Hi to all...my pwp's neurologist has added Cogentin to her regimen of PD meds. She is always a bit leery about taking any new med, and she asked me to ask if any of you have had any experience with this particular medication. It has been added to try to alleviate her tremor to the extent that it does not interfere with her work. Doreen is a medical assistant to an ENT cancer specialist and until very recently, has been able to function in that capacity without the tremor intefering. It is particularly difficult, now, when she's assisting her doctor...holding instruments that are needed for specific procedures, etc. Supposedly, Cogentin is specifically geared to treating tremor. If any of you have had any experience with this medication, I (and Doreen, too) would appreciate your input. She has not as yet taken the medication, but plans to start tomorrow...thus this post to you today.

Thank you so much for any help you can give us.

Therese

I took cogentin for awhile after being diagnosed several years. It was wonderfully relaxing on the rigidity (i didn't have a tremor) but unfortunately it made me a little psychotic.......I felt like there was a wall between me and the real world. Had to quit for that reason.

It is one of the oldest medicines i think, but still effective for some symptoms. It seemed pretty powerful.

paula

Thank you, Paula, for your response to my question about Cogentin. Apparently, it was not a good medication for you. I was especially skeptical when I read that there was a psychotic side effect for you. Of course, as we all know...what "works" well for one may not "work" at all well for another and vice versa. I think it is as you said...an older medication...but, sometimes these "work" as well if not better than some of the newer, less-tested medications. I think this is true of many medications...not just those related to PD. How often I've read about Benadryl, too...certainly an older medication and, in fact, used intially to treat PD before levadopa was marketed. It has occurred to both my pwp and to me that Benadryl might be something to try. Just think about DM and what some here at the forum have discovered about the benefits of that...certainly not the benefits for which it was initially intended but, for some, found to be effective/beneficial in treating PD symptoms.
Doreen has yet to take the Cogentin. She seems to want to research it just a bit more.
Thank you again, Paula for your response.

Therese

Therese,

Although I haven't spoken to him in awhile, I know a pwp who takes Benadryl every night.

Couldn't agree with you more about everyone reacting in their own way to a med. I liked Cogentin and was hoping the mental interference would go away, but it didn't.

Paula

Is that the medicine usually used to treat allergy such as hay fever?

Benadryl is used to treat allergies, hay fevers, insect bites, etc. I think my friend used it to help him sleep.

paula

Hi, Paula...as I told you, Doreen was to have started taking the Cogentin yesterday but was reluctant to start it. Her neurologist told her that it would be her decision as to if/when she wanted to start it since it is a medication that can be taken or not...as needed...in her case, when the tremor became a problem for her while working with her doctor. She has been taking the DM (cough medicine that some here at the forum have taken and have noticed a marked improvement in their PD symptoms)...and, in fact, Doreen thought that she was much more able to get out of a seated position since taking the DM. HOWEVER...she just called me and said that she had had a bad experience this morning while at work. She wasn't able to focus her eyes...there seemed to be spots on the carpet that are really not there...and she said she was really very scared. They took her blood pressure, and it was extremely low (90/57)...her blood pressure usually "runs" about 120/75-80 so that this was NOT a good reading for her. Now, if she had taken the Cogentin, we both most certainly would have attributed the very low blood pressure to that...so that the only thing that could possibly have caused this "episode" seems to have been the DM. I guess this is somewhat similar to your experience with the Cogentin..."worked" well for the PD symptoms, but resulted in the psychosis. We are disappointed because the DM SEEMED to be "working" well for her. When we saw her neurologist on Friday, he was not adverse to her trying the DM but he cautioned against side effects...so, she will not be taking the DM. As for the Benadryl...this may be something that she will try in the future. I guess the Cogentin might be worth a trial inasmuch as it is specifically geared to controlling tremor and, too, it can be used "as needed"...no need to gradually titrate off it....so, that's my "story" for today, Paula...thank you, again, for your interest and input. It has occurred to me that I haven't asked about you and how you're doing with the PD. I would be very interested to know, Paula.

Therese

P.S. Steve will be disappointed, I think, to know about what we "think" was Doreen's reaction to the DM. He has been interested in this...what her "neuro" had to say about it, etc.

Hi, Paula...I just wrote you a rather lengthy post which seems to have disappeared...probably hit a wrong button...I'm good at that! I wanted to tell you that Doreen had decided NOT to begin taking the Cogentin..still felt uneasy about it, and since her neurologist said that this was a medication that could be taken "as needed", i.e., if she felt that the tremor was particulary bad while working with her doctor,she could opt to take the Cogentin because it is not a medication that needs "titration" when coming off it, etc. Doreen just called me a short while ago to tell me that she had experienced a frightening episode this morning at work. She was unable to focus her eyes...the room became extremely dark...and there were colored spots on the carpet that aren't really there. They took her blood pressure which was extremely low for her (90/57)...usually "runs" about 120/75-80). Now, if she had taken the Cogentin, we, in all likelihood, would have attributed this episode to that. Now, we think it might have been a reaction to the DM that she has been taking for a few days...something that a few here at the forum have been taking and have found to be beneficial in dealing with their PD symptoms...and, too, Doreen had thought that she might be experiencing some benefits. Now, however,she will stop taking the DM. When I think about it, now, I have heard/read that cough medications containing DM are contraindicated for those who have blood pressure issues so that it does seem that Doreen's experience could be related to the DM. Steve will be disappointed to know this because he has been very interested in Doreen's experience with the DM...especially how her "neuro" reacted/responded to her telling him about taking it. He was not adverse to her trying it but did caution her about possible side effects. I thought about the fact that this has been a similar experience to yours with the Cogentin...it "worked" well for the PD symptoms, but it caused the psychosis; therefore, you had to discontinue taking it. As for the Benadryl...I think that she may try this sometime in the near future. As much as we like to see new PD medications come on the market, we still tend to "trust" the older medications.

Paula...it has occurred to me that I haven't asked you about how you're doing with the PD. I would be very interested to know.

Thank you, again, for your interest and input.

Therese

Sorry about the double post...as you have all probably determined, I am anything but "computer savvy"...

Therese