Hi all,
Just your thoughts on DBS from those of you who have had it done
Thank you
hello stouty .yes i had dbs january ,ive had the stimulation adjusted 4 times so far,i feel good first thing in the morning and it reduces off periods but over the last 3 months i keep losing my balance and stumble about a few times daily as if im drunk ,so to speak,something what has only happened since dbs,if anyone has any answers to this ide appreiciate the advice ,. in general i would recommend having dbs,because hopefully this problem is only temperey. im a 55yr young ex scaffolder and was dx 7 yrs ago .
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Hi @smudger.s, I have not had DBS, but I know that excessive levodopa intake seriously affects my balance and can cause frequent falls. I wonder if the dosage of your PD medication has been readjusted after DBS? Of course, it could be that your DBS settings need readjusting. It’s best to use a sturdy walker to get around if your are prone to falls until your doctor can sort you out.
Hello Smudger,
Where did you have your DBS operation as your symptoms of balance etc seem to apply to the electrodes being out of place. I have only read this this morning about the operations at Birmingham which are in the news at the moment.
Matthew
Thankyou tanala , i dropped my dosage of levodopa in the beginning , but had to put it back up , this week has been hard,my dbs specialist is back off her break so ill make an appointment and see how i get on , ill let you know . thanks again,
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Thanks for getting back . i had the operation in my hometown Bristol , when i see my specialist ill ask her .
Hi - dbs about 1 yr ago - 10 years since diagnosis - i only take Azilect as my neurologist said its the only drug to show has benefits in a petri dish & better to stay on it now then to find out in another 10 years that i should have stayed on it. Before dbs i tried every med going. Good luck
Hi Smudger,
How have you been getting on? Have they been able to sort the balance problem? I’ve just had my call up papers for Bristol for a pre-assessment. How did you find the experience there?
Matthew
Hi Dookie,
Has the DBS been good for you? No side I hope. I have just had the call from Bristol as, like you, my Parkinsons tremor has been immune to drugs, and I am now going down for a pre-assessment. What is the Azilect for?
Matthew
Hi Stouty,
I notice from this thread that only Smudger and Dookie have had DBS. Have you had any other replies from other threads you might have seen. I am two months away from pre-assessment, so I can tell you more then.
Matthew
Hi morning Matthew, in reply to your post if you use the icon magnify glass and type into the search box DBS it will bring up any posts related to the topic. There are quite a few and some regular posts, hope all goes well with our pre-assessment, take care 
Hi - yes dbs has given quality of life back & my days are more predictable. Ive stayed on azilect as my doc says it is shown to work & ive been on it since diagnosis nearly 10 years ago. I try to eat well - stay active with friends, family & golf etc. i hope all goes well for you im from Oz under the care of Professor Silburn 
I have a DBS & have posted in several places on the subject, you may just see some of them. I’ve had two battery changes, the last being to a rechargeable one, this I had fitted at Southmead Hospital, Bristol some 18 months ago.
Les
sorry replies late ,as youve probably found they were all very good and its pretty much ok ,its not good going off of meds , it makes me realise how ide be without them , worrying really, but it is what it is , ive still not had much improvement with my balance since dbs. thanks for replying matthew.
i must say matthew i find although problems with balance to me it was still the right decision to have dbs , go for it .
thanks for the advice tanala,i initialy took less meds but had to put them back up and add a higher dose , i definatly think its meds not the dbs if i turn dbs up im all over the place , so to speak
hello dookie , thankyou, have you ever heard of anyone having a fall( pd related or not),and damaging or maybe disconnecting? their Dbs,?, strange question i know ,but valid . has anyone on this forum known this happen? ,…
Not that i know of - it does take time to get used to the wires running down to the device in your chest.