I have so many things wrong with me I have a hard time telling what is from parkinsons and what is not. Here's my latest concern. I experience tremendous amounts of back pain and sometimes when you are in significant pain you shake alot. My legs are also very weak. I had back surgery a year ago and I am thinking they are weak because of lack of exercise. I swim and try to exercise but can't walk much due to pain.
Is the shaking in the legs and the weakness a sign of progressing parkinsons? Of course it is, don't know why I am asking, just want to hear someone's thoughts on this. I see my neurologist soon and will ask him also. But it is getting so that between pain, weakness and shaking, I have only a small window in day to get out. I am so sad about this, I used to be such an active person.

libra-
Read the thread entitled "I think I may have figured something out". It may explain the weak legs, at least.
-Rick

Rick, I have read part of it but have to leave to run an errand and when I come back will read more. My husband is a med tech and he wants to check potassium level in my blood. You are such a wonderful researcher - I appreciate how much you do to help people.

I am going to get skullcap too and see if that helps me. I have read it is very sedative so to take it at night. That hopefully will help with my insomnia.

Bye for now, boy, I hope potassium helps. That would be a wonderful thing.

libra-

1- Potassium levels are tricky and can be dangerous. This is especially true because the signs of too much are similar to too little. If it were me, I would get some salt sustitute and I would try a single quarter-teaspoon dose. If that produced no effect, I would wait a couple of days to let it clear and try it again. If it helped I would get with my doc and start some serious monitoring,

2- I know the scull cap is considered sedative, but it stimulates me, so try it at different times.

-rick

hi libra,

my legs are giving me pain and have for years. it's either an ache but a solid one, or sharp pain , sciatica, poor circulation. The worst thing tho, and you are right, in addition to everything else, this symptom is very disabling causing me to need to wrap the lower legs with acebandages to feel stabilized and strong enough to walk around.

So the rest is a long story but the bottom line is nortriptyline [pamelor], takes that weakness away - at least my type - by helping to balance and keep acetylcholine levels low which is where they should be. other possibilities may be cogentin and artane. These are older drugs but nothing works better.

Did you mention that getting back 'on" meds makes it go away? mine responds to medicine....

but you can't take nortriptylline with azilect. Have to titrate off of it first. i take it now, am increasing it and just started stalevo, along with the physical therapy, which made me realizeif a pwp doesn't have a recumbent bike, he's probably not getting enough exercise. I feel better already after just a week of PT - referred after back spasms that could be compared to labor pains.

i purchased a recumbent bicycle...should have years and years ago. must have back support. i think i'm back on an upswing- physically,

[mentally is the new frontier.....yikes everybody's talking bout me....can't hear a word they're sayin...only in the echos of my mind. .]paranoia is in all of these illnesses and would naturally and understandably be right behind anxiety, worry, panic, and the other shoe dropping; we know that **** happens to anyone, not just the other guy.

So I can tell just how bad of shape i'm in by my breathing and heart rate. i used to walk nine miles a week, take aerobics or do Jane Fonda tapes, and use my own personal exercise machines faithfully/ i kept the evil pd entity at bay for quite awhile. there are those who have had it 30 years or more, still living in their 80s. we had better do as they say and move my scrawny legs, the right one is thinner than the left.

get assigned the appropriate exercises and see if your pain goes away. of course one must do them multiple times of day. so park it right in front of the tv and many have ipod ports. comfort ! this is the U.S. A.

sorry i feel calm tonight, but wrote a book anyway.

thinking about areas where i could possibly regain some lost ground.

only intense cultural or environmental redirection could polish and shine my social skills. i've reached my peak in social maturity level because i can see an attitude or agenda spin even when there isn't any yet....oops wrong topic; wandered into paranoia - myth or hallucination? another time.

libra, you sound like you have physical therapy qualifications - easily. Can you get there? i chose one with water exerciser. this is medicare, with supplemental insurance through the florida teacher retirement. they are extending some caps i hear, but PD is on the rare disease list or the PT equivalent of a special code or category and i get longer time. she said i should be good for the whole month of march! wow ...all costs recently raised all around? that is worth a google search to answer.

i'm having a great day on stalevo; going to husband's film ministry and large gathering on the beach Easter weekend. I actually think I may have the energy to go. Every pwp should get physical therapy and use up what is allotted to you.....you are one of the people who most needs it.

there are choices libra do you have health insurance? medicare? i can't say enough about PTand we also need a large equipment exchange. this should be in every state. If we all had hot tubs, recumbent bikes and treadmill, with a tv and cable [ this is america for heavens sake....we would all be John Ball!

good luck libra, just felt like socializing ....i do remember how to sometimes. having one of those weeks where i'm never gonna figure out what day of the week it is. seems like saturday nght to me.

best,

dear paula,
DMSO is wonderful -I use it for sciatic nerve injury - falling and hurting myself,
but some folks are fearful of DMSO but theyll take chemo, however?

I would tell you -it can heal you, it has healed so many injuries,
on me - from sprained ankles, wrists, headaches, numb sensation around mouth, horrid swollen knee -(with water on the knee) needed no operation...
when the muscles get too tight in my neck, I use DMSO.
levodopa causes the extreme pain because it uses potassium like a sponge
99mgs daily is what I use of potassium, magnesium is needed as well for cramps in legs, homeopathic remedy which I use is hylands mag phos 8X,
if you wish to try it - I suggest not selling you on this - dont work for dmso
company - use the cream, the gel is okay but not as soothing as the cream
with rose oil and aloe...
love,
tena

CTenaLouise, what is dmso?

Paula, I too have the sciatica pain, horrible thing. I had a 3 level fusion on Feb of last year. The fusion was on L4, L5 and S1. It is solid, but now there is ruptured disk on L3 that is pinching nerve. I have had PT, tons of it. I am a lap swimmer so do the water stuff. However, my swimming is getting harder and harder. I do have a recumbant bike which I am starting to use more frequently. The only thing I haven't tried is acupuncture. I heard that might help with pain.

I used to take Pamelor for depression, didn't realize it helped leg weakness. I see my neuro on Mar 29, need to make a list of items to discuss and I will add leg weakness.

Paula, you sound like you were very active physically and still are but in different ways. It is hard for me to compare what I once was to what I am evolving into and need to stop doing that!!

I think one reason I was so shakey yesterday morning when I started this thread was because I forgot to take my evening meds the night before, good grief!! But thanks to Rick, I am going to have my potassium levels checked. I put a list of potassium rich foods on refrigerator door.

Tena, i don't know what DMSO is either....sorry. Can you provide a link or just tell us what it is?

and thanks,
paula