bill
great to have you back
i cant help but i love you letters
love the tag line as usual
judy


>From: "William A. Parrette" <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Parkinson's Information Exchange Network
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Six of one ... PD content ... retry
>Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 19:04:28 -0400
>
>Hi all,
>
> Well, golly gee whizzzzz. I finally have an on-topic post for
> the list and it "got lost" in the "mix." Oh well, I hope the
> list-folk don't mind a little repetition ... I'll try again:
>
> > Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 22:44:41 -0400 (EDT)
> > From: "William A. Parrette" <[log in to unmask]>
> > To: Parkinson's Information Exchange Network
><[log in to unmask]>
> > Subject: Six of one, half-dozen of the other -- some NON-PD & some PD
>content...
> > ...
> > But, to try to post an actual on-topic message ...
> >
> > There has been a lot of talk about Sinemet over the last cou-
> > ple of days. Now, I know that everybody is different and every-
> > body reacts differently to their medications. But, I am kind of
> > curious why I am *so* different? ... or, at least it seems that
> > way to me.
> >
> > I am currently 46 and I was diagnosed four years ago. My
> > first neuro. put me on Sinemet 25/100 at two tablets a day. I
> > noticed no change in my symptoms. My second neuro. put me on the
> > same 25/100 at the same dosage of two tablets a day. Again, I
> > noticed no change in my symptoms. This doctor bumped me up to
> > four tablets a day, but there were still no changes in my symp-
> > toms. My third neuro. changed the prescription to Sinemet CR
> > 50/200 at two tablets a day, but (again) there was no noticeable
> > change in any of my symptoms.
> >
> > My current neuro. put me on three tablets of Sinemet 25/250
> > per day. And, this was the first time that I had noticed any
> > change at all. Some of the symptoms were actually reduced and it
> > was noticeable. But, also noticeable, was a major dyskinesia in
> > the form of my head bobbing a lot when I was talking. This neu-
> > ro. then "bumped me down" to CR 50/200 at *four tablets a day* --
> > and we're talking about maybe pushing that up to five a day if I
> > can find a way to wake myself at two in the morning.
> >
> > What confuses me is that many people that have been discussing
> > the effectiveness and dosage of Sinemet here in this forum for
> > the last couple of days have said that they are taking the non-CR
> > 25/100 -- and have been for many years -- and it does, in fact,
> > relieve their symptoms.
> >
> > Now remember, I'm a paranoid introvert so I almost can't help
> > from asking "why am I *so* different?" Without being too face-
> > tious, funny, or silly, does anybody have any thoughts on this
> > subject? Thoughts, ideas, concepts, criticisms, witticisms, far-
> > eastern philosophies, ... anything?
> >
> > Call me curious today. Curious if an on-topic post from me
> > will draw any responses. And, as we say in Grand Funk land, keep
> > Shinin' On ...
> > ...
>
> Then ...
>
> > Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 19:51:07 -0400 (EDT)
> > From: "William A. Parrette" <[log in to unmask]>
> > To: Parkinson's Information Exchange Network
><[log in to unmask]>
> > Subject: Re: Six of one ...PD content / back to the knitting ..
> >
> > Hi all,
> >
> > On Wed, 26 Apr 2000, the digest contained:
> >
> > > Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 09:40:40 -0400
> > > From: janet paterson <[log in to unmask]>
> > > Subject: Re: Six of one ...PD content / back to the knitting ...
> >
> > > ...
> > > prepare for the jaNET INTERrogation! ...
> >
> > I'm ready, ma'am. But, could I ask you to turn on some
> > lights, untie me from this chair, take off the mask, and put away
> > the rubber hose? Please?
> >
> > > ...
> > > what were/are your symptoms?
> > > pre-diagnosis? ...
> >
> > Ever since I can remember, I have had tremors in my hands.
> > Nothing major, but enough to keep me from doing any kind of "de-
> > tail" work with my hands. Initially, my *symptom* was what I
> > would have called a twitch in my right arm. And, my "normal"
> > shaking had become more noticeable.
> >
> > About a month or two after I noticed these symptoms, it had
> > become bad enough to make me seek medical advice. In addition to
> > the twitch, the neurologist noticed that -- as I walked -- my
> > right arm didn't swing as freely as my left.
> >
> > > ...
> > > what were/are your symptoms?
> > > post-diagnosis? ...
> >
> > In the last four years, I have had a variety of symptoms. At
> > times, I would notice that I would unconsciously clench my hands
> > tightly. I also developed an ache in my shoulder, elbow, or fin-
> > gers of my right arm. A little later, I noticed that the muscles
> > in the right side of my body would tense up. And, on occasion,
> > my vision would blur slightly or I would require brighter light
> > to read smaller text.
