I am cg for Ken who has PD and SDS(extreme postural hypotension) and
dementia. He kept PD under great control with sinemet and eldepryl for
almost 10 years after being diagnosed in 1982, so we know he truly had PD.
In the past five or six years, the SDS has slowly progressed along with the
PD and dementia to the point that he was bedridden in a nursing home last
fall, unable to communicate clearly or to stand up without passing out. We
obtained a new drug, midodrine , to work with florinef to keep his standing
BP up and brought him home with a full-time nursing assistant. With physical
therapy, he can now walk short distances, and we (the nurse, he, and I) all
went to Yosemite National Park for two weeks. His neurologist recently agreed
to start him on aricept as she says his dementia is "atypical" and it is
worth a try. He is only taking 5mg daily which will be increased to 10mg
after six weeks if it helps. Already(after two weeks) many people are
noticing the change. He can get out words that he wants to say. He is more
interested in the people around him and more responsive to them. He has even
begun to read again. he is even better able to communicate his toilet needs.
My youngest daughter had a long conversation with him and was in tears with
joy. I know that aricept "shouldn't" work with PD, but sometimes "shouldn't"
doesn't mean "won't". I am eternally grateful to our doctor for being
willing to try new things to help my husband.
Barbara
Smith cgKen69/16
