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On Thu 05 Dec, [log in to unmask] wrote: > I had an assessment done recently due to the problems I was having with > Artane. My cognitive funcitions were severely impaired. I was sent to a new > neurologist who recommend that I go on Parsidol ( Parsitan in Cdn Generic > name is Ethopropazine HCL. It is only available in Canada. Not because it > is illegal but the pharmesuiticals in this country can't make a profit off > it. >=20 > It works well without some of the Artane side effects I take a 50mg in the > morning and it lasts for about 2 hours. It does an excellent job of > controlling the tremor but at the end of 2 hours you are not in very good > shape. I then take 1/2 a pill and that lasts for about an hour. If they had > a CR version it would be helpful. Has anyone else had any experience with > this drug? >=20 > David Rohrbaugh > [log in to unmask] >=20 >=20 Hello David. I have had to dig quite deeply to find a reference to Parsidol. It turns out to be another of the group of drugs known as Anticholinergics. These drugs were popular in the days before levodopa was invented. It was=20 found (literally by accident) that by inhibiting the amount of acetylcholine in the brain, this=A0seemed to make way for the production of a little more=20 Dopamine. You will detect that I am not exactly enthusiastic about these=20 drugs, and you would be right, but I am only reflecting the view of the experts. The more modern books refer briefly to the group, but does not=20 recommend them. In short: They have a high 'Side-effects ratio.' (By which I mean the ratio of unwanted side effects compared to the effectiveness in=20 controlling PD symptoms. I realise that there may be people out there who hav been put on to the=20 anticholinergic drugs for a variety of reasons: You may suffer an allergic reaction to levodopa: You may be in the early days of your PD, and are=20 being trwated by one of the rapidly disappearing group who seem to think=20 that it is a good idea to delay the introduction of levodopa for as long as possible (it isn't): Or you may be being treated by an MD. whose last update on PD was in 1955. You may think that your treatment with which ever of=20 these drugs you are taking has been satisfactory, so why change to something which is unknown to you? All I can say in answer is that Artane (of which I do have experience) and the rest may be coping at present, but PD never stands still, and it may be a very different story in a year or two. Meanwhile you are running a higher than necessary risk of side- effects, which to me is the decisive factor. You may well by now be feeling rather trampled-on, and are sitting muttering=20 'But I only asked about Parsidol' in which case I will get out of your hair. Be assured however, that I am trying to recommend what I really believe is the best course of action for you. I suggest that you try some of these points on your neurologist, and see=20 what he has to say Regards, --=20 Brian Collins <[log in to unmask]>