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     Hi All,

     This is a message to introduce myself to the group.  I have been a
     member of the Caregiver's list for about a month and have heard
this
     is a great forum for information on PD.

     I am 31 years old, and am a CG for my mom who is 63 and was
diagnosed
     almost 20 years ago with PD.  She has been very independent for
most
     of those years, but with increasing amounts of Sinemet.  A few
months
     ago she had a crisis with overmedication with Sinemet causing
     delusions.  She was hospitalized for a few weeks and now she lives
     with me and my husband for the next few months until we get her
     stabilized with the introduction of Mirapex.

     For years she has had very bad end-of-dose problems (leg pain) on
the
     Sinemet, which we are trying to fix.  So far, we have not been able
to
     reduce the Sinemet, and the leg pain continues.  It breaks my heart
to
     see her in so much pain; but I am terrified to just give her more
     Sinemet. I know it will make her feel better, but she will just
need
     more and more to combat the pain as the days and weeks pass--as it
has
     in the past.  And now I know some of the awful side effects it can
     have on a person.

     I am glad to have her with me for the time being.  I think she has
     been alone too long, and it calms her to be able to talk to me
about
     her symptoms each day, etc.  It also makes me feel more involved,
and
     I enjoy being with her.  In the past I had to stand back and let
her
     fall apart every few months (terrible feeling);  then step in to
pick
     up the pieces (so to speak) and try to get her back to status quo.
I
     am trying to take this opportunity to make life better for her--not

     just status quo again.

     Well, enough for now.  If anyone has information on end-of-dose
     symptoms, I would love to hear from you.

     Thanks!
     Nicole