When my husband was hospitalized for a coronary (and eventual bypass
surgery) last October, I was shocked when an intern told me that the
hospital would be substituting Requip for Mirapex because the latter drug
was not in their formulary of meds. I insisted that my husband be given his
Mirapex instead - she argued that the meds were the same and that it wasn't
necessary for me to be worried about switching the two. She was adamant -
but so was I. Since my husband was admitted the hospital I work for and I
understand med policy, I won the day. Another spouse might have been
intimidated into accepting the intern's position. Although the difference
between the two meds might be minor, changing medications in the midst of a
medical crisis in a finely tuned PD patient is always a bad idea.
The moral of this story is that PD folks (and caregivers) must be
advocates for themselves. All hospitals have a 'self-med' policy which
allows for people to take their own meds. The nursing staff may need to be
educated about the particular needs of Parkinson's patients - it has been my
experience that no other neurological disease requires the attention to
on-time med administration that PD does. In fact, most PD patients that I
come across have the same med schedules as all other patients on my floor.
It is unique to come across a Parkinson's Disease patient that has an every
two hour schedule of meds. It is important for members of the list to
remember that they and their doctors are probably far more sophisticated
about Parkinson's Disease than most run-of-the-mill neurologists and
internist. Don't be shocked when the medical staff doesn't take your med
needs seriously - it is our job to educate them. For instance, I'm forever
having to remind the Pharmacy in our hospital that Eldepryl shouldn't be
administered after 12 noon - they usually schedule the med to be given at 9
a.m. and 5 p.m.
As other members of this list have suggested, it is vitally important
that every list member carry an up-to-date list of medications complete with
dose and the time it is taken, in their wallet or purse. A copy should also
be kept on the refrigerator in case of an emergency. Also included in
that information, especially for folks on Eldepryl, should be a list of meds
that are contraindicated in PD. Located in the PD archives are a list of
those meds. I keep a icon of that list on my home page so that I can print
it quickly.
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God bless
Mary Ann Ryan (CG Jamie 63/23)
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