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Mark, you wrote: >Has anyone had experience with a supervised drug holiday/reintroduction as a >treatment for med-induced psychosis and confusion? I'm still searching for a >solution, and I came across a mention of this in a book I was browsing at >Borders. They slowly withdraw all meds (including Sinemet) and carefully >reintroduce them. It takes about 4 weeks and can require some PT to get the >patient back on his/her feet. The patient can often get by with less >medication... > It is very difficult watching the onset of hallucinations and psychosis of PD. But it does frequently happen after a long term use of PD meds - some people are more prone than others it seems. It is possible to introduce a drug such as clozapine - or now a similar drug without as many side effects (blood problems) such as Olanzapine which can be used at the same time as the PD medications. Complete and substantial drug withdrawals certainly do stop the hallucinations and psychosis. However this comes at a real cost, as I have seen. This may make a person completely shut down - unable to speak, move, swallow. It may cause a very rapid and dangerous loss of weight which has dire consequences both in the short and long term. And yes you are right, extensive physio and OT may be necessary - at great cost. Far better to get a skillfull neurologist - well trained in the care of treating hallucinations, who should be able to "bring someone down" without having to completely take a pwp off all PD meds. In my experience, there are not many neurologists who are good at this - you may have to ask around. Another problem (at least here where I live) is that psychiatrists and neurologists don't talk to one another so one gets a very one-sided sort of care - especially at first when the psychiatrist is very likely to want to take the PWP off all PD meds immediately - you have to watch out for this. If you would like to talk to me "off list" I will go into more detail, but for now, I hope I have shown how dangerous drug withdrawals can be. Sincerely Joy Graham