 |
 |
Bill - Is your dad STILL off Sinemet? Please note, I'm not a doctor, but it seems to me the Sinemet should gradually be added back in, while your Dad is watched for adverse reactions. If he hadn't had major problems with the Sinemet before hospitalization, it seems unlikely that it suddenly caused delirium! Consider instead that: 1) a drastic change such as hospitalization frequently causes severe disorientation and other marked changes in the mental condition of an elderly patient who is hospitalized; 2) our experience with PD in hospitals is that it is common (USUAL) for the PD drugs to be administered at the wrong time, in the wrong dose or combination, skipped altogether, etc.; 3) your dad was almost certainly given sleeping pills, possibly or probably an anxiolytic (tranquilizer or whatever), and who knows what other meds. Your gerontologist is probably not fully aware of the drugs that cannot be administered in conjunction with PD meds. Can you get a copy of his hospital records and talk to a pharmacist you trust about the drugs he was taking in combination? (You will find a pharmacist a better and more reliable source of info than almost ANY MD on the subject of drug interactions). The symptoms you describe now sound like an underdosage of PD meds. Eldepryl by itself is NOT a substitute for Sinemet! If the Sinemet is added back gradually, you should see a striking improvement in your dad's condition. If he does experience hallucinations once it is added back in, there is a med that can be given to counteract that. It was mentioned here on the list lately, and by a couple of people in our support group, but for the moment the name escapes me. HELP - Someone on the list will know the name of the med that reduces confusion and hallucinations caused by Sinemet - please tell us what it is. Bill - good luck to you and your dad. Keep looking for answers (and/or doctors) until your dad improves. There's usually no reason for this rapid (and continuing) deterioration medically, and the answer usually lies in the combination of meds. Margie Swindler