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What do you mean by shallow breathing? Rapid shallow breaths? or a feeling that she can't get a full breath? The pulmonary tests should tell you and the doctors whether she is actually having oxygenation problems or whether it is a perception by her that is not accompanied by a lowered blood oxygenation. The medications and non medical treatments that she has responded to are consistent with a panic disorder or other type of anxiety disorder but that doesn't explain the observation that it seems to follow the "Sinemet cycle" unless that is because the problem occurs at those times independent of the Sinemet. All I can do is speculate. It is a puzzle. Charlie Susan Jackewicz wrote: > My mother, Emily (74/5) has experienced shallow breathing for the last 2 > years. It's been fairly consistant through changes in meds (trials of > Mirapex, Permax, Tasmar, and now Requip). We're having pulmonary tests done > to eliminate lung disease, and have had various heart testing done (she has > occasional arrythmia). Her new neuro thinks this shallow breathing is due to > panic disorder; in the past year and a half we've tried Xanax (bad > experience), Klonopin (still taking - helps), Zoloft (moderate success) and > now Paxil (too soon to tell). For "panic", we've also enlisted > non-pharmaceutical therapies - reflexology (very effective), aromatherapy > (helps), biofeedback (moderate success), and music (new age environmental with > birds and oceans). The latter seems to help counter her internal tremors. The > breathing episodes were the worst about a year ago just after coming off > Tasmar. We started Zoloft then, which seemed to lessen the severity of the > shallow breathing. > > The panic theory doesn't make total sense to me, tho, as the shallow breathing > episodes come like clockwork, depending upon her Sinemet cycle. They usually > start 15-30 minutes after her first Sinemet of the day, and can last for 1-3 > hours, followed by 1-3 hours of "on" time. (She takes 25/100CR at > 7/11:30/4:30, plus 1/2 25/100 regular Sinemet upon waking, and is up to 1.5mg > Paxil 3x/day.) Her new neuro cut the Sinemet in half - from 3 50/200's - > citing Mom's dyskinesia as an indication of Sinemet toxicity. Now there's less > dyskinesia, but more time when she's unable to move - and she still has the > shallow breathing. > > The theory Helen just mentioned - that levadopa without the proper amount of > carbidopa can cause shortness of breath - is very curious as I think Mom's > breathing problems began when we A) started her on Sinemet CR and B) started > layering in the agonists. Could any of the chemical experts in our midst comment? > > Thanks to the list for being. > > Susan Jackewicz > CG for Emily (74/5) > Sarasota, FL -- ****************************************************************************************** Charles T. Meyer, M.D. Middleton (Madison), Wisconsin [log in to unmask] ******************************************************************************************