Hi John,
Both of these responses come from the Parkinson Disease Foundation - Ask an Expert.

Question 4098 - The Expert's Answer

Q: (09/22/02) I perform morning care for a 75 yr. old gentlemen with Parkinson's. He has recently developed serious night sweats that cannot be attributed to anything. The doctor suggested that it was probably a function of the Parkinson's and/or the meds for same. Is there any literature on night sweats as it relates to Parkinson's?? Thanks. (T. H.).

A: Frequently, people with PD have symptoms indicative of dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. It is this system that deals with the "routine" function of the body such as sweating, maintenance of blood pressure and pulse rate, urination and the smooth functioning of the GI tract.
Excessive or abnormal sweating can be an embarrassing feature of automonic failure. Sweating of different body parts or excessive sweating at inappropriate times (such as during a northern winter) can be a side effect of using too much levodopa or bromocriptine. By decreasing the dosages of these medications, or by increasing the amount of carbidopa in proportion to levodopa, the sweating can often be partially or completely relieved. In some patients severe, drenching sweats occur when their medication is least effective. These sweating reactions probably reflect autonomic dysfunction involving temperature control They may improve when the antiparkinson medications take effect. In severe cases, the addition of a medication such as propranolol (Inderal) may be helpful (note: propranolol can lower blood pressure and therefore may not be indicated for a patient who also experiences hypotensive problems.)


Question 13737 - The Expert's Answer

Q: (12/25/04) I have had Parkinson's for five years, and about six months ago I began to experience vivid dreams. This has progressed to a nightly affair so much so that I don't want to go to bed. Could my medication or the disease be causing this? (E. B.).

A: Vivid dreams are a typical side effect of excessive levels of dopaminergic stimulation (as produced by most medications for PD) in the brain. An adjustment in the evening or nighttime dose of antiparkinson medications can lessen or eliminate this concern. When the evening dose produces a noticeable motor benefit (e.g., preventing the discomfort of rigidity or tremor during the night, which can make sleep less restful, or even wake the person up in the middle of the night), it may not be desirable to reduce the nighttime dose. In this case, another option is to take a medication to prevent the nightmares. Medications such as quetiapine and clozapine can be very effective in this regard.


Hope this helps,

GregD