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Frans: Thanks for the response. It's been quite an education since my mom's bad result on the switch from Mirapex to Permax --- you've helped make the waters a lot less "muddy", I thinks she's finding much the same result with these meds. We'll see what tomorrow brings, I'm confident we can get things back on track. Thanks again. Norm ----- Original Message ----- From: "Frans van Duinen" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Tuesday, November 07, 2000 2:39 PM Subject: Re: Bad reactions ??? > Hi Norm, I went through Requip/Permax/Bromocriptine/???? this past > year. I forget the exact order but in all cases found the side effects > too much. But every time I stopped, I noticed that my mobility did not > seem to return to what it had been even a month or two earlier. > I cannot say for sure what caused this or even if it is just an > impression. I do know that my walking is a lot worse than some 10 > months ago. > > I'm back on L-dopa, with Artane and Amantadine to extend the duration > > > Norm Leonard wrote: > > > > I'm here to ask the expertise of this learned on-line community. > > > > My dear mother is a regular "visitor" here for some three years, > > diagnosed with PD approx. five years ago. The onset of what I now > > understand is classic PD showed up as a slight tremor in her right > > hand, and was first noted in her writing (as a teacher). By the > > time of her diagnosis, it had progressed to the obvious tremor and > > "cogwheel" effect on the right arm and the associated back pain. > > > > A short run with Artane proved too much and she stopped after five > > days, chosing to deal with the tremor instead. She elected to stay > > away from the meds until last year (by now PD was affecting the right > > side, walking balance, and chin/tongue) and started on Requip. > > > > Even at near maximum level, no appreciable reduction in arm tremor was > > acheived (though chin and balance had improved somewhat...), and she > > was switched to Mirapex (weaned off the old and onto the new, per her > > PD specialist). > > > > Following her last consult with her Winnipeg PD doc and loss of > > effectiveness of the Mirapex, as of two weeks ago she's made the > > transition (possibly too fast?) to Pergolide. This new med (Permax) > > has > > been the worst so far. At the doctors recommended dosage, it's > > completely knocked her off her game. Listlessness, back pain, > > weakness in her legs... I'm worried enough now about the effect on > > her morale: If she's unable to sleep and "recharge" from the effort > > of the tremor, there's no telling where we'll be in a week. > > > > My question(s): Does anyone recognize this progression in use of > > the PD meds or does this approach sound at all unusual? Is Permax > > typically slow to "kick in" and and start seeing results with? > > Finally, I have seen much reference to the application of Sinemet > > either early/late in treatment of PD or in combination with other > > meds. Is their a reason they'd commonly hold this med in "reserve" > > in a case like this? > > > > Your thoughts and input would be much appreciated. My apologies > > for running so long with this, and thanks very much in advance. > > > > Norm Leonard > > Kenora, ONT. [log in to unmask] > > > > > > -- > Frans van Duinen > (416) 652-8580 > Toronto, Ontario >