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Dear List-Family... To recap my initial Mirapex experience, week one on 1/2 tablet 3 times daily had no noticeable PD symptom benefits or side effects. Week two, after reducing my Sinemet intake a bit, 1 whole Mirapex tablet 3 times daily was HELL and I discontinued the drug. Thanks to advice from Ivan S. I went back to my usual Sinemet dosage and continued with the Mirapex, beginning again at square-1, since I'd been off the drug for about a week. TODAY: For the past few days I've noticed more energy (tho this MIGHT be attributed to cooler weather as the terrible summer heat had a very negative effect upon me), which means I'm feeling the impetus to do more. And in doing more, I notice I'm not completely wiped for two or three days (or a week or 10 days!( out AFTER doing more. I look at this desire to do more - and I mean doing things around the home as much as I mean getting out of the house - as a reawakening of the response to various external stimuli. THE POSSIBLE NEW BENEFIT (?): THIS is an oddity and may be purely coincidental, however, I felt I should mention it and to get any reaction and/or input this group may have. For the past 3 1/2 years I've suffered extremely severe, intermittent bursitis pain in my left (primary) shoulder due to a torn rotator cuff. The 2 orthopedists I saw presumed the torn rotator cuff and ensuing bursitis is part of the PD as apparently about 50% of all PD patients end up suffering from this problem over the course of the disease. My bursitis has been treated with periodic cortisone injections which USUALLY bring relief for a 2-3 months. When the bursitis kicks-up, I stand the pain as long as I can (another 2-3 months) and then the cortisone treatment is repeated. Recognizing that long-term use of cortisone can be as detrimental as the benefits are good, my ortho nonetheless prefers to rely on IT rather than resorting to surgery which he says apparently doesn't have that high of a "cure-rate" in those with PD. To ME, this is been putting off the inevitable because I certainly cannot continue having cortisone injections for the rest of my life!!! NOW.... I had the beginnings of a major bursitis flare-up when I started the Mirapex. As I went into the second week of the drug, I noticed that literally in ONE INSTANT - as I sat there in stunned wonder, the bursitis and pain simply completely disappeared.... just seemed to flow away in mere seconds. I know that Mirapex isn't an anti-inflammatory, and it certainly didn't help the rheumatoid arthritis I have. So IF the Mirapex is actually the reason the bursitis stopped so suddenly in the middle of a flare-up - and this IS just a presumption, and a rebuttable one at that - then it's had an effect on the UNDERLYING cause of the torn rotator cuff/bursitis which is the Parkinson's Disease. Finally, for the first time since I've been troubled by the pain of the torn rotator cuff and it's accompanying bursitis, I've been able to do things (WITHOUT DISCOMFORT and/or without whatever I am doing triggering the bursitis) involving heavy-duty repetitive motion with my left arm (like polishing lotsa silver or mopping the floors) <errrrrr... not that I wanna make a career <grin> of mopping the floors but it IS nice to be able to do it pain-free when it needs to be done!) Having said all this, I must add that it all may be purely coincidental and have nothing what so ever to do with the Mirapex (and who knows if the benefit will last?). This is where those of you having PD and bursitis in your shoulder(s) AND who are taking Mirapex need to speak up so we'll have something to compare my experience to. Any thoughts on this from ya would be welcome... Barb Mallut [log in to unmask]