Is strangling or trouble swallowing common with Alzheimer's?

Is he on a modified diet? Have his doctor authorize a swallow study by a speech lanhuage pathologist to see if he needs thickened liquids, etc.

I agree with ba8alous. His swallowing needs to be evaluated. There are many brands of thickener on the market. This may be the next phase.

Is strangling or trouble swallowing common with Alzheimer's?

In answer to your question, YES! Sometimes as the disease progresses, they forget how to swallow. You have to be very careful or they choke. I agree with the above, let the doctor know right away to be evaluated.

Yes, my mom has difficulty at times. More often in the evening, I try to have soft foods for her and then cut into small pieces. There are still some nights that this doesn't work. Those nights she gets applesauce, yogurt or something like that. It is important to take care of the problem because food can actually end up in the lungs and causing pneumonia.

I also cut medications in half if they are large so they are easier to swallow.

Yes it can be an issue generally in later stages... I would encourage you to get a swallow study asap. One of the issues with difficulty swallowing is aspiration. That is very difficult and can cause many problems!

I am sorry to say this, but yes, it is common in Alzheimer's sufferers.

My father died from the disease, and in his last few months in the skilled care facility, he started choking more than usual and just kind of quit chewing and swallowing. (I was in charge of cleaning his false teeth for him, and I swear, more food was in his mouth and teeth than he ever swallowed. I was with him almost every single day.) In fact, our fear of him strangling and choking was just ONE of the factors we were concerned about before we placed Dad in the facility as he was having beginning problems with this when we were caring for him at home.

Now, I'm not saying that this is the end for your husband. I am no doctor. I am just relating to you our family's experience caring for our father. That said, I would get an immediate evaluation of his condition as others have advised.

I will be keeping good thoughts for you and your husband. It's not easy, I know. Take care!

he may be suffering from a dry mouth, which is a side effect of many medicines. TheraBreath Mouth Watering lozenges may help until you can get him evaluated.

Yes, it is. Have his doctor check his "gag" reflex too. The brain mechanism used to control swallowing slows down. Try eating softer foods, smaller amounts, and drinking more liquids.

My mother doesn't have Alzheimer, but she is somewhat senile. She has a problem with swallowing, especially something like cornbread. She chokes on water. She had a swallow study which indicated there was a slight physiological problem with the structure in her throat, could be from her tonsillectomy when she way young, but it just didn't show up until the muscles got weak. She is getting swallow therapy.

Speech therapy is often prescribed for this problem along with a diet that includes nectar thickened liquids and purees. There are also special cups which dispense one sip at a time that can be used for feeding Alz/dementia patients. We are using one of these cups for my mother and it has helped a great deal. Mom always has to be sitting completely upright when eating and must remain upright until 30 minutes AFTER eating. Instead of 3 meals a day, we have gone to 4 - 6 small meals per day. We also add protein powder and liquid vitamins to her food - it's amazing what you can hide in a chocolate milkshake!

This probably doesn't apply to Alzheimer's patients, but then again it may be a factor for some: In the years following menopause I began to choke on bits of food and saliva more and more. Sometimes in the middle of a conversation I would start choking. My epiglottis simply was not working properly and it was getting worse with passing time.

After one such episode an acquaintance told me that she went to the doctor with the same problem. She was told that it was either chocolate or mint (or both). Don't ask me what the connection is with those two substances and the proper functioning of the epiglottis, but in my case it turned out to be mint. (I would have been better off if it was chocolate I had to give up, LOL!)

If an elder parent is starting to have choking problems it wouldn't hurt to eliminate all mint (including toothpaste, mint teas and breath mints) and chocolate for awhile to see if things improve at all.

Yes, we have the same problem. As a matter of fact that was the beginning of Alzheimer's for my husband. He would get chocked on his own saliva, Very scary and dangerous. I had wondered if others suffered with this problem.