Baldwin,

I am not the one with PD - it's my mother Joyce (68/6 months). Anyway, I
read your (and other) posts to her today on the phone and she agrees that
this is what it feels like. I don't think she has pain. She now remembers
that the internal nervousness predates the diagnosis. Interesting that so
many doctors insist it's not a symptom. Anyway, at my mother's request I am
sending her copies of all the posting that relate to this subject and she's
bringing them with her to her next appointment.

Stay well.

Debbie White
[log in to unmask]


----------
> From: Baldwin Robertson <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Cc: [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]
> Subject: RE: Internal shakiness
> Date: Saturday, September 13, 1997 8:17 AM
>
> Debbie and Mary,
>
> Is your internal shakiness something like mine?
>
> When I was diagnosed with PD four years ago, I felt an internal tremor or

> shakiness, or nervousness or tenseness.  It was a strong pulsing at a
> frequency of 5 to 20 cycles per second that I felt throughout my
body---in
> my abdomen, legs, arms, and extremities. It was painful.
>
> My neurologist, who specializes in PD, said it was not one of the
symptoms
> of PD.  Evidently he based his diagnosis of my PD on my other symptoms:
>  slowness, poor balance, stiffness and poor posture when I walked,
cogwheel
> effect in my arms, inability to touch my thumb to my fingers
repetitively,
> etc.  I had no visible tremor.  I was not taking medication.
>
> He prescribed 5 mg Eldepryl (deprenyl or selegeline) 2 times per day.  It

> took nearly 1 month for the Eldepryl to have any effect, and about 2
months
> to have its full effect.  The Eldepryl increases the level of dopamine in

> the brain because it inhibits one of the pathways of degradation of the
> dopamine.  It caused the internal shakiness to go away along with most of

> the other symptoms, at least for a while.
>
> About a year later my neurologist, who had a temporary appointment at a
> local university, left town to accept a permanent position elsewhere.  I
> found a new neurologist, who also specializes in PD, and he also
diagnosed
> my condition as PD.  I still had no visible tremor, but I felt a
tenseness
> or tingle inside that comes and goes, mostly in my extremities.  I
> described it to him, and he also said it was not a symptom of PD.
>
> Since my PD had progressed, he prescribed Sinemet in addition to the
> Eldepryl.  When I took the Sinemet, the internal tingle went away within
an
> hour or so.
>
> I now take a larger dose of Sinemet (six 25/100 per day) in addition to
two
> 2.5 mg Parlodel per day.     When the medication is working well, I feel
no
> tingle, but when it wears off, the internal tenseness or tingle often
comes
> back along with the PD symptoms.  Evidently the tingle that I feel in my
> extremities is associated with insufficient dopamine in my brain.
>
> Baldwin Robertson, 62/4          [log in to unmask]
>
> ----------
> From:  Mary Legan
> Sent:  Friday, September 12, 1997 9:46 PM
> To:  Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN
> Subject:  Internal shakiness
>
> I'm glad this topic has been brought up, as I too have very much wanted
an
> explanation of this phenomenon.  I experienced this before my PD
diagnosis,
> when I described it to my neuro (who was treating me for migraines &
> insomnia) as an "internal revving motor..........at that time I was
taking
> a
> low dose of Sinequon with Xanax......then the Xanax was replaced with
> Buspar
> (needless to say, my "anxiety" didn't improve).  At that same time, I was
> experiencing hot flashes, etc. because of menopausal hormonal
fluctuations,
> which may or may not be relevant.  When I then received the pd dx, I was
> started on Sinemet, Paxil, & Trazadone (for sleep).  No further problems
> with
> internal shakiness until several months ago.  At the time I was taking
> estrogen & progesterone, & having severe daily migraines. Also, the
> internal
> revving was happening again, & a difficulty which I don't remember having
> before - the need to breathe deliberately & deeply.  After some ado, I
> discontinued the hormones ~6 wks ago.  The migraines have shown moderate
> improvement, but the other symptoms remain.  I'm hoping that soon
whatever
> confounding effects the hormones have contributed will be out of the
> picture.
>  It will make things much easier if whatever symptoms remain can clearly
be
> tied to the pd.  Perhaps one or more of our list members can at least
> explain
> the internal shakiness, for my benefit & for the others who experience
> this.
>  Explanations of the other issues I mentioned are also most welcome!
>     Mary
> Legan 55/5+
>
> <My mother  Joyce (68/6 months) changed doctors recently. She was taking
> 25/100 Sinemet 4.5x/day, .25 Permax 5x/day, 10 mg. Paxil 1x/day. Her new
> doctor wanted to reduce the Sinemet a bit and start her on Eldepryl. This
> required her getting off the Paxil. About 4 days ago, she stopped the
Paxil
> and started feeling shaky inside -- a nervousness that wouldn't quit. She
> decided today to continue the Paxil again (she hadn't started the
Eldepryl)
> and felt better. She suspects this internal shakiness/nervousness is a
side
> effect of the Permax. Any thoughts on this? Has anyone had a similar
> sensation? Was it related to a particular drug. Thanks.
>
>
> Debbie White
> [log in to unmask]