Well Michael.....
 

800mg sinemet and 15 Requip/day doesn't sound too bad. I know that 800mg of sinemet is a "top number", hard to take more because of side-effects. I once went up to 1500mg sinemet for about a month, but i couldn't hack it, the initial nausea comes back and you either get speedy or sleepy from it. So I would say that you are pretty well where you need to be.
I.ve never had a good experience with ReQuip, but do know that 15mg is still in the "middle range" as some peopel here have reported taking up to 35mg/day. I'd say that you and your docs are doing a good job as far as your regimen and won't pretend that I could recommend a better regimen, as long as you are "happy" about it (how's that for an oxymoron, "happy with a PD drug regimen:D ). And its nice to hear that you are still active enough to do the tasks around the home, that means you've still got some flame in you yet:) . I remember one of your last posts on the old forum saying that you moved to Lake Charles, but nothing about the wife and daughter opening up a furniture store. I do hope that you can make it out from under that pile of bills. And Ya know, if you tell a neuro or a GP that you "hurt everywhere" they almost laugh at you. It's probably best not to take heavy duty pain meds like I do on top of the other pills in the "Jetsons breakfast" that I take, but no Sir, I can't accept living with chronic pain, which I believe (apart from a case of horrible gouty arthritis) that all comes from dystonia aggravated by long periods of dyskinesia, and it's hard to beieve that the two can occurr at the same time , but apparently they can and do.
NSAIDS and Prednisone for inflammatory pain, Oxycontin for neurogenic pain, works for me anyway. Hang in there 'bro, sound s like you're fightin' with all ya got:) cs

Hi Michael -

Attention Deficit - I used to be skeptical of such labels when I taught middle school, but now I live it.

It is good to hear from you. I agree with cs. Why be so rigid (no pun intended) about taking your meds on a schedule?

I do the following for pain: 1) I visit the chiropractor on a weekly basis until my insurance won't pay 2) I take a fish oil supplement which is supposed to help with inflammation and 3) I do moderate stretching each day 4)stopped taking both Fosomax and Boniva, meds for osteoporosis. The latter applies mostly to women because more of them have osteoporosis, so I would like to mention to women that I take Evista which is a non-hormone that helps with your bones.

For the attention deficit or demise of organizational skills or clognition, whatever you want to call it, I say aloud to myself what I have on my list, so I won't get waylaid. For example, while unloading the dishwasher, I might say over and over to myself: Fold the clothes, pay the cable bill/Fold the clothes, pay the cable bill, Fold the clothes - well, I am sure you get the picture. At any rate, it reminds me of what to do next. Finally, I awaken much earlier, and as Martha Stewart says, that is a good thing. Gives me more time to do jobs that I once zipped through.

As far as mimes go, I really, really dislike them. For one thing, they are mute. For another, they see a wall where there doesn't have to be one.

Good luck. Don't disappear again.

Ann

The Killer
 

I believe it was in 2001 that I had pneumonia 6 times. Realizing that this is one of the culprits that causes the demise of many people with Parkinson's, I decided that I needed to do something about my obviously weak lungs if I wanted to live much longer. For 10 years I was the music director and worship leader at church, so singing seemed to me to be the perfect solution. I took up karaoke for therapy. Okay, so it wasn't just for therapy, but don't tell anyone.

I found a karaoke computer program that I dowwnloaded for free. My lungs have definitely improved, and I have had a blast singing and recording songs in the privacy of my study. Mine is not the best voice on the block, and I am flat on occasion...okay, maybe often, but who cares. Okay, so my wife and kids make me shut the door, and my dog howls. Love songs from the 50's and 60's don't necessarily have to sound good to be fun to sing. I have put some of these songs on a web page along with some other recordings I have done. If you want a good laugh at my expense, or if you want to walk down memory lane, you will find my checkerboard jukebox at

http://www.braincrumbs.org/checkerboard.htm

Stop by and have fun. It won't cost you a penny.

michael

Oh, and sing along. It will strengthen your lungs.