I'd like to introduce myself and my husband David as new subscribers. We
live in Israel. David is 77, and was first diagnosed with Parkinsons about 7
years ago; his symptoms were for a long time quite mild, but have become
more severe over the past 3 years. The symptoms that most distress him are:
acute attacks of shortness of breath; difficulty in swallowing (at times the
throat mechanism simply "freezes", and he is completely unable to swallow or
to speak); and accumulation of large amounts of phlegm in his throat and
chest, which he periodically has to cough up. (He has been checked for chest
disease, with negative results, and told this is due to Parkinsons). In
addition, frequent urination during the night; and stiffness and "freezing"
when he starts to stand up or walk.
His current medication is:
"Dopicar" [1 tablet=Carbidopa 25mg + Levodopa 250mg]: three-quarters of a
tablet 3 times a day;
"Parilac" [1 tablet=Bromocriptine 2.5mg]: 3.5 tablets daily, in 3 doses;
"Jumex" [1 tablet=Deprenyl-Selegiline HCl 5mg]: 1 morning + 1 evening.
plus 1 "Dibenyline" capsule daily for prostate.
(Brand-names probably differ from those familiar to USA / UK people.)
Any helpful comments or advice would be welcome! His neurological
appointments are only once every 4 months; the clinics are so busy, it's
next to impossible to get an appointment in between times; and the
day-to-day coping with his symptoms (especially the sudden acute attacks
which more or less paralyze him at times) sometimes gets on top of us.
We've had a lot of stress over the past years, as we also have a
daughter (16) with severe cerebral palsy; in fact it was during the period
that we were (reluctantly but necessarily) arranging her admission into a
residential Home that my husband's Parkinsons was first diagnosed - I don't
know whether there was any connection! All this in addition to the stresses
and strains of adapting to life in Israel (we immigrated from England 15
years ago). This may not be directly relevant to the Parkinsons; but
everything is interrelated, and the pressures accumulate! (I'm also
subscribing to CPParents and Depression mailing lists.)
I look forward to keeping in touch with this group. If there are any
other subscribers in Israel, I'd be happy to hear from them!
Margaret Hayon <[log in to unmask]>
