This is a lengthy message but I must cover anticipated questions to narrow the
responses.  We have had a very hard ten months--almost a year since
Hytrin was prescribed for my husband's slightly enlarged prostate.  Hytrin is
also prescribed for reducing high blood pressure and used apparently
successfully.  But I am interested in cases of persons who have been on
Sinemet and/or Eldepryl and also HYTRIN  and have had side effects.

The last week  in April, my husband was prescribed a small dose of Hytrin for
seven days and then he was to take 500mg for three months.  The night he took
the first 500mg, he woke me and said that he had been walking the floor for
two hours, that something was happening in his brain and that he could not
describe it but that he was afraid that he might die and PLEASE call 911.  I
took him in and emergency observed him for a couple of hours, said that it
would wear off...didn't know how long it would take.  He never took another
Hytrin, and never will, but the next night he had the same thing happen but
only at intervals.  He insisted on going back to emergency.  My husband is not
easily alarmed so this had to be serious.  EM. treated him the same as the
night before:  observed him, made sure it was not a heart problem, and said
that it would have to "wear off."

He has not been the same since.  For the months of June and July there were
trips to the regular neurologist & emergency calls when he was a nervous
wreck.  The sinemet was decreased and changed.   Over that two month period
his condition changed from a moderate PWP to an advanced case.
The first week after taking Hytrin we walked into the neurologist office and
he had to ask for a place to lie down while waiting.  He was so weak that he
could not walk more than 30 steps without help and then collapse.  Before that
he was a normal person and I hardly thought of his PD.  He regularly attended
the church meetings, helped with the youth program and held the office of
church clerk which meant typing the minutes.  He cut the grass and took care
of all jobs around the house as well as his own personal needs and all the
finances. Besides that, he did all the driving for us and his 91 year old
mother. The neurologist says it was the hytrin; the urologist who prescribed
the hytrin says that it was the sinemet (and I agree that it was probably
both.)

There is more to my story which is almost devastating since I had to quit
work, sleep patterns have only recently had relief, my back and hips are
having feeling that I have never had before, and he needs constant
supervision.  On August 1st he spent seven hours in emergency after a phone
call to the doctor because of extreme nervousness, shaking, and begging for
help.  The neurologist on duty changed his sinemet and sent him home.  Aug. 2,
the psychiatrist prescribed Trazadone because we had had no sleep except for
cat naps since the hytrin.  His diagnosis was that he was depressed. ( I said
that he was extremely tired and confused as he could not even calulate three
or four hours to the next medication.)  I cut a bit off the 50mg tablet of
Trazodone(Desyrel) and the next morning he was in the psychiatric ward,
"psychosis--harmful to self and others."  He was there 33 days.  ECT was
discontinued  after three treatments because it was evident the hallucination
were worse. One week after administering the wonder drug,  Clozaril, he
returned home.  On clozaril, he was like a drugged person so after 25 weeks, I
asked to take him off and as we brought the dosage down from 87mg to 25, each
reduction showed awareness.

He has changed to a well known Parkinson specialist, Dr. Lewitt, Sinai
Neuro-Science Center, W. Bloomfield, MI  and he is now taking Sinemet 25/100
at
 6 , 10, 2 & 1/2 at 6pm.  Amantadine at 6 & 10am.  One CR 50/200 at bedtime.
The psychiatrist has him on 200 mg of Serzone twice a day.  We have had three
therapist.  Since taking the CR and Serzone at bedtime, we see improvement
with sleep (about 3 or 4 hrs, uninterrupted, some nights).

So you see why I write to you who are friends already.  I joined you March 5..
I foresee no more vacations.  Home is the only comfortable spot.  Eating out
is stressful for him.  The "Physicians's Desk Reference" does not offer any
cautions for Hytrin or Trazadone, yet two doctors (unrelated to the case) have
indicated both.  His regular doctors are all connected to the large university
hospital so I cannot expect any blame.  Yet our lives have been drastically
changed without  notice.  I am about resigned that the brain altering is
permanent; however, long-term memory is Good; concentration is poor; NO
reading; all senses are extremely sensitive; and physically, his PD  esculated
considerably-- overnight.  (Yes we belong to a support group and one visting
neurologist expained transmitter blockage.  But I don't have the terminology
and I don't know if it will repair itself.)  So I write on behalf of an
innocent person who cannot express this for himself.   My sympathy is extended
to all of you with PD and we are encouraged by your humor and strength and
desire to help others.

I have two questions of you brave comrades:  Have you any similar experiences?
 How is the best way to have this documented so that others will not suffer
from the same?  Can two lives be changed drastically overnight without
attaching responsibility?   Their explanations are:  "That's Parkinson's"

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