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Morning all. I feel nervous of ... posting a query ... (very ignorant about it all) ... but ... would like to ask: My mother has uncontrollable tremors that are getting worse. My grandfather had similar tremors but was never diagnosed as having PD, in fact, for all we know, it was never diagnosed as anything. He died at 87 ... with bad enough tremors that he couldn't write and had difficulty walking ... but other than that ... quite ... healthy (if that's the word?). Anyway ... mum has now got these tremors and they are getting worse and she's been to the doctor and then the neurologist ... who said ... "it isn't hereditary" and "there isn't any real way to diagnose it at this stage" but "you could have it and a i can't say that you haven't got it and we'll just have to wait and see what happens". I'm paraphrasing here and from mum's relating of the conversation but .. that's about it. Mum feels anxious and upset about it and believes, i think, that she definitely had PD ... that it is just a matter of time before it is diagnosed. This is just her "feeling" but it is still a very difficult time for her. Anyway ... i got onto the net ... found your list ... and i was wondering if someone could help me understand a few things: (i) i found some sites on the net where they were advertising or talking about diagnosis services (imaging, dna) .... are these useful ... why not recommended by the doctor? (ii) i also read on the net that PD was not normally thought to be hereditary ... which made me wonder ... "then how can they use dna diagnosis? what is that about?" (iii) also, if PD isn't hereditary ... then perhaps the neuromuscular disorder that mum and grandpa have/had is not PD but something else? what are the other neuromuscular disorders which cause this sought of symptom? This seems like too many questions. Sorry. I feel like i suddenly have a thousand questions? I hope it is OK to post so many at one time. thanks sue -----Original Message----- From: Nancy Burnham <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Date: Tuesday, 11 April 2000 10:33 Subject: Re: PD Med's Question >In the very beginning Don's doctor prescribed Artane. We read the side >effects and decided to keep the tremors. > >Nancy B cg for Don 66/17 > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: Brian Collins <[log in to unmask]> >To: <[log in to unmask]> >Sent: Monday, April 10, 2000 5:32 PM >Subject: Re: PD Med's Question > > >> On Sun 09 Apr, plmaddux wrote: >> > Hi Folks, >> > After having a tremor for 4 1/2 years I decided to try taking a med >> > prescribed by my doctor. He thought that Artane was the most approiate >drug >> > for my symptoms, that being a left side tremor. I had been taking >Benadryl >> > which was giving me some relief but it was not helping much and I was >> > beginning to have a headache all the time. >> >> >> >> Hello Lanier, Re your 1st paragraph : You show me a doc. who thinks he >> can select an appropriate treatment based on the patients symptoms, and >> I'll show you a fool ! >> >> Artane is an Anticholinergic drug. It blocks the production of >acetylcholine >> (another neurotransmitter) The reasoning (!!) is that if there is less >> acetylcholine , it may make more room fpr Dopamine. I was prescribed >Artane >> immediately upon diagnosis, and I think went up to 10 mg in the first year >> (Well it was 21 years ago). Of course at that time, I thought that they >> knew what they were doing. I suppose there was a slight reduction in >tremor >> but it was never in control . I made a fuss and was switched to Sinemet, >> which I urge you to do also. >> Regards, >> -- >> Brian Collins <[log in to unmask]> (60/39/34) >> >