[reverett123]

A few weeks ago I noted that the removal of a large wooded area around my home was going to disrupt my life for a while. The "beavers" have finally finished and left three days ago. Weather patterns kept them here for five weeks and nearly destroyed me. But not my wife who would normally be the one who suffered due to the continuous noise.

She stood it well. I. on the other hand, found that by the end of the third day I was helpless. The weather was such that three days was about all they could continuously work, so I had an up and down existence. But by the later phase I was evacuating by day 3. Things were so severe that toward the end I was experiencing what I assume was the start of a panic attack when I thought that I would not be able to get clear before they began their day. In short, the effect on me was far more than I would ever have expected.

One particular machine was by far the worst. It was a modified bulldozer and had a deep and primal sound that penetrated deeply.

Now that it is over, I am noticing some changes in me. In particular, my sensitivities to meds has increased and I seem to require less. How much I don't know yet.

But at breakfast this morning, a friend raised an extremely interesting question that I would like opinions on.

Is it possible that crystalline residues clogging my synapses were shattered by the powerful frequencies in a manner similar to that used for kidney stones?

Could it be that as the years of medication cross that synapse that such residues build up and thus lead to those all-too-familiar problems?

Anyone?

[mrsD]

I think stress raises cortisol, and that may change your biochemistry some. You might revert back with time.

[reverett123]

Originally Posted by mrsD

I think stress raises cortisol, and that may change your biochemistry some. You might revert back with time.

That first sentence has to be one of the great understatements of the year thus far. There were times that I could have floated a rubber duck in the stuff.

But that's not what I mean. Had I known how hard it would be, I would have predicted that I would be worn out and would need higher dosing at this stage. Instead, the former doses trigger dyskinesias so I break them in half and seem to do well thus far.

No process is 100% efficient, so there has to be some accumulation of brain sludge. What happens to it?

[mrsD]

Stress makes everything work better for a very short time.

We can lift cars off our injured kids.... etc etc. But it doesn't last.

The stress could just jump start some neurotransmitter synthesis, and when removed, you go back to the resting state.

[Ronhutton]

Hi Rick,
I don't think my chemical knowledge is going to help me on this one. I really could not say with any certainty that these vibrations have broken up "crystalline residues clogging my synapses".
I can say I have carried out chemical reactions by subjecting reactants to ultrasonic vibrations. My wife has a small vibration unit for cleaning her jewellery. You place the jewellery in a container of cleaning fluid and subject it to intense vibration. The dirt is literally shaken off.
I once visited the laboratory of a company making transisters, who were cleaning the silicon discs by ultrasound. I can't remember the frequencies of the ultrasound machines, but I would guess the deep and primal sound of the bulldozer would be a fairly low frequency.
I would not expect the noise outside you house to penetrate your brain with sufficient power to do what you suggest, but really I have nothing to to prove one way or the other.
Sorry I can't be much more help.
Ron

[reverett123]

Thanks Ron. After thinking about it some more, I think that the type of residues that I was imagining would show up on autopsy. But it was a dandy idea! Now I just have to figure out why my meds are more effective....

Originally Posted by Ronhutton

Hi Rick,
I don't think my chemical knowledge is going to help me on this one. I really could not say with any certainty that these vibrations have broken up "crystalline residues clogging my synapses".
I can say I have carried out chemical reactions by subjecting reactants to ultrasonic vibrations. My wife has a small vibration unit for cleaning her jewellery. You place the jewellery in a container of cleaning fluid and subject it to intense vibration. The dirt is literally shaken off.
I once visited the laboratory of a company making transisters, who were cleaning the silicon discs by ultrasound. I can't remember the frequencies of the ultrasound machines, but I would guess the deep and primal sound of the bulldozer would be a fairly low frequency.
I would not expect the noise outside you house to penetrate your brain with sufficient power to do what you suggest, but really I have nothing to to prove one way or the other.
Sorry I can't be much more help.
Ron

[Conductor71]

Originally Posted by mrsD

Stress makes everything work better for a very short time.

We can lift cars off our injured kids.... etc etc. But it doesn't last.

