 |
 |
Hi Jim, David, and All, Yep, this orthostatic hypotension stuff rings a bell... Sudden unexpected falls some 17 years ago led to my first visits to a neuro... At that time they couldn't diagnose anything out of it, but later other symptoms finally confirmed PD. I didn't completely pass out either David and was instantly OK... just embarassed! It did lead to me getting the Hell off open steel construction and elevator shafts at the time. Now that I have been diagnosed and understand fully my limitations I just put on my Fall Arrest gear and carry on working. I did switch initially to a Supervisory role and since to Service and Maintenance so my exposure to hazards is relatively decreased. Passing out while driving is a no-no David and a seat belt won't help much there. Cheers ............... murray 56 / 49 / 39? On 5 Sep 2000, at 5:41, Jim Dolan wrote: > I am 58 and was diagnosed in May of this year. Tremor is my most apparent > symptom, but after learning more about the disease it became apparent that > I have other symptoms, some for a few years. > > The kicker here is that a good 15 years ago I had a fainting spell. I got > up from the couch, went upstairs and while urinating...bam...I went down > like a ton of bricks. I was put through a whole series of tests, with no > apparent cause found. The neuro (my cousin) concluded it was caused by a > drop in blood pressure caused by suddenly standing up and contributed to by > the urination. > > Now I read this...hmmm! > > Jim Dolan > > >One key symptom is orthostatic hypotension -- a drop in blood pressure > >that comes when people stand up. Some patients have it all the time, > >complaining of dizziness and even fainting when they stand. > > > >The symptom has been described in association with Parkinson's, and has > >sometimes been blamed on the drugs used to treat Parkinson's. > > > >But Goldstein found this drop in blood pressure was associated with a > >loss of the sympathetic nerve endings. These nerve endings produce a > >neurotransmitter that is related to dopamine, called norepinephrine. [log in to unmask]