To Dick Swindler and all others
You asked: has ever a PD specialist prescribed Cogentin or Artane.
My neuro a PD specialist did it. In 1984 my PD was diagnosed. It was not easy
to determine the optimum dosis of meds. Taking enough sinemet to fight my
symptoms I couldn't sit still and couldn't sleep at all. That is why
anti-cholinergics(artane,cogentin.dissipal ) were tried. I too was very
nauseous,first using them. To control that I was given an anti-emetic (motilium,
domperidom R 33 812 ) This was effective and could after some weeks slowly be
diminished and stopped. I had used it before because the sinemet too caused
nausea when first used. I too was warned for psychic effects,especially memory
impairment. But in some patients this can be ameliorate after some time. I
tried them all a few weeks. My neuro said the effects are individual. Only by
trying you can determine which is the best for you. Using Artane and Cogentin
I had a cloud in my head on the place were my brain should be. With dissipal
this cloud disappeared and the best thing was I could sleep again for hours,
which made my days better. Fatigue is very harmfull for us PWP's. My mind was
quite clear again. I had my concentration back. I could read books in the
languages I used to read. My memory is surely not as good as it has been, but
not bad enough to give problems. For some special situations (going to the
dentist) I take twice the dosis. It makes sitting still possible but the cloud
is there again. In this situation I appreciate him.
Your neuro said these meds could be used against side effects of other very
strong meds. He referred to that anti-cholinergics can diminish the side
effects of anti-psychotics. Those side effects have some similarity with PD
symptoms, especially bradykinesia. The curious thing is : schizofrenics don't
have to little dopamine but to much. So fighting that, they get symptoms of
PD and we can get pychotic, schiz. like symptoms from to much of our meds.
Ida Kamphuis
Holland
