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>From Brian Collins [log in to unmask] To: Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN Subject: Eldepryl Re: Message from Linda S Breedlove 6 June Perhaps I can tell you what I know of the Eldepryl saga. I am a member of the Parkinson's Disease Society of the UK, who were responsible for the report. On 15 Dec 1995, a group of researchers carrying out research on behalf of the PDS UK published a report in the British Medical Journal. The paper raised concerns about mortality rates associated with Selegiline. The study found that people with PD who were treated with Selegiline and Levodopa had a higher mortality rate than people who were treated with Levodopa alone. Specifically, in a group of 271 people taking Selegiline and Levodopa, 76 people died , compared to a group of 249 people taking Levodopa alone of whom 44 died. The time over which these events occurred is not specified. The magnitude of the difference - a 60% greater mortality rate in the group taking Selegiline - is such that the group felt it necessary to publish the results immediately, although further work was needed to understand the reasons for the difference. The group also stated that no previous study has reported results of this kind. Work is now proceeding to try to understand the reasons. (My own comments follow) As far as I can remember, Selegiline first popped up as a treatment for PD following the events involving the cases of the Heroin addicts who unwittingly took a derivative called MPTP, which has the remarkable ability to destroy ALL the dopamine-producing cells in the Substantia Nigra. When the chemistry of the drug was understood, it was realised that the presence of a compound such as Selegiline would protect against the effects of an MPTP intake, Although nobody knew whether this was the mechanism by which we get PD, it seemed to be worth giving it a go, "just in case". As an added bonus, it was realised that the Selegiline would inhibit the breakdown of dopamine in the brain, thus prolonging the effectivness of the Levodopa drug. Now that some time has elapsed, I think it can be said that the MPTP mechanism is not considered to be the cause of PD, at least in the majority of cases, so as soon as a hint of adverse comment arose, doctors saw little reason to continue with the Selegiline treatment. My experience, for what it is worth, is that a) I was never convinced by the MPTP story, and so, when I experienced a series of lurid dreams resulting from taking two tablets a day, I backed off to one per day. Consequently, when my Consultant reccommended that I stop taking it, I did so, and with no detectable effect. I also suspect that when the reasons for the afore-mentioned article in the BMJ are known, it will probably turn out that Selegiline is not the culprit after all. So- For the time being, it is anybodies guess! Regards, Brian Collins [log in to unmask] MPTP story,