PD Friends,

My neuologist has switched me off of requip and onto artane
(trihexyphenadyl).  (I'm not taking sinemet yet.)  I'm half way
through the build-up to a therapeutic dosage.  Currently I'm taking 5
2mg tablets per day (Am:2 Noon:1 PM:2).  The side effect that has
bothered me the most was the dizzy spells just after I increase the
dosage.  This was evidently something different.  My last increase
was Sunday, when I added the second AM tablet.  (BTW, I felt
significantly dizzy Sunday AM.)

This morning I had to open my work computer up to install some
equipment.  I normally work more with software than the hardware, but
I've done this kind of thing often enough for it to be a routine
procedure.  Anyway I had the guts of my G3 Mac spread out on the
table and was testing the new switch when "it" hit.  A friend
happened to be in the office at the time asking me some technical
questions.  I was trying to do both things at the same time - again
nothing that I've not done many times before.

I began to get really shaky.  Much more so that just my usual left
hand tremor.  I was shaking all over.  I began to get short of breath
and sweat profusely.  Gene alsked if I were OK when he saw that I had
stopped everything to deal with this new phenomenon.  My answer to
him was "No, I'm not OK."  I used a bit of deep breathing and bit of
qigung (a Chinese technique).  I rapidly began to feel better.  The
whole episode lasted maybe 5 or 10 minutes.

  From descriptions I read, this must be similar to a panic attack
except I never felt any real panic, perhaps because I brought it
under control so quickly once I applied myself.  Maybe it was
something else, like low BP.  (Low BP is not unusual for me.)

After I had reassembled my computer and relaxed myself a bit, I went
down to the first aid station to have my BP taken.  The nurse
measured it as 130/78, which is not unreasonable.  Just for kicks I
asked her to take it a second time - this time with my qigung in
action.  She had to repeat the measurement twice before she'd believe
it.  My new BP was 120/70.  I'd dropped my BP ten points in 30
seconds.  She quizzed me fairly closly about just how I had achieved
this feat.

My question for any of you who have taken artane: is this "panic
attack" something that has happened to you?  Anyting similar?  I
don't recall anything like this being mentioned in the various
"package inserts" for artane.

Bill
(55 now, dx @ age 54, first symptoms @ 53)

PS - Please send me a direct copy of any reply.  I'm in digest mode
so I won't see your list reply until the list server decides to sen
another digest.

PPS - I've got a call into my neuro about this, also.
--
Bill Innanen                         <mailto: [log in to unmask]>
Voice: (240) 228-6968                              Fax: (240) 228-6583
Johns Hopkins Univ.   Applied Physics Lab.   Air Defense Systems Dept.
--
Bill Innanen                     <mailto: [log in to unmask]>
                            <http://Bill.Innanen.com> & <http://mni.ms>