Q. Excessive oral secretions (saliva) make kissing unpleasant and unromantic for both. Kissing is a cornerstone to intimacy and sexual activity. I find this a real problem. While excessive saliva may not be a major issue itself, it adversely affects intimacy and sexual activity. I would love to find a solution to this problem. Regards, Warren
A. Increased salivary flow, also known as sialorrhea or ptyalism, has not been reported as a symptom of MS. When excessive salivation is seen, it is usually related to swallowing difficulty, causing some pooling of saliva in the mouth. Some medications can induce sialorrhea, so you may want to discuss any medications you are taking with your physician to understand if one of them may be causing you to produce excessive saliva. It may also be a problem related to another medical condition. Having MS does not, unfortunately, protect people from other illnesses. For this reason, it is important to consult your primary care physician regarding your concern.
Q. I have heard that Viagra can help women with sexual problems. Is it true? Thank you, A.
A. Sildenafil (ViagraTM) is used in the treatment
of primary sexual dysfunction in men, particularly erectile dysfunction. When studied in females with MS, sildenafil was not found to be useful, and so is not indicated for treating sexual dysfunction in women.
Q. I am tired nearly all the time, but whenI'm feeling less tired, my husband usually is. This means that the opportunities to spend intimate time together are very irregular and almost non-existent. I have always initiated sex and I'm sure that my husband feels that this should still be the case. I would like to share so much more, such as touching, talking and sharing. How can I let him know that I'm not just a“medical problem”, and let him see me as a person who still needs a little titillation and excitement?
Thanks, BA, Australia
A. It is important to separate the MS from the rest of the person. It sounds as if you already know this though. It is also important that the other person is aware of your feelings. This is only accomplished through honest discussion. MS may require couples to revise their usual ways of approaching sex and intimacy (in your particular case you may not always be the "initiator"). It is also important to agree, as a couple, that intimacy is not about intercourse alone, but, as you mentioned, touching, talking and sharing.
What might happen in a couple is that one member believes that, for the other person, intercourse is the ultimate goal of intimacy. But when it is discovered that this isn't the case, both people feel less under pressure and they are freer to talk about other ways of being intimate. Finally, there are a lot of strategies on how fatigue can be managed so that it does not interfere with sexual expression. See Issue 1 of MS in Focus (January 2003) on Fatigue for further information.
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