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Hi,
We have been off list for some time, partially because Win fell and broke
her third sacral vertebra in February.
Her Parkinson's is progressing, but the 450 to 500 mg of levodopa, (4.5 to 5
100/25 levodopa/carbidopa)  plus 10 mg of selegiline that she takes daily
keeps that fairly well under control.  She has had to increase the levodopa
in the last few months.
She has suffered some nerve damage (from the fall), which affects her bowel
and bladder functions, and has pain, and some numbness in the whole "saddle"
area.  The specialist neurosurgeon who treated her in hospital after the
fall said that there is no treatment, or surgery, for the nerve damage, only
time for the nerves to heal, if they are going to.  MRI scans indicated that
the nerves were not severed, only bruised and compressed.
Win has to have enemas to assist bowel functioning, and has to catheterise
several times a day to drain the residual urine from her bladder. She is
being treated by a specialist urologist, who has prescribed two drugs to
assist the bladder to function.  These drugs are Bethanechol cl (to activate
the detrusor muscle) and Prazosin hcl (to relax the urethral sphincter).
While this helps her to void, she still retains more than is acceptable.
She controls constipation with diet, so that is not a factor in the bowels
problems.
I wonder if the any members of this group have had similar problems, or if
anyone knows of any treatment that helps regeneration of nerves.  There has
been some improvement, but it seems to reached a plateau at present.
We will be grateful for any suggestions.
Win & Lionel Modra,
Win - d. of b. 1930: diagnosed 1997/01
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