FOrgive me for practicing medicine without a  license, but has  a stroke
or other condition, been ruled out by the doctors? It may be a
coincidence that it happened after the Hytrin. I feel like it would have
"gone away" after the Hytrin left the body, doesn't that make sense?




[OO] LOOKING FOR RADIOS!
Ken Becker
[log in to unmask]


On Sat, 15 Mar 1997, Daphne Shaw wrote:

> 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"
>
> If you choose, any responses can be sent directly:   [log in to unmask]
>