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Dear Nancy, Is your mother eating well? Has she experienced any weight change in the past two or three years, either weight loss or gain? Although her conditions as you describe them can certainly be due to PD and/or an excess of levodopa, they are also descriptive of nutrient deficiency, particularly the B vitamins, zinc, and other minerals. If she eats a variety of foods most days, this is not likely to be her problem. But if her eating habits have changed, then a nutrient deficiency should be considered. Best regards, Kathrynne Nancy Fox wrote: > > 9/9/98 11:15 AM > > hi, everyone! i'm a new list subscriber, and thought i'd introduce myself to > the group. so far, i've enjoyed the mail, although i was shocked to come back > to work this past monday to find that i had almost 100 messages!! my office > mates think i'm very popular. > > anyway, my mother is 56/7?, a retired school teacher and a wonderful person. > She suffers more from the psychological/emotional components of the disease > than the physical (no tremors, etc.). she has extreme anxiety (describes it > as "trains running through her body") and is depressed as well. lately she > has not been sleeping well and wakes up in the middle of the night with > delusions/hallucinations. this has started during the day, too. my family > suspects that her sinemet dosage is too high. we have a first appt. with a > new psychiatrist today and hope that he will have some suggestions, possibly > taking her off the sinemet, which has never worked that well for her over a > long period of time. i've done some online research and have read that > sinemet does not work over the long-term very consistently, and often does > cause delusional behavior. Her symptoms have been exacerbated over the last > year. > > my aunt is investigating fetal cell transplants, esp. in europe (sweden?), > although my brother and i feel that this is not realistic as her increasing > dementia would prevent her from being a "good candidate." we are hoping > though, that this could be an option if her delusional behavior has been a > result of the sinemet and not directly from the pd. > > i would love any words of wisdom, advice, etc., especially from those of you > who can commisserate with me and my family re. the emotional aspects of > parkinsons. this has been truly traumatic for us all and it gets harder each > day to see her suffer as she does. > > thanks for any help you can offer. sorry if this letter is too long. i've > enjoyed reading the mail so far, especially from those of you with such > wonderful attitudes and outlooks on life! > > sincerely, > nancy fox, nyc > > Special > Announcement -- Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD "Nutrition you can live with!" Medical nutrition therapy http://www.nutritionucanlivewith.com/ Tel: 970-493-6532 // Fax: 970-493-6538