MIRAPEX a nonergot dopamine agonist, was the first drug prescribed.Side effects include: extreme drowsiness, falling asleep suddenly, even after feeling alert;hallucinations;fever, stiff muscles, confusion, sweating, fast or uneven heartbeats;nausea, sweating, feeling light-headed. I tolerated this drug for a week before I found my self taking more unplanned naps than a kindergartener on warm milk,nodding out mid sentence and hitting my head on my desk as I drifted off to sleep.This drug is quite effective for many patients and only a few people suffer the side effects that I encountered, After a month I chose lucidity over muscle control.
REQUIP an orally administered non-ergoline dopamine agonist. was my second drug. At this stage of my disease my symptoms were relatively light with a slight tremor in my fingers and RLS. No side effects occurred and the efficacy of the drug was excellent for my symptoms. I continued Requip for two years before the disease progressed. My symptoms elevated to left hand shaking, left leg jerking, general left side weakness and some rigidity on my left side.This drug also left me 40 pounds heavier due to compulsive eating and other compulsive behaviors.
AZILECT a monoamine oxidase (MAO) type B inhibitor was added to supplement the Requip. It works by increasing the amounts of certain natural substances in the brain. I experienced an almost immediate reduction of symptoms. As an added benefit Azilect has been proven to slow the progression of Parkinson;s as noted in Medical News Today. I have used Azilect for several tears and still use it with very little progression in symptoms. Some minor progression exhibits in decreased usability of my left hand due to lack of immediate muscular control ( I can control it but I have to think about it) and my left foot occasionally postures causing leg cramps. While this is not optimal, most sufferers, not on Azilect, have progressed to Stage two after five years and I am ten years in and still Stage one.
After six months on the Azilect, Requip cocktail; I became diaphoretic on multiple occasions, vomited after every meal and passed out. Yawning as many as fifty times in a row was common. These issues resulted in two ambulance rides to the ER where Doctors could never find anything wrong. I am sure my medical charts read Munchhausen’s. One day I missed my dose of Requip and felt better so I skipped it two days and felt fantastic. The yawning stopped and my blood pressure stabilized. A negative effect of stopping the Requip was the occasional leg jerking returned.My Neurologist took me off Requip and prescribed Amantadine in addition to Azilect.
AMANTADINE has pharmacological actions as both an anti-Parkinson and an antiviral drug. I tolerated both drugs well and my symptoms did not progress however the effects of Amantadine wore off before the next dose.My Neuro said other drug therapies were an option but advised that I continue to avoid LDopa and Dopamine drugs until all other avenues are exhausted. He told me these are last defense drugs that have limited efficacy and harsh side effects. Levodopa usually has a efficacy of five years.
In 2011 Bradykinesia was occurring with greater frequency so I went back on Mirapex in addition to the Azilect and Amantadine.This time I tolerated the Mirapex but in Summer of 2012 I started having freezing episodes more often, even with uping the Mirapex to 5 times a day. My Doctor added Sinemet to my list of drugs.
I started on Sinemet in 2011. Levodopa and carbidopa are used in combination to treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease or Parkinson-like symptoms (e.g., shakiness, stiffness, difficulty moving). . Levodopa changes into dopamine in the brain, helping to control movement.
Carbidopa prevents the breakdown of levodopa in the bloodstream so more levodopa can enter the brain. This can reduce some of levodopa’s side effects such as nausea and vomiting, and it may also allow your doctor to increase your levodopa dose more quickly to find the best dose for you. This combination may be used alone or with other drugs for Parkinson’s disease. I tolerated this drug well and even in the lowest dose it was very effective but after 6 months it wore off well before my next dose was due.
2012 on to Stalevo This is an antidyskinetic combination of dopamine-enhancing medicines. It works by increasing the amount of dopamine in the brain. By increasing the amount of dopamine in the brain, the chemicals of the brain become more balanced and the symptoms of this disease are lessened. This works well but my dose has increased every year as the dosages become less effective over time. In addition to the Stalevo, I continue to take Mirapex and Azilect. When Stalevo stops working I will opt for DBS.
I also take the vitamin store.Oral Coenzyme Q10 . Reports state supplementation causes a substantial increase in plasma levels of the enzyme when administered at escalating dosages, particularly in the brain (Beal, 1999 and Shults et al. 1998). As Parkinson’s disease is known as a progressive neurodegenerative disease, it has been shown in both human and animal studies that supplementation with CQ10, at dosages yet to be determined, can positively attenuate the disease process. Phase III trials are underway to determine the appropriate treatment dosage of CQ10 in order to be approved by the FDA
The results of one study (Shults et al. 2002) in respect to dosage and mean change in the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale score showed a P value of 0.09. The difference was not statistically significant under normal specifications however, the group reported the results to have met “prespecified criteria for a positive trend for the trial” following a secondary analysis. There were 80 subjects studied in this trial, meaning that the statistical power was limited due to low numbers. Much of the literature reviewed suggests a larger trial may be needed to make definite recommendations
Cannabis In March 2014, researchers from Tel-Aviv managed to show results for 22 patients suffering from Parkinson’s Disease, whose symptoms, both motor and non-motor, were relieved following the use of . The medical team registered important fluctuations in pain, sleep, and several motor symptoms, namely tremor, rigidity and bradykinesia. In addition to these results being the first study showing cannabis relieving motor and non-motor symptoms alike, no adverse effects were observed following the intake of cannabis. It is likely that these recent advances will trigger a new found enthusiasm from the medical community to pursue research in this direction. Being lucky enough to live in Colorado, I tried this option. It was effective but I stopped because I couldn't handle smoking it and dosing edibles was inconsistent.
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