Isis-
"Circus" is an appropriate term. Every drug added increases the potential for problems. The only defense is meticulous record keeping and that becomes very difficult.
Is DXM out of the picture now? Is there a reason other than V's resistance?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Isis
This post is not meant to be about me - but I must express this out loud.
I AM EXHAUSTED.
As I've written before, the medication circus has been on a merry-go-round over the past few months. Before that he had been on Artane and Sinemet.
Two months after Ropinerole was started to help with his stiffness last September (2009), Friend (V from now on) started to get dystonia on his left toes. Toes would curl upwards and a little to the left.
That it was uncomfortable need not be said on this forum.
He went to see a MD Specialist for that who rx-ed Entacapone 100-mg on 15th December. There was a significant increase in the Tremor, but the doctor raised it to 200-mg on the 22nd. The tremor became so bad that he had to come off it after the second dose on the very next day. The severity of the tremor improved dramatically.
He was away for a few days after that. On the 31st of December I started him on DXM. The following week was the best I have seen him in a long time. He slept well. The tremor and the stiffness improved. The dyskinesia was not at all visible. His face had more life. I personally thought he also had more colour on his face. At any rate he looked a lot better. A doctor friend of him who watches over him as hawk like as I do told him the same.
Then on the 9th of January, he was prescribed Amantadine 100 which made no difference. On the 16th another 100 was added and since he felt there was no benefit, he came off the on the 30th of January. An aside here - I personally felt that the Amantadine negated the effects of the DXM, I felt he again went back to the pre - DXM days although he was still having it.
On the 6th of February he has been starten on Azilect .5.
Dyskinesia is BAD.
He now wants to get rid of every other drug but Sinemet, Artane and Inderal - both of which help with his tremor. Towards that end he has dropped I -mg of Ropinerole. (He has been on the Rop./Sinemet combination before and not the Azi/SNM, so I suppose that may make some sense.)
He says he is feeling stiffer. In another week the tapering off of the Ropinerole will be done.
The dyskinesia is of course no better. We will have to wait untill it is Azilect's turn to be tapered off to see what happens I suppose.
And then there will be Artane, Inderal, and Sinemet.
???????????
|