Quote:
Originally Posted by paula_w
FROM: Daily Herald (Chicago)
The body motion he displayed in the ad is a result of dyskinesia,
involuntary movements that can be caused by Parkinson's medications,
Fox said.
"The reason we're all hoping for a cure is the efficacy of the drug
wears off after a time," he said. "Fifteen years ago, I could hide it.
"The drug is a masking agent. Then, it starts to wear off and doesn't
work as well or you get side effects from it, and then you have to
make decisions."
mpyke@dailyherald.com
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call me crazy, but to me, these are crucial words - the issue is not
just that we have this horrible incurable disease, and not
just that the drugs are inadequate, but that their side effects can actually compete with the disease for the title "most debilitating" - this drug actually does damage, and it is billed as an inevitability for all pwp.
maybe this is a flawed analogy because HIV is 1) an infectious disease and 2) a virus, i.e., there is one target and they know what it is, and maybe there are other differences that will make me red in the face when pointed out, but as far as i know, in less than 20 years, we are on the second generation of anti virals - and - please correct me if i am wrong, but i have the impression that a big part of the reason the first generation was considered not good enough was side effects.
they made a stink, they have something better now - still not perfect by a long shot, but i just don't see how clarity regarding the toxicity of current pd therapies could do anything but forward the cause of stem cell research - not to mention raising awareness of what PD is really about.
am i nuts? am i missing something?