 |
 |
Dear Ron, I do appreciate your thoughtful reply. No, I don't think Iain's falling is due to loss of balance coming at the end of his "on" times. The loss of balance always comes when he is most "on". Even 1/2 a tablet causes severe diskensias and it is when he is in this state that he will fall. I agree that he is undermedicated but have been forced into this because of the falling. Like I said, he NEVER falls when he is off. We did try to add another half a tablet last week but he fell against the piano and dislocated a finger. We cut the extra dose out. He is so uncomfortable when "on" that he himself prefers to be undermedicated. He can't do very much, that is true, but he can function in the house more or less. He can't do very much when "on" either and the falling is dangerous. The proverbial rock and a hard place. The falling has been a problem for years and it is only recently that I wondered if the medication, not the parkinson's, is the problem. That is why I wondered if anyone else had experienced this phenomenon. Thanks again for your reply. Isn't this disease a puzzle? Barb Bates Date sent: Mon, 25 May 1998 13:13:40 +0000 Send reply to: "Parkinson's Information Exchange" <[log in to unmask]> From: "Ronald F. Vetter" <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: falling To: Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN <[log in to unmask]> >My husband (aged 57, PD 14 years) takes only sinemet and >eldepryl. He takes 3 100/25 tablets each day, broken in half, >each dose taken 2 hours apart. > >He has always had a difficult time smoothing out his dosage >levels. He will peak about 1 hour after taking a dose, be "on" >for maybe 25 minutes, then be off again. Barbara, is it perhaps that the falling is due to loss of balance nearing termination of the "on" period? If engaged in activity that he can do while on, the slowness of balance messages might not be noticed before it is too late. 300 mg is not very much levodopa. I have also 14 years of medication taking and use 3 25/250 tablets as 6 halves taken 2.5 to 3 hours apart plus 4 0.25 mg Mirapex spread through the day alternating with 1st, 3rd, and 5th half, and the 4th just before retiring. I am about to go to 7 10/100 tablets which will be a little less but be a bit more frequent. If that is not OK I may increase the Mirapex since I am under the recommended dosage of that. Six halves at 2-hour intervals leaves 12 hours un-medicated. Is this the case? I suggest 8 halves to cover 16 hours leaving 8 to sleep - might give a continuous "on" if most pills are followed (30 minutes later) by a small snack of low protein content and small amount of food. Ronald Vetter 1936, dz PD 1984, carbidopa/levodopa, Mirapex, selegiline [log in to unmask] Ridgecrest, California http://www.ridgecrest.ca.us/~rfvetter