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----- Original Message ----- From: "Sharon Headley" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Sunday, September 16, 2001 5:38 PM Subject: New Member and a Nightmare >> She has had excellent care-including a pallidotomy AND Deep Brain Stimulation << Pallidotomy: for which side of the body? DBS: of the pallidus, the thalamus, or the STN? On one side (which one?) or on both sides? >> She currently receives Botox injections for severe dystonia << Dystonia can be a symptom of advanced PD, but in some patients also a side-effect of the meds. >> my sister began experinecing classic symptoms of psychoses-including paranoid delusions. << Was this after one of the operations or after a change in the meds or did it appear gradually without an obvious cause? >> that the psychoses is a side effect of the YEARsof Sinamet and related agonists over the years. << Psychosis can be a side-effect of levodopa (Sinemet). This can happen when taking high doses when PD has become severe after several years. Also lower doses of levodopa, combined with agonists can give the same problem. Some patients are extra sensitive to levodopa and experience psychosis already in the early stage of PD at (very) low doses. >> The problem is that the patient certainly cannot stop the Sinamet. << The patient might try using Comtan, with a simultaneous reduction of Sinemet (up to about 30%). >> since the Parkinson's continues to progress,my sister is also showing signs of "Parkinson's dementia" << One should be very careful with the diagnosis dementia in PD. Other very common symptoms as f.e. cognitive problems may look very alike beginning dementia, while it's not. As mentioned before mental problems can also be a side-effect of some meds (sinemet and/or agonists), so it might be useful to try and (gradually) change (one of the meds) into another kind of med (of course this must be discussed with her neurologist). >> of course she refuses this help (this is part of the mental side of the illness) << Or she is not as "demented" as she seems to others......... Hans. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn