Charlotte, I am talking to my mothers dr about requip, would you mind telling me what is the lowest dosage to start out with? that way she can get used to it hopefully. i doubt if she will be affected with diahreah, as she has been severely constipated her entire life, so hopefully she wont have too bad side affects. thanks paula ----- Original Message ----- From: "charlotte A mancuso" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Sunday, August 04, 2002 5:13 PM Subject: More ideas--Fw: Re: ALTERNATE DIAGNOSIS? ANY IDEAS? > 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn