Hi! Nilo: I have been on it for about 7 weeks now. However, I have not been very regular in taking the medication due to my unusual travel schedule during the past month. Often I could manage to take only one dose per day. Expecting my second shipment soon. I have been having my PD and ET symptoms for at least forty years now. So I do not expect miracles overnight. However, I do see some improvements as follows: 1. I have more energy to do my daily chores. Before I started on this medication, I would have lots of pain working on the computer, I need to do at least 4-6 h of surfing due to the nature of my profession. At one time, I was going to completely give up my computer work for this reason. Now a days, I am doing my regular quotta of several hours in computer, with only minor problems. I have started using the mouse with my right hand for the pastten days, which was not possible before. I was a facultative lefty for some time. 2. I feel there is minor improvements in my postural instability. It will take some more time to comfirm this effect. 3. I use to have swallowing problems at least two or three times a week. Since I started my medication, my traffic problems during swallowing has been almost reduced to nil. 4. I feel my drooling has been very much reduced. I use to wake up due to wetness in my face several times in the night. This has been reduced to once or twice a day now a days. 5. My friends tell me that I look much better and much more healthier of late. 6. I sleep very well. 7. I see a definite improvement in dystonia. No more crampings in my toes or toe curling with pain any more. But, I do not find improvements in the following aspects: 1. My ET is still going strong. 2. My speech problems still remain as it used to be. Voice is still very low. 3. I would like to see much better improvement in my postural instability. 4. On bad days, I still get pain and stiffness in my calf muscles. These improvements could be wishful thinking or a placebo effect. Whatever you may call it, as long as I find some improvement, I shall continue to take my medication. My body also has a habbit of responding very well to drugs. I still take my daily dose of phosphatidylserine, CoE Q10, glutathione, B12, folic acid, multivitamins, Vit E, Cal-Mag, Synthroid, Selinium etc. This combination of medication has me feeing like how I felt about two years ago, when I was first diagnosed. I have my sinemet and mirapex ready. But, I hope I shall never have to take them. I would like to hear from Ervin about his experience. Wish you all the best. Raj ----- Original Message ----- From: "NILO A SARMIENTO" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Saturday, January 11, 2003 12:55 AM Subject: I've just received... > hi, raj, > just received my meds from dr. paneri....before I get into the regimen, > i've questions i need answers from him.. > how are you after four or five weeks...and how's ervine... > nilo > > On Sun, 29 Dec 2002 14:02:02 -0400 Brightline > <[log in to unmask]> writes: > > Dear All: > > I have to take my hats off to David Moreland for his open > > minded > > attitude. In my understanding, that is all Dr. Paneri wants from > > us. > > Otherwise, Dr. Paneri would not have offered to treat Tom Bernadine > > with out > > charge. However, Tom did not want to take that route and that is > > his > > prerogative. Just ask yourself. Would you offer to treat somebody > > without > > charge if you did not believe in your own medication? It costs Rs. > > 500 > > (roughly about US$ 11) for him to mail the stuff from India to > > North > > America. I am sure that Dr. Paneri is aware that if Tom did not > > find it > > helpful, he is not going to go anywhere with this. > > A few of us are trying it out and I think it is our prerogative. > > As I > > told you before, I thought it was worth giving a shot. I did not say > > I > > believe in it hundred percent. And even if it gives some temporary > > symptomatic relief our money would not have been wasted. If it > > does not do > > any good, we shall wash our hands and let you all know it does not > > work. > > That is all there is to it. Nobody has to "eat crow" no matter > > what > > happens. If it reall works wonders, as claimed by his patients, > > what do we > > have to complain about? Please hold on to your horses. Let us wait > > and > > see. > > What we do not realize is that the whole field of treating PD is > > still > > up in the air. Even diagnosis of PD is onlt 75% accurate since it > > is mainly > > done by physical examination by the experts. I read a review of > > the > > diagnostic features of PD after somebody interviewed 300 Movement > > Disorder > > Specialists and each one had different criteria for the conclusions > > they > > have reached! In my own cae, so far I have seen 6 MDSs and every > > one of > > them gave me different verdicts! Some say it is ET and not PD, > > while others > > say it is both PD and ET! One said that I may have some symptoms > > of PD > > but I wasn't ready for any treament yet! How do you explain then > > the > > presence of postural instability, drooling, cramps in my calf > > muscles, > > difficulty in getting out of my car etc? (Did you know that nobody > > knows if > > when people with ET symptoms develop PD symptoms, is it one or two > > different > > diseases? Unlike ET, PD was not thought to be an inherited disease, > > which > > mayh not be necessarily true; there are more genetic defects in PD > > patients > > than in ET patients. In fact, both may be equally familial and a > > certain % > > of them may not be familial.) > > It appears that everything goes in this field. Think of so many > > drugs > > for PD and nothing is working for everybody. This is because I am > > told PD > > is a 'designer disease". The same thing appears to be true for DBS, > > the > > most advanced treatment for PD. Even after DBS, people are still > > taking > > Sinemet and some others are still experiencing diskenesia. Is there > > any > > course of action one can take, where one is sure of alleviating all > > the > > symptoms, leave alone cure? > > Somebody told that we are desparate to take this direction. Is > > there > > any one of us not desparate about what is waiting in store for us? > > I am in full agreement with you when you say that we should all > > act-up > > now and get politically involved in supporting the cause of stem > > cell > > studies. But, if you are waiting for the stem cell cure to come > > along and > > save all of us from misery, think again. First you have to change > > the > > minds of the politicians or change the government. Then the stem > > cell > > research have to be funded and then they have to find the cure after > > a lot > > of trials. This would take a minimum of 10 years if not more. > > Personally I > > feel this would be too late for most of us. That is another reason, > > why we > > should hurry up and change the minds of the ignorant or irrational > > politicians. The only way is educating them as well as the general > > public > > and also letting the know of our sufferings and how we are wasting > > our life > > because of this ailment. > > This is no time to fight amongst ourselves and blame each other > > for any > > reason at all. I request that people be open minded, be > > constructive (even > > if you do not agree), and not be abusive. I do not think this is > > the > > purpose of this forum. > > Thank you for your time. > > Raj > > [log in to unmask] > > ************* > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "David Moreland" <[log in to unmask]> > > To: <[log in to unmask]> > > Sent: Sunday, December 29, 2002 10:41 AM > > Subject: Re: Dr. Paneri > > > > > > > Rick, > > > I guess we can agree to disagree. I don't know if dr Paneri's brew > > of > > herbs > > > and spices will effectively treat PD but it seems like we could > > be > > > supportive of Raj, Evan and Nilo as they have opted to try it. And > > it > > > appears to be the only game in town. I am sure that they will give > > us > > > progress reports as time goes on and we will learn how effective > > it is. > > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > 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