Bulbar Palsy?

[Manic79]

    My father was diagnosed with and later passed from ALS. Now years later my brother has similar symptoms and recently went for test in Cleveland. What I'm hearing is Bulbar Palsy, all this second hand info.
    Symptoms as I'm told are: no gag reflex, slurred speech, losing motor control in hands arms and legs.
    What is baffling to me is that he has random series of days where all these symptoms disappear then a day or two later reappear. As he put it "like a switch was flipped". Is this common or even possible?

[Dr. A. Srivastava]

Thank you for your question. I can understand your worrying concerns about bulbar palsy. Unfortunately, rehabilitation is the only effective way to help the patient regain function to the possible extent and prevent from permanent losses. If rehabilitation program is appropriately instituted, most of the stroke patients can regain maximum functions with appropriate therapy, training and support services. For coordinated rehabilitation program a team of a neurologist, a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist and a speech-language pathologist, a nutritionist work together to help you in your recovery. Therefore, I would suggest following the suggestion made by them and recovery will be although slow but most of the functions may be restored. In addition, it is essential to know that risk of recurrence may be reduced such as by quitting smoking and controlling blood pressure. Hope this helps.

[Fishingaddict]

I would not think that ALS patients could have a sudden symptom abatement, since the nerves and muscles are irreversibly damaged from what I understand.

Has he been checked for myasthenia gravis?  You can loose the gag reflex, have slurred speech, and lose motor control in sever cases, and it can go off and on.  

Just a thought, I am far from an expert.