[Jim091866]

I had DBS in Sept 2007, at the time I was told to expect battery life of 3-5 yrs. I made it to Aug 2010 and it had 30 percent! So in 2010 I had surgery to replace the generators. I do not have a resting tremor, my primary symptoms are rigidity, balance. I wonder if there are others who do not have a tremor as your primary symptom but have had DBS? Are you happy with the results? I am now being evaluated for a 2nd surgery to replace my DBS but this time I am going to a center for excellence. They have told me that the leads are marginally placed. I guess this would explain the need for increased settings to get a response and thus the decreased battery life. If tremor is not your primary problem, rigidity is, how much did your DBS relieve this and were you able to cut back your meds. I am on the same doseage I was taking prior to having my DBS it's just that now I don't get the dyskinesia at this level. Thanks. I expect that "the pump" will be out around years end so I dont know for sure that I want to go through another fishing expedition-they didn't find anything the first time, in fact I think the guy at the micro recorder was playing pac man!

[made it up]

Originally Posted by labrador

I had DBS in Sept 2007, at the time I was told to expect battery life of 3-5 yrs. I made it to Aug 2010 and it had 30 percent! So in 2010 I had surgery to replace the generators. I do not have a resting tremor, my primary symptoms are rigidity, balance. I wonder if there are others who do not have a tremor as your primary symptom but have had DBS? Are you happy with the results? I am now being evaluated for a 2nd surgery to replace my DBS but this time I am going to a center for excellence. They have told me that the leads are marginally placed. I guess this would explain the need for increased settings to get a response and thus the decreased battery life. If tremor is not your primary problem, rigidity is, how much did your DBS relieve this and were you able to cut back your meds. I am on the same doseage I was taking prior to having my DBS it's just that now I don't get the dyskinesia at this level. Thanks. I expect that "the pump" will be out around years end so I dont know for sure that I want to go through another fishing expedition-they didn't find anything the first time, in fact I think the guy at the micro recorder was playing pac man!

Hi Labrador,
I had bilateral DBS done 8 yrs ago.
One side worked beautifully but the other didn't and it was luckily addressed only a few months after the initial surgery with the electrode being repositioned with an excellent outcome.
For the first few yrs after the successful 2nd surgery I managed well without any anti parkinson meds and nowadays I take a lot less than what I was on before DBS.
Like you I have no tremor.
Akinesia, rigidity, dystonia were my primary symptoms.
Dyskinesia hasn't returned either even though I've resumed taking a bit of Sinemet, less than half of what I was on before DBS.
When I first started taking sinemet pre surgery days I very quickly was literally bouncing off the walls with dyskinesia which is better than being off but not a lot better!
I know it's easy for me to say but I think if you've come this far then perhaps give it another shot?
Greg, if you read this best of luck and good wishes for a speedy recovery.