The stress could just jump start some neurotransmitter synthesis, and when removed, you go back to the resting state.

This is an interesting observation as all we ever hear is that stress exacerbates our symptoms. I have a weird experience happening at night that supports a cortisol benefit at least in helping meds work.

It's as if the need to switch "on" in the morning and flow all day with no off periods is helped by the pressure to be asymptomatic for work. Now, over the last month or so, my meds wear off after dinner and clean up. I sit on the sofa to knit or recline to read and my body goes in lock down mode as I mentally unwind and relax. Meds do not touch what goes on. What is scary is I tend to get one particularly demanding guest; first it was a dystonic foot and lower leg, now it is start hesitation- all in my right or primarily affected side.

My meds have not changed other than I now take an XL formulation of Requip. It is supposed to last 24 hours but starts its washout at more like 12 hours, so I am wondering if my lock down state is a combo of the agonist metabolizing and a state of relaxation. I know it seems to be triggered by my mental state and activity level- if I continue in my productive work mode, I avoid this experience. However, the minute I give my body "permission" to relax, the lock down begins. Extra levodopa does nothing; it's as if my BBB closes completely- the only way out is to take a 1/2 benadryl and to get up and move!

Does anyone else experience this? I know that my doctor will say "disease progression" and suggest DBS again. This so oversimplifies and understates what is really going on with us; I don't even bother informing my doctor of these things because he likely has no clue but won't admit it. It also seems there are good and bad stressors at play- in the morning, my need to switch on to avoid being late for work may result in a stress that interferes with meds; while the pressure to be "on" all day seems to help meds to flow and keep me in a fluid "on" state, while at night the absence of any stress is not at all a good thing.

I wonder then if it is a combo of progression, the cortisol connection, and the agonist wearing off? Any other ideas?

Laura

[RLSmi]

I'm afraid my chemistry background is of no help in your sitution, Rick. I agree that cortisol stimulated by stress would, if anything, make one less sensitive to meds rather than more so.

Laura, I can identify with your experience regarding morning pressure to "move it" since I continued to work another five years after diagnosis. However, the main thing I remember about any difference in the PM was just an increased feeling of fatigue.
I'm fascinated by your finding that benadryl helps with the evening breakthrough symptoms. What would be the basis for that? Has anyone else experienced that result?

Robert

[reverett123]

Originally Posted by RLSmi

I'm afraid my chemistry background is of no help in your sitution, Rick. I agree that cortisol stimulated by stress would, if anything, make one less sensitive to meds rather than more so.

Laura, I can identify with your experience regarding morning pressure to "move it" since I continued to work another five years after diagnosis. However, the main thing I remember about any difference in the PM was just an increased feeling of fatigue.
I'm fascinated by your finding that benadryl helps with the evening breakthrough symptoms. What would be the basis for that? Has anyone else experienced that result?

Robert

Robert- In the years just before levodopa, antihistamines were widely used in treating PD. Some say that Benadryl is an anticholenergic. That may be, but histamine is neuroactive itself as well.

And Laura- I am reading an interesting book by Robert Sapolsky called "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers" that delves into the stress response and contrasts that of humans with that of animals. The old acute vs chronic thing.

When we are stressed our adrenals pump out cortisol, it is true, but also epinephrine and norepinephrine as well. One of the effects of all three is to put us on alert, so the idea of your body deciding to go off-duty sounds reasonable.

Each of these three have a different role and cortisol's is the most complex. PWP have high baseline levels which cannot be coincidence. One of its roles is as a natural steroid to fight inflammation - kind of important if neuroinflammation is a concern. But on one level all your body knows is that there is a lot of it around and a chronic presence leads to damage. But without it the inflammation would run away with us.

[RLSmi]

Originally Posted by reverett123

Robert- In the years just before levodopa, antihistamines were widely used in treating PD. Some say that Benadryl is an anticholenergic. That may be, but histamine is neuroactive itself as well.

Duh! There was a thread about two weeks ago in which Laura talked about getting dystonia relief with benadryl.
My memory is slipping!