Dear Karin: Thank you for your concerned messages. I too have had Restless
Leg Syndrome for many years - probably since college days - mild and
infrequent. I began noticing PD symptoms in l986: micrographia, tremor,
slow typing, expressionless face, and daughters impatient with my slowness
dressing. I got the usual run around of "arthritis - benign essential tremor
- possible MS." Nothing much changed until l988 and a neurologist diagnosed
PD. I quit working that year when I found I couldn't keep up and stress got
to me. RLS wasn't a big problem at that time. Mild exercise and/or leg
massage took care of it. I coped quite well with PD on Deprenyl 1/2 tablet a
day in a.m., and occasional 25 mg Benedryl for tremor.
I started taking Sinemet CR 25/100 three times a day last year. By fall
the RLS had progressed to a point where I began talking about it with the
neurologist. I stopped Deprenyl and tried all the stuff mentioned in an
article in "Modern Maturity" -Sept-Oct, the magazine AARP puts out. The
article is "Night Walkers" written by author Robert Yoakum who suffers from
RLS but doesn't have PD.
None of the usual drugs worked - Klonopin (clonazepam), codeine, Baclofan.
Sinemet CR worked but I had to start increasing it to cover those
devastating awful shocks and spasms that lasted all night. So since fall I
have gone from 300 mg levadopa to 500-600 mg which I don't like at all. I
am of the Less Is Best thinking but cannot adhere to that now and know full
well trouble is just around the corner.
Dopamine agonists seem the way to go. I tried bromocriptine
last
month but couldn't take it. My reaction was scarey. But each person
differs and a drug can knock one for a loop and cause no side effects in
another. So I want to try Permax and lower the CR especially at night. I
often wonder if Sinemet CR aggravates my RLS.
Barbara Yacos
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