[lurkingforacure]

A drug once used to treat hayfever "significantly improves" symptoms in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, research suggests.

Dimebon was once licensed in Russia as an antihistamine but was taken off the market when better drugs came along.

Now US researchers have found it can improve memory, behaviour and ability to conduct simple activities like eating in patients with dementia.

Here's the link to read the rest:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7511949.stm

[aquario]

maybe just coincidental, but recently i started taking the antihistamine loratidine (claritan) for allergies. since then my tremor has diminished considerably. not yet sure what to make of it (but glad for now that all is quieter on shaking front). anyone else have that as a consequence?

[lurkingforacure]

We found the same effect with benedryl, and what I have read indicates it magnifies the effects of the Rx drugs we were taking at the time, namely, mirapex and azilect (which we didn't realize you are not supposed to take with benedryl...oops....but the effect sure was nice while it lasted!).

[aquario]

I'm not currently taking any pd medications (other than sizeable amounts of CoQ10). Tried azilect for 6 weeks last winter and ended up with many small but annoying headaches and also flashing lights perceived only at night on the right periphery of my visual field. Stopped the azilect. The headaches ceased, the light flashes have continued. So if the antihistamine is potentiating something, it's not traditional pd meds (pedmeds?).

[Ibken]

Originally Posted by aquario

I'm not currently taking any pd medications (other than sizeable amounts of CoQ10). Tried azilect for 6 weeks last winter and ended up with many small but annoying headaches and also flashing lights perceived only at night on the right periphery of my visual field. Stopped the azilect. The headaches ceased, the light flashes have continued. So if the antihistamine is potentiating something, it's not traditional pd meds (pedmeds?).

i had the same side effects this winter from amantadine. eventually the light flashes quit. sometimes there is a small black 'floater' but less often. that drug was wicked for me. only took it for 2-3 weeks but it took several months to "recover' from it.

[aquario]

Originally Posted by Ibken

i had the same side effects this winter from amantadine. eventually the light flashes quit. sometimes there is a small black 'floater' but less often. that drug was wicked for me. only took it for 2-3 weeks but it took several months to "recover' from it.

Thanks, that's reassuring to hear. Though the flashes are painless and merely a nuisance, they do indicate something wacked in the optical apparatus. I'd rather the flashes depart quietly so that I can concentrate on movement disorders.