Kitty,
Welcome to the group. I think that you will find this group supportive,
entertaining and informative. I must say that I shared much of that
initial turmoil and am doing fine now.
I was dx'ed about 2.5 years ago. I ended up with a neurologist who
discourages the use of sinemet and encourages his patients to stay off it
as long as possible.
Up until two weeks ago, Eldepryl was the only prescription medication for
Parkinson's which I was taking. Two weeks ago, I started on Ropinirole. I
question this decision because I think that I was doing "ok" on just the
Eldepryl alone (plus a variety of supplements). Every other medication I
have tried thus far (Permax and Sinemet) had side effects which were worse
than the disease itself. Permax was a real disaster.
You may want to consider some of the new guys such as Mirapex or Ropinirole
since they are rumored to have neuroprotective effects.
Ron Reiner (50/2.5)
At 06:03 PM 2/16/98 -0500, you wrote:
>Hi,
>
>I am a newcomer to your list. (Thank you, Barbara P. for the warm
>welcome.)
>
>I have a question I would like to ask, but first I'll introduce myself.
>
>My name is Katharine, but everyone calls me Kitty, and I would be
>pleased to have you do the same. I am sixty-nine years old, a fact
>which I usually don't tell, but which, in this context, it seems
>appropriate to be truthful about. I live with my wonderful husband,
>Bill, in a condominium apartment that is much too small for two
>creative, active people, but has such a glorious view of the Gulf of
>Mexico, we can't imagine living anywhere else.
>
>Twenty years ago I watched my father, whom I adored, die of Parkinson's
>Disease.
>
>In June of 1995 I was hospitalized with a severe triple pneumonia. The
>day after I returned home, I remember reaching over to my bedside table
>to get a sip of water, and I was so weak that my hand shook and I could
>barely lift the glass. Well, eventually I got my strength back, and was
>doing my usual two to three mile hike down the beach every day, but, you
>guessed it, the tremor was here to stay. Sometimes it would be
>marginally better, and sometimes worse, but apparently it was mine to
>keep.
>
>Finally, a year and a half later, in December of 1996, I went to a
>neurologist who confirmed my worst fear. It was the dreaded P.D. My
>first thought was suicide. I couldn't bear the thought of being
>incapacitated and dependent. I was really pretty crazy for a while. I
>couldn't believe that this had happened to me.
>
>But, somehow, with great support and encouragement from Bill, I have
>managed to change my tune. I realize that I am extremely fortunate
>because so far I am not really incapacitated at all. I still have the
>tremor and a sort of interior "jitter" in my right leg. But both of
>these I can easily live with, and my neurologist tells me that it is a
>very slow moving disease and I might not get substantially, or even any,
>worse in the near future. He put me on Eldepryl, two bright turquoise
>capsules per day.
>
>Which brings me, at last, to my question: Is there anyone out there who
>has taken Eldepryl, and only Eldepryl, for two years, or three years, or
>even longer, without a substantial worsening of symptoms or the need to
>go on to Sinemet?
>
>I would be very grateful to hear from such a person.
>
>Please forgive me for writing so much. I didn't know how to make it
>shorter. I feel very privileged to be a member of the list. I send
>you all my greetings and best wishes and look forward eagerly to hearing
>from some of you.
>
>Cheers, Kitty B.
>
>
