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Hi, I’m Kathy, caregiver for Jim. I’ve been reading the Parkinsn Listserve and the Care Giver’s List for sever months. I’ve learned lots about the disease to supplement what I had gotten from books and articles, but even more I’ve have been impressed by the people on the list. What a wonderful, varied group of people you are. I aam in awe of how those of you who have had Parkinson’s for many years keep going and have a wonderful outlook on life. It is wonderful to see how everyone reaches out to each other. A neurologist said that my husband might have Parkinson’s over 2 years ago. He started him on Sinemet(3 25/100 per day) in June of 1998 with an initial good response. Unfortunately he started getting worse in 3 or 4 months. The Sinemet was upped to 5 25/100 per day in Jan 1999, by a new neurologist, with no noticeable effect. After a 3 week trial of no Sinemet in June (actually my husband took some at night to sleep) the neurologist said he doesn’t have Parkinson’s but may have Parkinson’s Plus. Since Jim doesn’t want to have Parkinson’s he was delighted to hear this. He doesn’t understand the implications of PD+. The neurologist is not a Movement Disorders Specialists but was one that people at the support group seemed to have the most respect and there is none locally and I knew Jim wouldn’t go for going out-of-town if he didn’t have to. For the last 3 months Jim has only taken Sinemet to help him sleep. He takes up to 3 or 4 a day for this purpose. I not sure if this is all placebo(what the neuro. thinks) effect or if it enough effect to let his muscles enough so that he can get comfortable and fall asleep. The neuro. thinks that he should not have any effect from the Sinemet after a few hours but from all I have read in books and on this lists I think that at this stage he may be getting continuous relief of some kind. My question is what should I push for when he sees the neuro. again in early Oct.? Jim is content to just drift. His cognitive ability is getting bad and at times it is hard for him to think of what he wants to say, especially if it is an answer to a question. His internist has started him on ½ Zoloft/day which has had no effect as far as I can see. That may need to be to be increase but I liked the going slow. He had one very bad night, not knowing where he was or what he was doing when he took a whole Ambien instead of ½ of one. I would like to find out about the PD+. It is so hard watching him go down hill and doing nothing. He is just not realistic and thinks others see nothing wrong despite the fact that his brothers and children are very worried about him. His only complaint is his back. Kathy, CG for Jim 67/65/64 Santa Rosa, CA