of the face. Like blepharospasm, the frequency of contractions in hemifacial spasm may range from intermittent to frequent and constant. The unilateral blepharospasm of HFS may be particularly troublesome, interfering with routine tasks such as driving. In addition to medication, patients may respond well to treatment with Botox. HFS may be due to vascular compression of the nerves going to the muscles of the face. For these patients, surgical decompression may result in long-lasting improvement of symptoms.
Gerry, I think the proper doctor to consult after your primary care giver would be a neurologist. As I say. I am not a medical person in any way shape or form.
But I know what worry is.