At 02:52 PM 1/7/97 -0500, you wrote:
>Hello all Pds
>
>This is a message from Anne & Mohan Jacob. We are from Pune, a city in
>Western India, close to Bombay ( now called Mumbai). Anne had been
>diagonised as a patient of PD since way back 1989, when she was in her mid
>thirtys.
>
>It was quite shattering when we were told she suffered from PD. Over the
>last 7 years we have on our own tried to explore various avenues to
>overcome the problem but it has been quite frustrating. Sinemet was not
>acceptable to her system, and then she stuck to only Eldepryl, which was
>fine till she started getting stiff and immobile. She was put on Tidomet (
>a combination of Ldopa and Carbodopa) and we found her reacting to the
>medication (Involuntary violent movements). It was fine if such reactions
>were predictable and hence controllable, but when it became unpredictable
>it became embarrasing.
>
>Over the last two days ever since we have got connected to PARKINSN site
>we have realised that we are not exceptions, there are many more similar
>PDs, in the height of their youth and suffering even more. While there
>are many similarities in the symptoms the reactions are different to the
>medication if not in symptoms atleast in the degree of reaction.
>
>Is the medication the only way out? Is there no other way? We are
>convinced there are other ways! We have heard of snippets of somebody
>being cured. Someone else being able to cope with the problem very
>admirably. A friend had contacted PD around the same time as Anne, but
>she decided to scrap the medication and fight the problem head on. And
>today, though the problem still persists she is able to carry on a normal
>life as a succesful Business woman, attending to work, home(she is a
>mother of more than one child) and socials with equal vigour and
>enthusiasm. So there is hope! If there is hope there is a solution.
>

In the upper paragraph, you mention this person not taking any medication
who decided to fight the problem head-on.  This is what I am doing at the
present time.  Officially diagnosed in Oct. l995 with PD, I had complained
of foot dragging, tendonitis, a form of freezing, fatigue, etc., for the
last ten years. In August l996, the neurologist prescribed ARTANE.  I tried
this for a week and felt like a zombie most of the time.  I stopped and
decided to wait it out.

A new member to the list (what a blessing) I prepare for the future with
great apprehension according to the various testimonials I read every day.
No support group here.

Please comment on my decision.

Fell

>Yesterday when we saw the Home Page of PARKINSON's DIGEST, we read about
>the cause for passing the UDALL bill in the US senate. Although there is
>no update on it we hope that it got cleared. There is hope! And if there
>is hope there is a solution.
>
>We have learnt that many of the holistic medical streams claim of cures
>for the illness. Take for example ACCUPRESSURE, ACCUPUNTURE, REIKI,
>AYURVEDIC, NATUROPATHY, etc. But then we have not come across any focussed
>treatment of PD under any of these streams. Maybe someoneelse has and has
>benefitted from it. These cases need to be publicised so as to benefit the
>entire community of PDs. So there is hope! And of course there is a
>solution.
>
>We have been experimenting over the last couple of months with Ayurvedic
>treatment supplementing the Allopathic medication. While we experienced
>some noticeable benefits, such as more energy, skin glowing,
>youthfulness, etc., eventually it all came to naught, as there was an
>excess intake of Ldopa. The Ldopa came from natural sources (Ayurvedic
>medication) and also from synthetic sources (Allopathic mediaction).
>Hence the lesson we learnt from this experience was by all means try out
>alternative medication, but never should it be an uncoordinated effort.
>
>Anne felt wonderful for about 15 days after the intake of Ldopa was
>drastically reduced. In our enthusiasm when the intake was futher reduced
>it had the reverse effect. The symptoms deteriorated. At present we are
>experimenting on the correct dosage and medication under the Allopathic
>stream of treatment. Very confusing is'nt it. Back to square one. Well
>then through this entire journey we picked up HOPE somewhere and
>eversince then we believe there is a solution. We are hoping you all will
>join us in finding it.
>
>In all the various streams of medications, be it allopathic, homeopathic,
>ayurvedic, accupressure, accpuncture, reiki, naturopathy, etc., there are
>dedicated individuals who are commited to finding the correct solution
>for their patients. We need to bring them together to fight PD.
>
>Whew! Did we say a lot! But then there is hope and then there is a .......
>
>How do we go about it then?? Any ideas??
>
>Happy PDing to all!
>
>
>bye and regards
>
>
>Anne & Mohan Jacob
>PUNE, Maharashtra, India.
>