there were various discussion on the Sinemet/CR topic - many of which i must
continue to read and absorb - joe, you and KF are too smart for me! i have
to "study" your messages so i can then explain them to mom and dad!
we know that stress affects us all - including and sometimes especially PwP.
when i arrived in San Antonio (read #1 message if you missed it) - i had
never seen daddy so "off" of his usual patterns, both mentally and physically.
he was "jerking" more than usual and more confused than usual -
at first i had a time deciphering whether it was dyskinesia or the "symptoms
of PD" that i was observing -
after several days i decided that stress was just plain throwing him off and
that his med/sched - which worked at home - just wasn't working here - (see
sched below)
7A -----½ Sinemet 25-100
---------½ CR 50-200
---------1 Permax
---------1 Tasmar
---------1 Aspirin ( = baby aspirin)
---------1 Vitamin
---------1 Florinef (for low blood pressure)
10A----¼ Sinemet 25-100
---------¼ CR 50-200
1P-----1 Tasmar
---------1 Permax
---------1 Zoloft
3P-----¼ CR 50-200
---------¼ Sinemet 25-100
---------1 Permax
6P-----¼ CR 50-200
---------¼ Sinemet 25-100
---------1 Ditropan (and "hooked up" to catheter)
---------1 Florinef
because this schedule normally maximizes his "ON" times and keeps him moving
relatively smoothly without periods of shaking (which i've never seen him do
b4 this visit) we use it -
it took some time to get the ratio right between the Sinemet and Tasmar
(which he has been using successfully for one year now - blood tests showing
all results okay)
as we know - too much sinemet and you're dyskinetic - too little and you
don't move!
anyway - i dropped the 10A 1/4 Sinemet and it seemed to help with the
jerking, but his functional time was minimized -
now that he's back home - he'll return to his routine schedule and observe
behavior to see what happens -
Qs:
1. does his particular schedule make sense - generally speaking?
2. how SPECIFICALLY can you distinguish dyskinesia from PD's symptoms of
jerkiness?
3. if you know ahead of tiime that you will be in a situation that causes
you stress, (like his visit OR going to the airport) CAN you take a whole or
1/2 Xanax or something like that? he has in the past (via his doctor), but
we were still tweaking his meds and i don't recall the outcome -
4. since he takes so many 1/4 sinemets - and they are never split precisely
- would he be a good candidate for liquid sinemet?
5. do any of you have any tips for getting going faster in the morning?
daddy still isn't up and moving easily 'til between 9:30 and 10a - even after
the two morning doses @ 7a and 10a -
once his doctor recommended taking 1 or 1/2 of a sinemet CR - and i think the
placebo affect worked - it doesn't make sense that a CR @ Btime would last
til the morning. . .
Answers anyone!
cari [log in to unmask]
daughter of joAnn (CG) and dempsey (70yr old, 16+) - Tyler, TX
me - 44, married in Los Angeles, CA w/ kind husband - brad!
