Peony,
On November 29th 2013 I found myself in an ambulance and then at the A & E
dept . My appendix had split and I was vomiting, dehydrated and semi coherent with falling blood pressure and rising temperature.
My local doctor had advised me the day prior that I had a simple
urine infection. He had supplied anti-biotics for this diagnosis.
The A & E doctor took one minute to examine me and opined that it was
appendicitis. The next day I had a general anaesthetic while the diseased organ was removed.
In the lead up to this, I had been unable to digest my Sinemet for two days owing to the severe vomiting. Ergo, I was shaking the Gurney and throwing my limbs in all directions with dyskinesia.
I advised the surgeon that I had Sinemet withdrawal symptoms and that was the cause of my high temperature.
He had not heard of Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome and it's tendency to raise body temperature. He said they needed to reduce my temperature before the operation. This was achieved overnight before the operation but I was too out of it to know how this was done.
I had a general anaesthetic, the appendix was neatly removed and I then spent a week on intravenous anti-biotics in the general ward.
After a week I was discharged and started back on the Sinemet 12.5/50.
It took me a month to get over the trauma of the op and to stabilise the PD symptoms.
I started back on the Sinemet with a low dose of 12.5/50 and graduated over
a month to taking the Sinemet Plus 25/100.
The general anaesthetic has caused no obvious ill effects, but the week in hospital was extremely uncomfortable owing to the withdrawal symptoms and the aggressive shaking.
It is said that older people are at risk of after effects following a G/A and it is thought to sometimes contribute to the onset of short term memory loss or
cognitive dysfunction.
I am 63 and d/x PD three years ago.
Arsene/London
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