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I have a friend from my Young-Onset group that has been in a serious crisis
for a week, and I don't have a solution. Maybe some of you veterans can
shine some light?

Ron is about 55, taking anti-parkinsonian drugs for 5 years or so. He is
prescribed (4) 25/100 sinemet CR, (4) 2.5 permax, (2) 5  mg eldepryl, plus
an antidepressant called Olanzepine ( I think) that he takes at night before
bed. For some reason his second dose of eldepryl is prescribed specifically
to be taken at bedtime also.

He has always seemed a little less in touch than the rest of us in the YO
group, but lately he is much more confused, so we started visiting him
occasionally to see if he was OK, he lives alone. Last week one of the men
from the group called me in great alarm, said Ron had taken all 4 of his
sinemt at once, and was confused and hallucinating. Over the next few days
it became apparent that he was hallucinating all the time, whether he took
his pills or not, and that he was so confused that he was usually not even
remembering  his meds. Last Wed he went to Burger King, and I'm not sure
what all happened, but 3 hours later the fire dept brought him home. That
night I took him to the emergency room, mainly because I couldn't leave him
alone in the state he was in, and I had no solutions. They kept him 5 days,
the last 3 in the psychiactric ward, and the psychiatrist told me he had
diagnosed Ron as psychotic.

Monday they tossed him out on the streets with no change in meds, and three
days of Home Health visits arranged, and a caution to me from 3 different
doctors to not let him drive. Here we are now, with little improvement, Ron
can not figure out his meds, he freezes for long periods, and is still
extremely confused.

I don't know what to do. He is not safe alone, but  wishes to remain
independent. Apparently he has the resources to afford some domestic
assistance, such as a part time companion, and I am willing to help with his
meds, but I wonder if this isn't just putting off the inevitable, and also
exposing him to great danger. I frankly don't think his hallucinations are
tied to the sinemet because he has them even when he is very off. But I'm no
expert on PD-related hallucinations and psychosis.

HELP!!

Kathie Tollifson
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