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Reno's doctor says Parkinson's should not affect run for office By Nancy McVicar Health Writer Posted September 4 2001, 5:49 PM EDT The doctor who has been treating former Attorney General Janet Reno for Parkinson’s disease for the past year says there is no medical reason she should not run for governor. “We had a very long and frank discussion about it, and she wanted to know all the potentialities,” said Dr. William Koller, professor of neurology at University of Miami School of Medicine and director of the Movement Disorders Center at UM/National Parkinson Foundation. Reno gave him permission to speak about her condition. Koller said Reno’s disease has progressed slowly since her diagnosis seven years ago. She requires only low doses of two drugs, Sinemet and Mirapex, to control her symptoms, he said. Parkinson’s disease is caused by a gradual deterioration of nerves in a region of the brain called the substantia nigra, which controls movements such as arm swinging when walking. When nerve cells in this area die, production of a brain chemical called dopamine decreases. Dopamine aids neurons in the brain to pass signals back and forth. Some patients progress rapidly and reach a devastating, debilitating point in four to five years, Koller said, while some don’t progress much in 20 years. “It’s hard to predict with any certainty. The yardstick we usually use, because patients ask us, is that your prior rate of progression is a good predictor of your future rate of progression,” Koller said. “She has not progressed very much.” Koller said the drugs Reno takes, which stimulate the dopamine receptors in the brain (Mirapex), and boost the body’s production of dopamine (Sinemet) control her symptoms — “a tremor and a little slowness in her left hand. “Her left hand is not as quick as the other hand. One of the symptoms of Parkinson’s is slowness of movement, particularly of the hand,” Koller said. Reno has not let the tremor keep her from living a full life, including kayaking for relaxation, he said. “I told her I don’t see any reason why she shouldn’t do whatever she wants in her life, and that’s kind of the way I am with all my patients. If you have Parkinson’s, it doesn’t preclude you doing anything if you have the capability to do it,” Koller said. “You lose out to the disease when you say ‘I can’t’ because of Parkinson’s.” Possible side effects listed in drug reference books for Sinemet include uncontrolled muscle movements, shaky hands, headache, nausea, hallucinations, anxiety, tiredness and euphoria. Mirapex can cause sleepiness or sleeplessness, tiredness, constipation and nausea. Patients may develop some or none of these effects. Koller said Reno is very knowledgeable about her disease. “She’s pretty amazing. We’ve given her books for doctors and she’s read them and understands them, and I’m impressed by that,” he said. During the three months she has spent traveling the state exploring a possible campaign for governor, Reno’s hands shake noticeably. She often keeps them behind the lectern or at her sides during stump speeches. She has repeatedly answered questions about her illness and gives a variation of the comment she made in mid-May in Miami: “I spent seven years coping with the difficult job of Attorney General and it never was a problem.” She frequently mentions that Franklin D. Roosevelt, who had mobility problems because of polio, is her favorite governor. “He wore 10 pounds of iron on his legs and still accomplished so much,” she says. Dr. Barry Baumel, a South Florida neurologist who was in the audience when Reno addressed a meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in May, said he was impressed. “She was as sharp as she could be. The tremor which is noticeable in Ms. Reno is not an indication of the severity of the disease,” he said. “Some people have almost no tremor and they’re a mess,” Baumel said. “I think her mental abilities seem to be totally intact. In listening to her speak, the woman is bright and quick.” He said she spoke about people with disabilities and how much they have contributed to society, and how proud she was of the steps she felt her administration had taken to help disabled Americans. “She was able to make a public speech in front of 5,000 neurologists, and the talk around the meeting was ‘Wow, did you see Janet Reno? She looked great and sounded great,’” Baumel said. “It wouldn’t be such an item for discussion if not for that tremor, but she walks okay and she talks okay. The problem is that she shakes,” he said. “It’s not something that should impair her ability to think clearly.” Political writer Buddy Nevins contributed to this report. Nancy McVicar can be reached at [log in to unmask] or 954-356-4593. On The Web: http://www.sptimes.com/News/072201/State/The_Parkinson_s_quest.shtml SOURCE: The South Florida Sun-Sentinel http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-rxpark905.story?coll=sfla-news-florida * * * [log in to unmask] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn