----- Original Message -----
From: "Delana Vaughan" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, June 09, 2003 7:48 PM
Subject: Unusual gastrointestinal syptoms with PD


> Dear Friends:
>
> I am writing to ask if anyone has had unusual GI symptoms associated with
PD.
> My husband is 62 yrs old and has had PD for over 15 years. His disease has
> been well-controlled over the years with Symmetrel at first and then
Sinemet CR
> in later years. He has had chronic problems with gastritis but over the
last
> year has had more severe GI problems.
>
> While I know that constipation is a common problem in PD, what happens to
him
> is much more than constipation.  Approximately 40 minutes after eating
> (anything at all) my husband experiences a sequence of events that
consists at first
> of pressure and pain in the abdomen that then extends to his head giving
him
> a headache with the sensation of a band of pressure around his head. His
> abdomen becomes distended and he cannot wear any belt around his waist.
His veins
> stand out on his abdomen and neck. The attack may last for hours. We
believe
> this is some sort of vascular reaction caused by some abnormality in the
> gastrointestinal handling of food and digestion but we don't know if it is
directly
> related to PD. We know that his stomach is emptying properly and his small
> intestine works from specific studies that have been done, but the
motility of the
> large colon is very slow.
>
> This problem has become so severe, that his weight dropped from 155 lbs.
to
> 118 lbs. at one point after which he was put on total parenteral nutrition
> (TPN; which is intravenous feeding providing almost 1,700 calories/24 hrs)
for 6
> and 1/2 months.  This had its own set of complications considering, for
> example, that proteins (in the form of amino acids) were fed IV
continuously and
> interfered with the PD meds. He recently stopped the TPN because of
quality of
> life issues and is now back to losing weight at a rate of about 1 lb. per
day. He
> has been labeled as a "failure to thrive".
> My questions are: Has anyone experienced any of these symptoms and could
they
> be associated with PD? Has anyone with PD ever been on TPN? If so what was
> your experience?
>
> Thank you all for any insight you can give us.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Delana Vaughan
> CG 39 yrs for 2 PWP in tandem

Delana:

This is much too simplistic, but has he been tested for ulcerative colitis
or Krohn's disease?

I'm newly diagnosed with PD, but was diagnosed 9 months ago with ulcerative
colitis.  Sine then I've taken 6 Asacol tablets a day and the UC is under
control.

Goos luck,

Merv Swing
>
>
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