All....
An educated guess, per a comment in the
"botulism helps PD droolers:"
(Paraphrasing) There was a significant reduction
of drooling as long as the botulism injections were
working...."
I suspect that botulism injections are much like the
collagen injections in that there's a given "life-span"
of each series of injections - prolly between around
3 to 6 months. At the "wear-off-time," it would then
be necessary for the patient to RETURN to heir MD
and NOT a "one shot deal," nor is it a cure for the
drooling or for the underlying problem - which is the
Parkinson's.
Still, in my opinion, it's wonderful when something like
this - a fairly simple cosmetic "correction" ("simple"
when one considers that the USUAL PD treatments
require brain surgery!)
Barb Mallut
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-----Original Message-----
From: ROBERT A MARTONE <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Friday, January 14, 2000 8:02 AM
Subject: Botulinum reduces PD Drooling
>Botulinum Toxin A Injection Relieves Drooling In Patients
>With Parkinson's Disease
>
>January 13, 2000 03:33 PM PST
>
>WESTPORT, Jan 13 (Reuters Health) - Intraparotid injections
>of botulinum toxin A can substantially reduce salivary
>secretions and drooling in patients with Parkinson's
>disease, findings published in the January issue of
>Neurology show.
>
>"[B]otulinum toxin A promises to be a simple and effective
>treatment for the common problem of drooling saliva in
>chronic neurologic disease," Dr. J. K. C. Tsui, of Vancouver
>Hospital and Health Sciences Centre in British Columbia,
>Canada, and colleagues say in the report.
>
>The team conducted a two-phase study designed to assess the
>effects of intraparotid botulinum toxin A injections on
>drooling in nine patients with Parkinson's disease.Seven
>patients were injected with 7.5 mouse units and were
>monitored for 8 weeks.At the end of that period, they and
>two additional patients were injected with a higher dose of
>the drug, 15 units, and were monitored for an additional 8
>weeks.
>
>The vast majority of patients, 88.9%, "...had objective
>reductions in salivary secretion," Dr. Tsui and colleagues
>write.Two thirds of the patients demonstrated subjective
>reductions in drooling.The two doses used appeared to be
>equally effective and were without adverse effects.
>
>The investigators note that the mean reduction in saliva
>secretion was 35% at the end of the study.They suspect that
>this percentage actually underestimates the true effects of
>the injections, since treatment effects in partial
>responders were already beginning to decline by the time of
>the final examination.A double-blind study of the
>intervention is under way.
>
>Neurology 2000;54:244-247.
>
>Copyright 1999 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
>Republication or redistribution of Reuters content,
>including by framing or similar means, is expressly
>prohibited without the prior written consent of
>Reuters.Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays
>in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance
>thereon.
>
>
>Bob Martone
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>http://www.kingwoodcable.com/martone/