> >
> > These symptoms didn't always build on one another. Sometimes
> > one symptom would fade while another became more prominent.
> > There was no pattern -- no rhyme or reason I could detect. But,
> > when recovering from an illness of any kind, the tremors seemed
> > to worsen. And, in general, the symptoms seem to be at their
> > worst in the morning but diminish a bit through the day into the
> > evening.
> >
> > I have gone through a range of styles of tremors. What started
> > out as a general shaking of the hands eventually changed into the
> > classic "pill rolling" tremor. Then, it changed to a clasp-
> > ing/grasping tremor. Either one was controllable at rest. And,
> > the non-swinging arm stopped for a while and then changed into a
> > raised-arm/clenching fist position on both sides.
> >
> > Eventually, I started noticing the "slowness of movement."
> > Walking became harder and it would take quite a bit of effort to
> > do simple things like walking the dog. And, getting into and out
> > of cars and chairs became a real effort as well. I would have to
> > expend a great deal of effort using my arms to pull me out and up
> > into a standing position.
> >
> > > ...
> > > what were/are your symptoms?
> > > 4 years post-diagnosis? ...
> >
> > At the moment, on the 4 x 50/200 CR, the symptom that is still
> > noticeable is the tremors. I have noticeable tremors in both
> > arms and both legs. As I remember, the off-Sinemet tremors were
> > much worse than the current on-Sinemet tremors. And, except for
> > the Sinemet-induced dyskinesia, these are the only symptoms I now
> > notice.
> >
> > > ...
> > > in what way were they reduced by the 3x25/250IR sinemet doseage? ...
> >
> > The first thing I can say is that I generally felt better.
> > People who knew me and saw me regularly said I looked better.
> > The only symptom that I noticed -- as described above -- was the
> > arm/leg tremors and the dyskinesia.
> >
> > > ...
> > > in what way were they affected by the 4x50/200CR sinemet doseage? ...
> >
> > The tremors worsened slightly -- almost imperceptibly. But,
> > in the year or more since I've been on this prescription, the
> > tremors have gradually worsened again to be, IMO, more noticeable
> > and getting harder to hide.
> >
> > FWIW, if I can sit, undisturbed, and get my body in a relaxed,
> > meditative state, many times I can get the tremors to stop. But,
> > the instant I move -- sometimes when I think about moving -- they
> > will start up again.
> >
> > One other thing, I do have on-times and off-times. There are
> > periods during the day when the tremors will all but disappear.
> > While at other times they appear somewhat strong. I have not
> > been able to determine a schedule or cause/effect or any type of
> > pattern at all in these on/off times.
> >
> > > ...
> > > why does your neuro think a fifth 50/200CR
> > > would benefit you at the cost of interrupting sleep? ...
> >
> > *Our* opinion is :-) that in the period of time between my
> > last dose at 6 P.M. and my first dose in the morning at 6 A.M.
> > that all of the Levodopa has been consumed or used. So, it takes
> > a long time in the morning to get the first (and maybe the sec-
> > ond) to kick in and provide some relief.
> >
> > So the theory is that the 2 A. M. dose might provide a sort of
> > "running start" for the 6 A.M. dose to make it more effective.
> >
> > And, this is actually more my idea. But, the neuro. said it
> > wouldn't hurt to try it and see what happens.
> >
> > > ...
> > > why you are on your fourth neuro? ...
> >
> > With the first doctor, I had no insurance and the symptoms
> > were in their very early stage. The second doctor chose to have
> > some elective surgery soon after I became a patient and was un-
> > available for approximately six months. The third doctor (excuse
> > the use of "language") pissed me off. Now, I am on my fourth
> > neurologist.
> >
> > So, Ms. "Kinsey," :-) may I take my had out of the Gom Jabar
> > now? ;-)
>
>Bill--
> ...who thinks it is unnerving that a doctor calls what he does "a
>practice."
> ,--,
>.___. William A. ....._..._ .......7177 Heritage Drive+---- _ ___/ /\| -+
>| _ \__ _ _ _ _ _ ___| |_| |_ ___ .Westchester........| ,;`( )42, ) ~ |
>| _/ _` | '_| '_/ -_) _| _/ -_).OH 45069-4012......| // //---'--; |
>|_| \__,_|_| |_| \___|\__|\__\___|.513/779-0780.......| ' \ | ^ |
>..... http://w3.one.net/~wap/ .... [log in to unmask] .......+----- ^ -- ^ -----+

________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com