Until I recently got on-line and subscribed to the PD list,
my father, Robert Barasch, was subscribing and asking all the
questions. Now that I'm on the list, I'll ask my own.
One thing he wondered about was whether there was a
connection between asthma and PD. He got a nice note back from
Alan Bonander about some of the problems Alan's had with his
asthma medications, as well as experiences with asthma
triggering PD dyskinesia.
My question now isn't really about asthma, however. It's
about my cat allergy and the medications I'm taking for it. My
wife brought what I thought was an elderly cat into our
relationship; 4 years later it doesn't seem any more elderly.
If I weren't taking medications I would have asthma around the
cat, but because of the medications I actually have little
asthma.
I was diagnosed with PD two years ago, but I've sometimes
wondered if perhaps I don't really have PD, but parkinsonism
caused by any of the following:
1) The topical steroids (flunisolide) I'm taking. I'm using
aerobid for my lungs and nasalide for my nose.
2) Irregular use of proventil for occasional, mostly mild, asthma.
3) Raised eosinophiles caused by the allergen.
4) Simply the presence of an allergen.
By the way, I have vacationed away from the cat for periods
of up to a week and don't take the medications then. I haven't
noticed any reduction in PD symptoms while on vacation, but
maybe I wasn't away long enough.
Does anyone have any information about whether any of
the things I listed could induce parkinsonism?
Thanks,
Charlie Barasch ([log in to unmask])
