Barbara,

You have to be careful with Ritalen.  Fuad was taking Ritalen when he
had his stroke.  The doctors feel that it may have been a contributing
factor.  Is it really worth the risk.  Also,  try a sleep disorder
specialist first.  You might have sleep apnea.(sp?) because of the lose
of muscle control in the  throat.

Barb


Barbara Mallut wrote:

> David M...
>
> David, if your really-important-meeting (as opposed to the
> average-general-not-so-important-meetings) isn't till November, that
> gives ya
> a few months see if the there are any medical or other alternatives
> available
> that'll keep ya awake throughout that meeting.
>
> The first thing I'd do if'n I was in your shoes (errrrr.. I guess I
> already
> AM, so to speak, huh?!) <rueful smile> is get my MD to cooperate in
> helping to
> keep me awake.
>
> In my own case, I recently asked the new neuro I went to at Kaiser to
> prescribe Ritalin - which HAS worked for some of our List-friends.
> Since his
> response to my  request was "I don't believe in Ritalin," (Doesn't
> "believe"
> in the drug itself or just for a PWP?  Never could get him to respond
> to THAT.
>  He just doesn't "believe!") <&@#^% on all closed-minded MDs!>
>
> I've gotta appointment towards the end of Sept. with my primary Kaiser
>
> physician (an internist) in order to ask HIM for a RX for Ritalin.
> Since he's
> usually cooperative when it comes to my PD-related requests, if I can
> get the
> drug from him (and I'm expecting to) , I'll report to the List any
> positive/negative results.
>
> Over the past coupla-three years the drowsiness has been SO disruptive
> to my
> social life, that I found I was beginning to avoid going out with
> friends or
> on dates because of the embarrassment of falling asleep in public.
> Since I
> just HATE to give into this steeeeenkin' disease, I began to
> experiment with
> whatever was at hand in my medicine cabinet, hence the Viviran
> (caffeine) and
> additional Sinemet combo.
>
> I'm going to push to get that Ritalin,. but if THAT doesn't work after
> a
> reasonable test period of a few weeks, I'm going to push Kaiser to
> permit me
> to see whatever type of specialist handles patients with narcolepsy
> (sleeping
> sickness), because this profound drowsiness is surely as disruptive to
> MY life
> as THAT disease is to those who suffer from it.
>
> Barb Mallut
> [log in to unmask]
>
> ----------
> From:   Parkinson's Information Exchange on behalf of David Moreland
> Sent:   Saturday, August 16, 1997 9:34 PM
> To:     Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN
> Subject:        Re: drowsiness
>
> At 11:56 PM 8/16/97 -0400, you wrote:
> >Drowsiness happens to be one of the most aggravating and frustrating
> PD
> >symptoms I deal with each day.  IF I'm very busy physically, it can
> be
> >forgotten about.  However, if I'm relaxed.... sitting talking with
> someone or
> >am at the keyboard, well, I begin to feel myself drift in and out of
> deep
> >sleep.
> >
> >GAWD!  THIS DRIVES ME CRAZY!!!!!!   It's SO embarrassing to fall
> asleep while
> >sitting on the sofa and talking with someone, or to doze off while a
> passenger
> >in a car!
> >
> >I noticed that at about the time the drowsiness first strikes me each
> day
> - at
> >3:50 p.m. (not 4 p.m. - but 3:50!) <weird!>, my feet and ankles
> become
> >icy-cold (even tho the weather here might top 100 degrees I still get
> that
> >icy-feet-thinggee!).  If I immediately lie down and put a heating pad
> on my
> >feet, while dozing for 45 minutes or an hour, I can usually cut the
> time I'm
> >so drowsy down from it's regular 3 or 4 hours.   However, if I try to
> work
> >thru that down-time, it easily takes me that full 4 hours to once
> again feel
> >fully awake.
> >
> >What's even stranger about this is  I have been getting a full nite's
> sleep
> >for about 5 or 6 months now due to FINALLY biting the bullet and
> taking a
> >sleeping pill before bed each nite.  (FYI... I'm taking the generic
> of
> >Restoril," and while I initially began taking an entire capsule, per
> the
> >directions, I now open each one and empty OUT slightly more than
> 1/2.  THAT
> >works just as well for me!).  Yet I STILL become profoundly tired
> almost
> every
> >day!
> >
> >AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!!! <--- Barb has a tizzy-fit in exasperation!)
>
> >
> >Barb Mallut
> >[log in to unmask]
> >
> >----------
> >From:   Parkinson's Information Exchange on behalf of Albert Young
> >Sent:   Saturday, August 16, 1997 7:34 PM
> >To:     Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN
> >Subject:        Re: drowsiness
> >
> >On Sat, 16 Aug 1997, "John F. Mccabe" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >>David,
> >>
> >>I am currently taking Amantadine and Mirapex and also experience
> drowsiness.
> >>I have fallen asleep in church, at dinner parties, at the movies, at
> support
> >>group meetings, etc.
> >John,
> >        have no answers but sure can empathize with your sleeping
> problem.
>  If
> >I'm active, OK, but if I sit down, forget it.  It's onset is so
> rapid.  In
> >public, it's an embarrassment, in private, a nuisance, especially
> when riding
> >a
> >lawn mower or sitting at the computer.
> >
> >As you, I feel it's the meds.  I take 200mg Amantadine, 4 - 25/100
> Sinemet
> >daily (Mirapax didn't work for me, unfortunately).
> >
> >Joe Young (65/5).
> >
> You mean there's nothing that can be done about it short of taking a
> maga
> dose of NO-DOZ, and I don't want to do that. I think the best approach
> is
> to inform the other people at the meeting that I might be in and out
> due to
> PD medications. Then have a Dr.Pepper just prior to the meeting.
>
> Its just that there are meetings scheduled in November where there
> will be
> representatives from all the Major Cellular Telephone companies to
> come up
> with the best way to value them. I am the appraiser who does all the
> Cellulars each year for the Department of Revenue. Those are the
> metings
> that I am most concerned about.
> Yours and His
> David L. Moreland
> [log in to unmask]
> http://www.teleport.com/~davelm