 |
 |
On Thu, 17 Oct 1996 20:55:01 -0400 Sheila Chaudoin wrote: >My mother is having trouble sleeping at nights. What do others with PD >take to help them sleep? She's so afraid she'll become addicted to over >the counter sleep aids and refuses to take them for any length of time. Hello Sheila, The first question you need to answer is what are the medications your=20 mother is currently taking?? If she is taking eldepryl/selegline then=20 careful attention must be paid to the type of sleeping aide that could=20 safely be prescribed for her. =20 I take .25 mg Alprazolam (Xanax=AE), 2.5 mg Amitryptyline (Elavil) and 5.= 0 mg=20 Melatonin. Although these meds are not specifically sleeping aides, Elavi= l=20 is an anti-choligernic as well as an anti-depressive and therefore helps=20 sleeping. Works well for me! This combination works for me. There are=20 people who experience side effects and need to have their doctor try=20 different combinations. It is very important to not self medicate--even o= ver=20 the counter drugs have ingredients that need to be scrutinized carefully = for=20 possible interaction. The following is taken from "A Summary of Medications Both Commonly and Occasionally Used in Treating Parkinson's Disease by Neal Slatkin MD", =20 ANTI-ANXIETY AND SLEEPING MEDICATIONS ANTI-ANXIETY: E.G., VALIUM (DIAZEPAM), ATIVAN (LORAZEPAM), KLONOPIN (CLONAZEPAM), BUSPAR (BUSPIRONE) SLEEPING MEDICATIONS: E.G., HALCION (TRIAZOLAM), AMBIEN (ZOLPIDEM) All of these medications are classified as sedative-hypnotic agents and c= an be beneficial in reducing anxiety and promoting sleep. Since some=20 Parkinson's symptoms can be worsened by anxiety, these medications can he= lp=20 relieve symptoms such as tremor and dyskinesia. Klonopin appears to have=20 some=20 unique characteristics and has been used in the treatment of several=20 abnormal=20 movement types. Buspar has been used to treat dyskinesias with variable=20 success. SIDE EFFECTS OF ANTI-ANXIETY AND SLEEPING MEDICATIONS + Sedation (excessive sleepiness): This can interfere with one's ability = to operate machinery, such as a motor vehicle and contribute to waling=20 imbalance and falls. + Occasionally, patients can become psychologically, as well as physicall= y, dependent upon these medications and experience withdrawal symptoms upon their discontinuation. + Patients who depend upon these medications to sleep can have after effe= cts lasting into the next day, which can impair memory and other thinking functions. Under these conditions, patients may have greater problems wit= h walking balance and be more susceptible to falls. + Buspar (buspirone) appears to have a lower risk of physical and psychological dependence, but some patients may experience a worsening of Parkinson's symptoms. --------------------------------------------------- Margaret Tuchman(54yrs,dx1980) [log in to unmask] *******************************************************************