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FOrgive me for practicing medicine without a license, but has a stroke or other condition, been ruled out by the doctors? It may be a coincidence that it happened after the Hytrin. I feel like it would have "gone away" after the Hytrin left the body, doesn't that make sense? [OO] LOOKING FOR RADIOS! Ken Becker [log in to unmask] On Sat, 15 Mar 1997, Daphne Shaw 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] >