Are there other treatment options?

Whether you choose to use a feeding tube or not, you can work with your ALS care team to figure out an eating routine that works for you.

A speech language pathologist can help you learn to swallow safely, so you can still enjoy small amounts of your favorite foods. A dietitian can recommend a diet that’s high in calories to help you maintain your weight and suggest safe foods for you to enjoy.

Your ALS care team may also recommend palliative or hospice care. Both palliative and hospice care aim to keep you comfortable by easing your pain and helping you manage your ALS symptoms. But there’s one important difference:

• Palliative care can help you feel better at any stage of living with ALS. You can get palliative care and pursue other treatment options at the same time.
• Hospice care is for people who have chosen not to pursue treatment for ALS. Your care team may recommend hospice care to help you stay comfortable near the end of life.