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That is a wonderful, well-written, and educational message; what I look for on The List. Because of your letter, I feel that perhaps I should wait a bit more before going on medication. Would you tell us why your father was diagnosed with PD. Hope all is well now. Keep us posted. Fleurette At 06:50 PM 3/15/97 -0500, you wrote: >This is a lengthy message but I must cover anticipated questions to narrow the >responses. We have had a very hard ten months--almost a year since >Hytrin was prescribed for my husband's slightly enlarged prostate. Hytrin is >also prescribed for reducing high blood pressure and used apparently >successfully. But I am interested in cases of persons who have been on >Sinemet and/or Eldepryl and also HYTRIN and have had side effects. > >The last week in April, my husband was prescribed a small dose of Hytrin for >seven days and then he was to take 500mg for three months. The night he took >the first 500mg, he woke me and said that he had been walking the floor for >two hours, that something was happening in his brain and that he could not >describe it but that he was afraid that he might die and PLEASE call 911. I >took him in and emergency observed him for a couple of hours, said that it >would wear off...didn't know how long it would take. He never took another >Hytrin, and never will, but the next night he had the same thing happen but >only at intervals. He insisted on going back to emergency. My husband is not >easily alarmed so this had to be serious. EM. treated him the same as the >night before: observed him, made sure it was not a heart problem, and said >that it would have to "wear off." > >He has not been the same since. For the months of June and July there were >trips to the regular neurologist & emergency calls when he was a nervous >wreck. The sinemet was decreased and changed. Over that two month period >his condition changed from a moderate PWP to an advanced case. >The first week after taking Hytrin we walked into the neurologist office and >he had to ask for a place to lie down while waiting. He was so weak that he >could not walk more than 30 steps without help and then collapse. Before that >he was a normal person and I hardly thought of his PD. He regularly attended >the church meetings, helped with the youth program and held the office of >church clerk which meant typing the minutes. He cut the grass and took care >of all jobs around the house as well as his own personal needs and all the >finances. Besides that, he did all the driving for us and his 91 year old >mother. The neurologist says it was the hytrin; the urologist who prescribed >the hytrin says that it was the sinemet (and I agree that it was probably >both.) > >There is more to my story which is almost devastating since I had to quit >work, sleep patterns have only recently had relief, my back and hips are >having feeling that I have never had before, and he needs constant >supervision. On August 1st he spent seven hours in emergency after a phone >call to the doctor because of extreme nervousness, shaking, and begging for >help. The neurologist on duty changed his sinemet and sent him home. Aug. 2, >the psychiatrist prescribed Trazadone because we had had no sleep except for >cat naps since the hytrin. His diagnosis was that he was depressed. ( I said >that he was extremely tired and confused as he could not even calulate three >or four hours to the next medication.) I cut a bit off the 50mg tablet of >Trazodone(Desyrel) and the next morning he was in the psychiatric ward, >"psychosis--harmful to self and others." He was there 33 days. ECT was >discontinued after three treatments because it was evident the hallucination >were worse. One week after administering the wonder drug, Clozaril, he >returned home. On clozaril, he was like a drugged person so after 25 weeks, I >asked to take him off and as we brought the dosage down from 87mg to 25, each >reduction showed awareness. > >He has changed to a well known Parkinson specialist, Dr. Lewitt, Sinai >Neuro-Science Center, W. Bloomfield, MI and he is now taking Sinemet 25/100 >at > 6 , 10, 2 & 1/2 at 6pm. Amantadine at 6 & 10am. One CR 50/200 at bedtime. >The psychiatrist has him on 200 mg of Serzone twice a day. We have had three >therapist. Since taking the CR and Serzone at bedtime, we see improvement >with sleep (about 3 or 4 hrs, uninterrupted, some nights). > >So you see why I write to you who are friends already. I joined you March 5.. >I foresee no more vacations. Home is the only comfortable spot. Eating out >is stressful for him. The "Physicians's Desk Reference" does not offer any >cautions for Hytrin or Trazadone, yet two doctors (unrelated to the case) have >indicated both. His regular doctors are all connected to the large university >hospital so I cannot expect any blame. Yet our lives have been drastically >changed without notice. I am about resigned that the brain altering is >permanent; however, long-term memory is Good; concentration is poor; NO >reading; all senses are extremely sensitive; and physically, his PD esculated >considerably-- overnight. (Yes we belong to a support group and one visting >neurologist expained transmitter blockage. But I don't have the terminology >and I don't know if it will repair itself.) So I write on behalf of an >innocent person who cannot express this for himself. My sympathy is extended >to all of you with PD and we are encouraged by your humor and strength and >desire to help others. > >I have two questions of you brave comrades: Have you any similar experiences? > How is the best way to have this documented so that others will not suffer >from the same? Can two lives be changed drastically overnight without >attaching responsibility? Their explanations are: "That's Parkinson's" > >If you choose, any responses can be sent directly: [log in to unmask] >