just wanna add that I am across the oceans in Hong Kong! Really hope you guys wont mind me posting in your forum. I really wanna to thank the forum founders, administrators, members as I have learned a lot and benefit so much thru the forum.

Truly yours

LING

How nice to have you here with us, Ling! It certainly is the place to be...for information...for support. I want to thank you, again, for responding to my post related to the Neupro Patch. You may even have had it there "across the oceans" longer than it has been available, here.

Again, Ling...welcome...you have come to a good place.

Therese

Ling, I read your post and learned you're a Neupro Patch user who lives in Hong Kong. My aunt had been suffering from Parkinson's disease for a few years. Recently she learned about the Neupro Patch treatment and would like to know whether this method will be effective for her. Unfortunately, Neupro is not available in our country (Indonesia), so I had been searching the net trying to find out some information on the availability of the Neupro Patch in other Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, or China, without any useful results so far. If you do get your patches in HK, my aunt and I would appreciate it if you can give us some info on where we could obtain them. I do aware that it's available by prescription only, but if it is indeed available in HK, my aunt is able and willing to make the trip. We have relatives there who could help o\us out, so it shouldn't be to much trouble.

Thanks

eddy

Dear Eddy,

As far as i know, most neurologists in HK can prescribe neuropro patch to their PD patients if they think fit. Here's a link of specialist practitioner which may be useful to you : http://www.mchk.org.hk/doctor/Specialist/21.pdf

But my experience is the patch tends to peel off in warm/ humid weather.

Hope the above helps.

LING

Ling;

If the patch peels off in warm/humid weather, I'd have to say that the patch is unsuited for HK-based Parkies!!
We were there for 3 months in 2005 and it was miserably hot and humid!
It was an interesting place, and we enjoyed ourselves immensely! The people were very nice and caring.

Charlie

Dear Charlie,

You are right that it is not very suitable for parkies in HK to use the patch, particularly in the humid summer and I do get fed up when they fell off twice (after replacement) in a single day!

HK is a nice place to live in but the drawback here is that there is MDS who specialize in PD.

Cheers

LING

\
Ling;

Ii was in tht "Tuo Mun" (I think thats it)hospital for my Minden factor 5 clotting disorder while I was there. They took great interest in my DBS, which was NOT available at that time, and still isn't as far as I know.
THe doctor told me that most people that can afford to, go to Australia to get treated or have the surgery. The government should set up a reciprocal agreement with Australia to do the surgery on Chinese, Australia has several good programs, and a few that really stink! They also have some great MDS's.
OVerall, other than being shoe-horned into a room meant for one with another patient,(they were adding new wings) and the food, I was impressed with the overall quality of care.
The staff was great! For my minor disorders I went to a clinic in that big indoor mall that is over the train station. Medical care was very inexpensive there. My week-long stay at the hospital cost around $700 as I recall!!
We had a a TINY 3 bedroom apartment at the "Gold Coast" complex.

SO Ling, what do you do for treatment?? Doo you go to a regular neurologist?? Can you navigate the crowds ok?? How are you treated by the public at large??

Charlie

Dear Charlie,

You mean Tuen Mun hospital and i guess they had undercharged you or they gave you special tourist discount

I was told that there have been around 90 odd DBSdone in HK so far and it costs about US$ 20,000 for each inplant. May I know the details of the program you are referring to in Aussie?

Currently, I have to spend U$$450/ month for private consultation + subscription of Stelavo and patch as the patch is not offered by the public hospital. I can barely nevigate in the public as it is very crowded city and the awareness and knowledge of PD by the public is low here - luckily or unluckily, we do not have celebrity with PD like MJ Fox here!

THANKS

LING

That was in US Dollars

20K per side is a deal!!
When i was there, there were not any DBS programs available. I was stating that HK should have a reciprocal program with AUstralia, like New Zealand does. Lee Wu (Made it up) user name here, should know more about it since she has relatives in HK.
You can email Cate Rice <cate90104@yahoo.com> to learn more about DBS in Oz.
You can learn more about DBS at my group:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/DBSsurgery/

I was wondering how you navigated the crowds there. I am 6'4" and 230lbs so people get out of my way as a rule, but even I had occasionally had trouble in HK, especially getting on or off the subway. Thats the only thing bad about HK; there are too many people there!!
BTW my cost for my DBS at UCLA was 80K, with all the "extras" due to my infection and my DVT's it was at 130K for the year!!!

Thank goodness for insurance!!!

Charlie

I take 8 25/100 sinemet and one 6mg/24hr patch a day. I like the patch better than selegiline? or ReQuip?. which I have tried. I recommend titrate up or down with these medicines. No cold turkey stuff. I now get my patches from Europe. Some have crystals. No ill effects.