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> > >We believe that my husband (who also has a long-standing hx of > >hypertension) developed PD secondary to his HTN meds. > The doctor's never mentioned that PD can be caused by hypertension > medication! Can it be reversed with a change in medication? Lots of luck getting doctors to realize that there is a connection. However, you will discover if you examine the literature accompanying HTN drugs that many have PD type sypmtoms as side effects - Aldomet is a famous culprate. After watching my husband's PD deteriorate after taking certain meds, I began to insist that our doctor look for more benign drugs. He did, and Jamie's disease stabilized, making our doctor a believer. > > >He has atypical PD, has never fallen, but does have stiffnes and responds > to >Sinemet (which he only takes at night). He also hallucinates when he takes > >Sinemet with his Lopressor - but only then. > Sinemet is the only medication he takes for the PD? Is it only for his > stiffness? > No, no. Jamie takes Symmetrel, Artane, Eldepryl for PD in addition to Zantac, Colchicine and Xyloprim (for acid reflux and gout). Lopressor is for HTN, and finally he takes weird doses of Sinemet after 4:30 p.m. > >Seems the question you both have to ask is what happens when Joel is off > >the Sinemet? If the answer is 'nothing' he might actually do better with > >a beta-blocker for both his tremor and his HTN. Of course, his doctor is > >the one who should evaluate all possibilities. > We're both considered his going off all the drugs for PD and seeing what > happens. What I'm afraid of is that any good the drugs have done will never > be regained should he return to them. I'm not sure what these drugs do > anyway. By getting the dopa into his brain again, does it retard the > progression of the disease, or is it just supposed to eliminate the symptoms? > Some members of this group have already experienced the danger of drug-holidays. It needs to be done under the observation of a doctor who knows your husband's disease. > He's tried every medication out there for the high blood pressure, and it's > under control for the moment. We've asked for alternative medications from > the doctor for the PD, and all she does is change the dosage and times. Of > course, there's nothing in it for her should his problems turn out to be > caused by something other than PD. Maybe we're expecting too much? > No, you are not expecting too much. Try evaluating your husband's symptoms in relationship to the meds he's taking. Review whether his symptoms got better or worse with the institution of each med - you may discover that it's not all the drugs that are the problem, but perhaps only one drug - or maybe he just has atypical PD. ------ Mary Ann