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Donna A. Bassolino wrote: > > Funny some asked about this drug - cause in yesterdays local paper > the "dear doctor" column had a question about it. > > It seems the woman taking it was nervous/sleepless and developing tremors. > > I seem to recall that that series of anti-depressants (nortryptaline - "Pamelor") > are among those not recommended for PD patients becuase of some of the PD-like > side effects - which obviously a person with PD does not want. > Usually the SSRI series is better. Donna, I can't speak for others; however, I recently counseled a 75-year-old woman with PD who had been taking amytriptiline for two years, prescribed by her PCP. She had gradually developed anorexia with accompanying weight loss. Unplanned weight loss is a serious predictor of illness and death in older adults, thus my concern. I was able to contact her neurologist who halted the amytriptiline, and her appetite has since returned. She has also regained some weight. Geriatricians will frequently recommend that amytriptiline not be used with elderly people due to its various side effects. Best regards, Kathrynne -- Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD Editor-in-Chief, "Spotlight on Food--nutrition news for people 60-plus" http://www.fortnet.org/~fivstar and NUTRITION TOPICS copy-ready handouts http://www.dietetics.com/class/fivstar/ Tel: 970-493-6532 Fax: 970-493-6538