I forgot to say--agonists are hard to get used to, but for me, they were well worth it--try again slowly and stick with it--it may take 2 or 3 months. Side effects are a price you pay on the way to improvement, within reason. I was doubled up with cramps and diarrhia on Requip--I got over it, and wouldn't give up my Requip for anything! Also, when I got worse, I dropped Comtan--(Tasmar alternative, but not stored in liver--no blood tests); Dr. had me go back on Comtan, increased my Sinemet--(we were sparing simemet as much as possible so as not to trigger dyskinesia)--and I improved, though I wasn't as advanced as you describe your friend. However, it seems to me that lots of mainstream meds are not being tried--also he may be experiencing dystonia--the turned in hand and curled fingers?--try Baclofen--it's an MS drug that works for PWPs with dystonia. I use it successfully for hand and foot turning in and my toes going upward. PWPs do get dystonia, and it worked for me. Good luck, Charlotte Mancuso --------- Forwarded message ---------- From: charlotte A mancuso <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Date: Sun, 4 Aug 2002 14:22:38 -0700 Subject: Re: ALTERNATE DIAGNOSIS? ANY IDEAS? Message-ID: <[log in to unmask]> Is he taking large quantities of vitamins containing vitamin A or drinking lots of carrot juice? I believe too much and it will turn your skin yellow/orange--one literally starts to look like a carrot. A friend of mine did this many years ago. And I think vitamin A is stored in the liver. My memory of this is a little sketchy. Katherine Holden: can you weigh in on this in case my memory is failing me? Charlotte Mancuso On Sun, 4 Aug 2002 13:03:19 -0400 WILL JOHNSTON <[log in to unmask]> writes: > There is a young onset PD man in our support group who has had PD for > about > 10 years for sure, probably longer (current age 51). > > He has been taking Sinemet for years, and it has usually been > effective. He > has taken various agonists in past years, and they produced > undesired > side-effects. He had a palidotomy about 5 years ago which produced > favorable > results for about 3 1/2 years. > > About a year ago he took a considerable turn for the worse: > > He was also taking Tasmar [and getting liver function tests from > time to > time which were uniformly negative for problems] when, > over a period of about two weeks he gradually lost his ability to > stand > alone or walk. The fingers on one hand curled in, and the fingers > will not > extend out even with considerable force. The changes seemed much > too fast > for PD, but much too slow for a stroke. He is still mentally sharp. > When I > helped take him for an MRI [no problems seen in MRI pictures], his > arms and > hands were yellow. [For those who can remember when oleomargerine > was white > and came with a yellow-orange dye packet: The color was just like > the dye > when the margerine was partly pale yellow and partly orangey - the > orangey > color.] I immediately thought juandice, but his eyes were very clear > and the > eyeballs were very white. {This symptom disappeared in a very few > days.}. > > There are deer and ticks in his yard. I thought Lyme disease. Lyme > disease > is seen frequently in our area. I understand he was tested for Lyme > and > test was negative. The MD's are stumped? Any ideas? > > Will J. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > 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