Aan 18-02-97 18:13, in bericht
<[log in to unmask]>, "JONES, BRYCE"
<[log in to unmask]> schreef:
> I have been reading with interest some of the posts
> on the dosage and timing of sinemet. My mother
> often has serious bouts of what my dad calls
> "slapping"--wild arm movements--usually in the
> late afternoon after the sinemet wears off. Also
> she has painful rigidity in one side which I also
> have seen described recently. We think that
> maybe she needs to decrease her dosage of sinemet--
> so far that seems to help.
> Here is my question: Is the technical term
> for the arm slapping "dyskinesia"? I know
> that the term means some time of abnormal motion.
> My mother has a new neurologist who actually
> thought that she has a mild case of PD but that
> many of her symptoms come from essential tremor.
> She had the ET for a long time and it runs in the
> family (now at least 4 generations). The neurologist
> took her off sinemet and after a day or so, my mother
> became so weak that my dad had to put her back on sinemet.
> It appears that she has both ET and PD.
> Second question: Is the weakness after going off sinemet
> farily good proof that that PD is a significant factor
> in my mother's health?
> Thanks.
> Bryce Jones
>
Bruce
Dyskinesia means movement that is wrong. The "dys" is seen in many English
words as dis. For example disorder disorganize dislike. Kinesia is from the
classical Greek "kinema" movement. The same word made "cinema" which is too
about movement.
Dyskinesia means unwanted movements. It is not in the first place a symptom of
parkinson's disease, but a side effect of the meds. Dyskinesia can be a part of
different phases of the med,s cycle. The most frequently seen is the one that
comes when the dopamine has his highest concentration in the brain. You
describe another one "slapping wild arm movements" as the sinemet wears off is,
you said it nearly yourself, "wearing off dyskinesia". The painfull rigidity on
one side of the body, dystonia, is usual going together with this dyskinesia.
Most patients who have "peak of med,s dyskinesia" don't have muscle stiffness
together with the movements. That makes the wearing off one the most
troublesome.
TO the other questions I don,t have an answer. There is a rule that says if
sinemet helps one knows it is parkinson. How trustworthy this rule is? Maybe
more can be said if all the symptoms and the effect of med's are known. Maybe
you can ask more clarification from the neuro of your mother.
Ida kamphuis 52\12
Holland
