Hi all,

        Been a little busy lately, not much time to participate, but I
     read it all.  And, on Mon, 17 Jul 2000 the digest contained:


Date:    Mon, 17 Jul 2000 13:47:47 +0200
From:    Hans van der Genugten <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Question about tremor

> Hi Alf,
>
> >> The books say that PD tremor stops when you fall asleep. <<
>
> Yes.
>
> >> But I haven't read anywhere WHY it stops? <<
>
> Correct, that is because they have NO idea why it stops.
> ...

        And ...

Date:    Mon, 17 Jul 2000 10:18:24 -0300
From:    Joao Carvalho <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Question about tremor

> Could it be that the need of dopamine is reduced during sleep ?

        Well,  I'm  certainly  no  expert  here, but I thought I would
     throw in my thoughts and experiences.

        I  have  become  somewhat adept at producing a special sort of
     consciousness in which my body is essentially asleep but my  mind
     is  completely  awake.   The people I learned how to do this from
     call this unique state of consciousness "Focus 10."  And,  it  is
     due  to  a special state of the brain that they call "hemispheric
     synchronization."

        This  state occurs naturally in some people on rare occasions.
     But, it has been observed as  a  naturally  occurring  mode  with
     someone  who is in a deep meditative state.  I'll admit that I've
     only been "challenged" by PD for about four years now.  But, when
     I  get  into  "Focus  10," my tremors disappear.  It isn't a fast
     process -- it takes some time; and there are times that  I  can't
     "get  there"  for whatever reason -- I'm sure there are a variety
     of reasons; and, it's not a very useful state of consciousness as
     the  only  thing you can do is use your brain and mind for think-
     ing.  The instant you move a muscle, you pop back into your  nor-
     mal, consciousness state.

        So,  my  *theory*  is that when part of the brain notices that
     the body is asleep, it stops sending its signals to  the  muscles
     --  the  good signals and the bad (PD) signals.  It sees no sense
     it transmitting anything to the muscles  because  they're  asleep
     and they aren't going to respond anyway.

        But, the instant that part of the brain notices, the body com-
     ing "awake" (under the direction, I'm sure, of a completely *dif-
     ferent*  area  in the brain) it starts it's normal job of sending
     the signals (good and bad :-( ) to the muscles to try to  control
     the movement again.

        I wish different parts of the brain would be more coordinated.
     :-)

        Now,  if  I  could  just get that "Star Trek" image of Captain
     Pike's head mounted on a rolling computer system from the  origi-
     nal  pilot, I'll be okay. :-/ And, if I could just find something
     to do while in Focus 10 ... :-)

        And, on another topic ...

        In  one  of my last posts to the list, I had mentioned that my
     doctor had put me on Requip.  I'm up to .75mg at  three  times  a
     day and it seems to be providing some benefit.  On my most recent
     visit, I talked to him about my dyskinesias.  So, he  put  me  on
     100mg of Amantadine four times a day.

        But,  this  is  the  second  night in a row that I've had this
     strange feeling while sitting and typing  e-mail  replies.   It's
     not as bad today as it was last night, but I had this sort of du-
     al-consciousness feeling come over me.  I was  obviously  sitting
     there  typing  e-mail  and (I hope :-) ) making some sense out of
     the words I was typing.  But, at the same time, I had this  feel-
     ing that I was standing behind the guy doing the typing, watching
     over his shoulder, and wondering who he was writing to  and  what
     it was about.

        It  was  (not  quite)  almost  as if I were two people and was
     switching conscious awareness  between  the  two  beings  several
     times  a  minute.  Has anybody ever experienced anything similar?
     Is it a possible conflict between one or both of the  newer  meds
     and the ones I was taking previously?

        Sinemet CR (Carbidopa/Levodopa), 50 mg./200 mg., four times a day.
        Cogentin (Benztropine), 0.5 mg., three times a day.
        Eldepryl (Selegiline), 5 mg., twice a day.
        Levoxyl (Levothyroxine), 0.5 mg., once a day.
        Requip (Ropinirole), .75mg, three times a day.
        Amantadine, 100 mg., four times a day.
        Feldene (Piroxicam), 20 mg., once a day as needed for pain.

        Also, a multi-vitamin and ginseng.

        And  again,  FWIW, I personally decided to cut the Sinemet and
     Amantadine down to three times a day.  I did this, for  the  most
     part, because I typically don't have to worry about my tremors at
     home in the evenings.  And, there seems to be some  residual  ef-
     fect  (most  of  the  time) from the other doses that pretty well
     holds me over until the next day

        Well,  enough babbling for now, perhaps the strange feeling is
     just because I'm tired a lot lately.  Thanks for listening,  take
     care ...

Bill--
  ...who believes five out of four people have trouble with fractions.

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