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Well John, Since I take several of the things listed below, would you say right off hand that I'm Da***ed if I do and Da***ed if I don't? Just me, Marjorie definitely a Parkie 67/58/55 At 12:43 PM 08/30/2000 -0500, you wrote: >The Australian, a national newspaper in Sydney, reported the following today: >Ergot derivatives used to treat Parkinson's disease can be linked to lung >disease. >Bromocriptine/Parlodel and pergolide/Permax are ergot derivatives. > >The source is: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/ > >Medicines leaving patients breathless >By BELINDA HICKMAN >31aug00 > >MORE than 300 common drugs have been identified as causing lung diseases, >such as coughing and asthma, prompting warnings that doctors are not >sufficiently aware of the medicines' potential for causing serious side >effects. > >The first World Congress on Lung Health and Respiratory Diseases, which >began in Florence yesterday, has heard that hundreds of drugs supplied for >disorders including high blood pressure, allergies, rheumatism, infections >and cancer can cause lung diseases. >The effects may occur quickly or over a long period of time. If problems >are identified, patients are advised to stop or change medications. > >Symptoms usually subside if the side effect is identified early, but >long-term lung scarring can occur if the problem is not picked up quickly. > >French physician Philippe Camus, of the University Medical Centre in >Dijon, told the congress he had found at least 50 lung diseases and >syndromes including coughs, breathlessness, pleurisy and acute >respiratory failure that could be caused, or aggravated by, common >medicines. He said 310 drugs had so far been identified as affecting the lungs. > >"This means the number is really much greater if you consider that each >active principle in a preparation is usually marketed in several different >forms," Professor Camus said in a statement distributed by the congress, >which is being attended by 15,000 specialists from 84 countries. > >"The problem was practically unknown 25 years ago, but it is now taking on >alarming proportions." > >Australian specialists yesterday supported Professor Camus's findings, >warning that doctors and patients needed to be more aware of the onset of >respiratory symptoms such as coughing, breathlessness, wheezing and >chest pains when beginning a medication. > >Australian Lung Foundation national chairman Bob Edwardes said he saw four >to five patients a year who had developed lung disease symptoms from >taking a new medicine. > >"Australia-wide, there would probably be several hundred cases a year. It >is a significant problem and one that is not very well recognised," Dr >Edwardes said. > >"The message for patients who have started a new treatment, or doctors >seeing people coming back with wheezing, breathlessness or coughing, is >that you must consider the drug is causing the trouble." > >Professor Camus's team has created a website (www.pneumotox.com), which >lists drugs according to the number of reports of adverse lung events made >about them. > > > >Drug categories linked to pulmonary diseases: > >Beta-blockers for high blood pressure > >ACE-inhibitors for congestive heart failure and high blood pressure > >Antibiotics > >Non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory painkillers > >Anti-cancer medications > >Anti-depressants > >Ergot derivatives used to treat Parkinson's disease. > > >[log in to unmask] Search the parkinsn archive online at: > http://james.parkinsons.org.uk > Catch the Parkinsn's List Online messages at: > http://www.parkinsons-information-exchange-network-online.com > Click the navigation ads and use the new search tools >John Cottingham