C P slobbering-Scopolamine patch

Steffers2318

I don't really understand how a medication would help, unless it is to decrease the amount of saliva produced. But, CP doesn't cause production of excess saliva, it causes problems with muscles. Meaning--she is probably drooling (that's the same thing as slobbering, right? ) because her oral/lip muscles are weak and she can't keep it in!

Have her doctors mentioned any speech therapy? SLPs can do oral-motor therapy to try to strengthen the muscles...can she do things suck as pucker, move her lips and tongue from side-to-side, etc?

I would try speech therapy...in the meantime, you could do "games" such as making fish faces, having her try to hold a fruit loop (or something else round) in her lips to make an "O", tongue stuff such as holding a lollipop out in front of her and having her extend her tongue to lick it......

Hope you find something that works!

erinsmum

Thanks for your reply. My daughter does have very mild CP and she does not require any speech therapy. Her speech is in line with her age, she puckers her lips etc. We have her blowing bubbles, drinking out of a straw to try and strenghten her muscles. I just worry that she is wearing the patches and if they don't stop her slobbering/drooling, I am letting her put stuff in her body for no reason. They may help a little and I am going to leave them off for a few days just to see how much more she slobbers. I have spoken to my doctor and unfortunately it is just something that as she gets older, she will hopefully check herself from doing.
I have heard of an operation that moves the saliva glands from the front of the mouth to the back of the mouth, though I don't know how major the operation is - don't really want to go there unless completely neccessary.

mom2cpkid

Hi i have read your post and my son has cp as well.There is no answer for the drooling.my son is 14yrs old and still does it as well.The patch does not work well.If i am remembering correctly you place it somewhere by the ear.theres a med called robinul that will help some.good luck