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What other agonists are there that would not cause withdrawal of driving privileges and would be helpfull for PD? Emily, Ontario ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gail Vass" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2002 2:04 PM Subject: Read: Re: Driving while on Mirapex or ReQuip in Canada > Sleep attacks associated with Parkinson's drugs > CBC CANADIAN NEWS WebPosted Tue Jan 22 16:17:48 2002 > > OTTAWA-- Health Canada has sent out warnings about two drugs used to treat > Parkinson's disease. They say the drugs can cause sudden sleep attacks. > > Studies dating back to 1999 show links between pramipexole (Mirapex) and ropinirole > (ReQuip) and sleep attacks. > > A recent study by the University of Manitoba found 21 out of 420 patients using the > medications reported dozing off at the wheel. The study was supported by Boehringer, > the manufacturer of Mirapex. > > The study has been published in the most recent issue of the Journal of the American > Medical Association. > > As a result, Health Canada has directed the drugs' manufacturers, Boehringer and > GlaxoSmithKline, to send letters to physicians to warn patients "not to drive or > engage in other activities where impaired alertness could put themselves and others > at risk of serious injury or death." > > * The letter obliges physicians in most provinces to * inform the motor vehicle > authorities when they prescribe the drug to a patient. > > "This is a major problem, because these are the drugs we want to use in patients > while they're still young with Parkinson's disease," says Dr. Douglas Hobson of the > University of Manitoba. > > "These are patients are still functioning and. doing well working, and if you > suddenly tell them they can't drive, it's a huge issue for them." > > Provinces have different rules regarding medically unfit drivers. > > Outright ban on driving inappropriate > > Doctors have to tell departments of motor vehicles in Manitoba, New Brunswick, > Newfoundland andLabrador, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward > Island, Saskatchewan and Yukon, when they prescribe these drugs. > > Discretionary reporting is the rule in Quebec and Nova Scotia. > > In Alberta, it is at the discretion of the physician but mandatory for the patient > to report the change in their medical condition. > > For British Columbia, there's a blanket prohibition in the province for people on > these drugs to drive. > > In Manitoba and Ontario, transportation departments assess each case individually > before deciding whether to prohibit the person from driving. > > The study says doctors can assess if their patients are prone to sleep attacks by > using something called an "Epworth Score." > > "(It's) a standardized assessment of how sleepy a person would be," says Hobson. > "Patients can complete it in the waiting room and then bring it in for the physician > to reviews." > > Hobson says an outright ban on driving would be inappropriate. He says doctors have > enough information now to pick "who is safe to drive and who isn't." > > The Parkinson's Society is hoping to meet with Health Canada and provincial motor > vehicle departments to issue new recommendations regarding the drugs and driving. > > The society says people are actually refusing to take the drugs they need because > they're reluctant to give up their driving privileges. > > Copyright © 2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - All Rights Reserved > http://cbc.ca/cgi-bin/templates/print.cgi?/news/2002/01/22/Consumers/Par kinsonsdrugs_020122 > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn