Re: Help! confusion re: l-dopa

[Guest guest]

Hi Joanne,

I know that Sinemet can cause confusion or hallucinations... could this be

what he has?

This site might help a bit though it's a bit dated (1994).

http://www.wpda.org/articles/basic_mng/education/medication.html

This is the drug insert that comes with Sinemet

http://www.antiaging-systems.com/apruses/sinemet.htm

Hugs,

Pam

Help! confusion re: l-dopa

> I need advice,

> My father has MSA that started with OPCA . He has been in a

> wheel chair for 9 months. He has trouble speaking and walking.

> A few months ago he started to have a tremor in his right arm he

> also has pain in his right shoulder. A doctor, in the center where

> he is living, prescribed l-dopa. He took it ( a small dose) and

> said that he did not fel well afterwards. The trembling diminished

> some but I think that his speech was more slurred and he

> seemed more tired. I had a lot more trouble understanding him

> which I found difficult and I'm sure he found it very frustrating. I

> could not make out much of what he was saying.

> After many weeks of requests his neurologist agreed to stop the

> l-dopa. I was relieved because I felt that it was prescribed

> without any consultation with his regular neurologist. I saw my

> father 5 days after he stopped taking the medecine and I was

> happy to see that he was more alert and I could understand his

> speech much more easily. I did notice that his arm shook more

> and that he drooled more. The caretakers at the center find that

> he is trembling much more and drooling more and they are

> wanting us to get him back on the l-dopa. I respect their

> opininon, since they are in daily contact with him. I suppose that I

> am scared to not be able to really talk to him again and that he

> will be very tired...and not be " himself " .

>

> Does l-dopa affect speech or is it my imagination? what about

> drooling? are there side-effects? Has anyone been in this

> situation? Your in-put could help with our decision.

>

> Thanks Joanne

>

>

> If you do not wish to belong to shydrager, you may

> unsubscribe by sending a blank email to

>

> shydrager-unsubscribe

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Joan,

Before stopping the Sinemet, you should check for infection as that could

easily be the problem. Any time a MSA patients gets worse suddenly, you must

suspect infection (blood, UTI, pneumonia or yeast).

Take care, Bill Werre

--------------------------------------------------

Pam Bower wrote:

> Hi Joanne,

>

> I know that Sinemet can cause confusion or hallucinations... could this be

> what he has?

> This site might help a bit though it's a bit dated (1994).

> http://www.wpda.org/articles/basic_mng/education/medication.html

>

> This is the drug insert that comes with Sinemet

> http://www.antiaging-systems.com/apruses/sinemet.htm

>

> Hugs,

> Pam

>

> Help! confusion re: l-dopa

>

> > I need advice,

> > My father has MSA that started with OPCA . He has been in a

> > wheel chair for 9 months. He has trouble speaking and walking.

> > A few months ago he started to have a tremor in his right arm he

> > also has pain in his right shoulder. A doctor, in the center where

> > he is living, prescribed l-dopa. He took it ( a small dose) and

> > said that he did not fel well afterwards. The trembling diminished

> > some but I think that his speech was more slurred and he

> > seemed more tired. I had a lot more trouble understanding him

> > which I found difficult and I'm sure he found it very frustrating. I

> > could not make out much of what he was saying.

> > After many weeks of requests his neurologist agreed to stop the

> > l-dopa. I was relieved because I felt that it was prescribed

> > without any consultation with his regular neurologist. I saw my

> > father 5 days after he stopped taking the medecine and I was

> > happy to see that he was more alert and I could understand his

> > speech much more easily. I did notice that his arm shook more

> > and that he drooled more. The caretakers at the center find that

> > he is trembling much more and drooling more and they are

> > wanting us to get him back on the l-dopa. I respect their

> > opininon, since they are in daily contact with him. I suppose that I

> > am scared to not be able to really talk to him again and that he

> > will be very tired...and not be " himself " .

> >

> > Does l-dopa affect speech or is it my imagination? what about

> > drooling? are there side-effects? Has anyone been in this

> > situation? Your in-put could help with our decision.

> >

> > Thanks Joanne

> >

> >

> > If you do not wish to belong to shydrager, you may

> > unsubscribe by sending a blank email to

> >

> > shydrager-unsubscribe

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

just saw dr at emory. gave me 6 wks of REQUIP let know what does. ty dr wilmot for all

[Guest guest]

Joanne,

It is interesting that yours is the first email that I open this morning. I say that because yesterday I was too ill to stay out of bed. While lying there all afternoon, I read half of Dr. Abe Lieberman's book, "Shaking up Parkinson Disease." the last chapter that I finished prior to sleeping was the chapter that contained information on pain and drooling.

Let's see if I can help answer your question by referring to what I read. Well, looks like it would be easier to quote.

"the muscles of the throat and esophagus are affected to varying degrees. The muscles become rigid and lose, in part, their ability to encircle, massage, and propel food down the esophagus and into the stomach. ....... saliva is mainly produced by the parotid glands.... Drooling in PD results from the inability to swallow saliva. This results from rigidity and reduced mobility of the muscles of the throat and esophagus..... Saliva production in PD was 36% less than controls (people w/o PD). "

"People with excessive daytime drooling usually....have obvious difficulty swallowing food. they usually... have difficulty speaking."

Treatment for Drooling

He has 4 approaches to helping stop drooling

1. "Chewing gum or sucking on hard candy helps drooling"

2. This one you already tried, "Sinemet plus Comtan" decreases rigidity.

3. "Anticholinergic drugs .... related to belladonna because it blocks the actions of acetyl-choline..." 2mg. Detrol is what he talks about in the book to decrease drooling. Anticholinergic drugs have a "drying" effect on the body.

4. "....Botox injections to the parotid gland in a dose of 25 - 50 mouse units of botulinum toxin."

Another suggestion that Dr. Lieberman had is keeping the head upright when eating or drinking by keeping his elbow's on the table and keeping his spine straight.

This book is excellent as is Dr. Lieberman's online "Ask the Doctor" site. I hope this helps.

Deborah aka Tenacity

I need advice,

My father has MSA that started with OPCA . He has been in a

wheel chair for 9 months. He has trouble speaking and walking.

A few months ago he started to have a tremor in his right arm he

also has pain in his right shoulder. A doctor, in the center where

he is living, prescribed l-dopa. He took it ( a small dose) and

said that he did not fel well afterwards. The trembling diminished

some but I think that his speech was more slurred and he

seemed more tired. I had a lot more trouble understanding him

which I found difficult and I'm sure he found it very frustrating. I

could not make out much of what he was saying.

After many weeks of requests his neurologist agreed to stop the

l-dopa. I was relieved because I felt that it was prescribed

without any consultation with his regular neurologist. I saw my

father 5 days after he stopped taking the medecine and I was

happy to see that he was more alert and I could understand his

speech much more easily. I did notice that his arm shook more

and that he drooled more. The caretakers at the center find that

he is trembling much more and drooling more and they are

wanting us to get him back on the l-dopa. I respect their

opininon, since they are in daily contact with him. I suppose that I

am scared to not be able to really talk to him again and that he

will be very tired...and not be "himself".

Does l-dopa affect speech or is it my imagination? what about

drooling? are there side-effects? Has anyone been in this

situation? Your in-put could help with our decision.

Thanks Joanne

If you do not wish to belong to shydrager, you may

unsubscribe by sending a blank email to

shydrager-unsubscribe

[Guest guest]

Joanne,

It is interesting that yours is the first email that I open this morning. I say that because yesterday I was too ill to stay out of bed. While lying there all afternoon, I read half of Dr. Abe Lieberman's book, "Shaking up Parkinson Disease." the last chapter that I finished prior to sleeping was the chapter that contained information on pain and drooling.

Let's see if I can help answer your question by referring to what I read. Well, looks like it would be easier to quote.

"the muscles of the throat and esophagus are affected to varying degrees. The muscles become rigid and lose, in part, their ability to encircle, massage, and propel food down the esophagus and into the stomach. ....... saliva is mainly produced by the parotid glands.... Drooling in PD results from the inability to swallow saliva. This results from rigidity and reduced mobility of the muscles of the throat and esophagus..... Saliva production in PD was 36% less than controls (people w/o PD). "

"People with excessive daytime drooling usually....have obvious difficulty swallowing food. they usually... have difficulty speaking."

Treatment for Drooling

He has 4 approaches to helping stop drooling

1. "Chewing gum or sucking on hard candy helps drooling"

2. This one you already tried, "Sinemet plus Comtan" decreases rigidity.

3. "Anticholinergic drugs .... related to belladonna because it blocks the actions of acetyl-choline..." 2mg. Detrol is what he talks about in the book to decrease drooling. Anticholinergic drugs have a "drying" effect on the body.

4. "....Botox injections to the parotid gland in a dose of 25 - 50 mouse units of botulinum toxin."

Another suggestion that Dr. Lieberman had is keeping the head upright when eating or drinking by keeping his elbow's on the table and keeping his spine straight.

This book is excellent as is Dr. Lieberman's online "Ask the Doctor" site. I hope this helps.

Deborah aka Tenacity

I need advice,

My father has MSA that started with OPCA . He has been in a

wheel chair for 9 months. He has trouble speaking and walking.

A few months ago he started to have a tremor in his right arm he

also has pain in his right shoulder. A doctor, in the center where

he is living, prescribed l-dopa. He took it ( a small dose) and

said that he did not fel well afterwards. The trembling diminished

some but I think that his speech was more slurred and he

seemed more tired. I had a lot more trouble understanding him

which I found difficult and I'm sure he found it very frustrating. I

could not make out much of what he was saying.

After many weeks of requests his neurologist agreed to stop the

l-dopa. I was relieved because I felt that it was prescribed

without any consultation with his regular neurologist. I saw my

father 5 days after he stopped taking the medecine and I was

happy to see that he was more alert and I could understand his

speech much more easily. I did notice that his arm shook more

and that he drooled more. The caretakers at the center find that

he is trembling much more and drooling more and they are

wanting us to get him back on the l-dopa. I respect their

opininon, since they are in daily contact with him. I suppose that I

am scared to not be able to really talk to him again and that he

will be very tired...and not be "himself".

Does l-dopa affect speech or is it my imagination? what about

drooling? are there side-effects? Has anyone been in this

situation? Your in-put could help with our decision.

Thanks Joanne

If you do not wish to belong to shydrager, you may

unsubscribe by sending a blank email to

shydrager-unsubscribe

[Guest guest]

I hope it works for you. I tried it also and it didn't do anything

for me. Good luck! Do you live near Atlanta?

> just saw dr at emory. gave me 6 wks of REQUIP let know what does.

ty dr

> wilmot for all

[Guest guest]

I hope it works for you. I tried it also and it didn't do anything

for me. Good luck! Do you live near Atlanta?

> just saw dr at emory. gave me 6 wks of REQUIP let know what does.

ty dr

> wilmot for all

[Guest guest]

I hope it works for you. I tried it also and it didn't do anything

for me. Good luck! Do you live near Atlanta?

> just saw dr at emory. gave me 6 wks of REQUIP let know what does.

ty dr

> wilmot for all

[Guest guest]

What is Requip?