Hi, my name is Erika Borean. I joined this
e-mail group in order to get information for my mother. She was diagnosed
with PD approx. 3 years ago. She is now 73. Her systems stared with
tremors in her hands. I took her to a neurologist, who after diagnoses put
her on sinemet. Her gp took her off sinemet after approx. 1 week because
he found that she had heart palpitations. She refused to go back to see
her neurolgist. Her gp put her on novopranol 40 mg 2 x day.
She has been taking this medicine for last 3 years. My mom lives alone,
but my sister (she lives just around the block, I live 1 1/2 hrs. away) has been
looking after my mom's medical needs. Finally, after 3 years of trying,
mom was finally put on anti-depressants. Sister always said that mom
doesn't need them. Mom is VERY NERVOUS and gets VERY upset over
everything. Now mom says she feels and sleeps better since
anti-depressants. Her latest fall was a wake-up call for both her and my
sister. Mom lay on the floor all night, could not get up to reach the
phone. Sister agreed that it was time mom saw another neurologist. I took
mom on Wed. The neurologist said that the Novopranol mom's been taking for
the last 3 years is not a Parkinsons medication. I am now trying to get
her onto some king of Parkinson med, but we have to see a cardiologist to get
his O.K. first. My sister took mom to see her gp last night.
GP said that mom is too old for parkinsson medication! It seems that my
sister agrees with him. Finally, mom is listening to me. Said she
will go see Cardiologist next week, then neurologist again for her PD.
This new neurologist believes that mom's heart palpitations were more than
likely not caused by sinmet but by my mother herself. ( She was just
diagnosed, living on her own, VERY UPSET).
It is an uphill battle for me to get my sister and
mother to listen to my advice or the event check into it. Since mom has
been diagnosed I have tried to learn as much as possible about PD. That's
why I joined this group. I have already gotten a lot of information from you
guys which we have implemented for my mom. She is already living more
comfortably, but now it is time to get her onto some PD med. If any of you
could give me some advice as to which med. she should start out with now at this
stage (neurolgist said she is already at moderate stage) I would really
appreciate it.
Thanks for all your help,
Erika