I am interested to know if any body has the above pump system attached and what do they think. Has it changed your life?
It is a relatively new way to ensure you are getting levodopa into your system, a small tube is inserted straight through the belly button and straight into the small intentines and it delivers levodopa as and when you need it, no more 1001 pills, no more wearing off, obviously you have to change a cassette once aday, hence the need for a bag to be attached to you on the outside, it works 24 hrs so I assume it works through the night.
I am seriously considering this options and interested on your views, I am opened mind and know what suits one may not suit another, but my quality of life is poor, with slowness, stiffness and slight tremor,
so I am happy to try and improve my quality of life
Hi Stouty…i like you am very slow, i get too many times when my meds don’t work and got tlo the point where i couldn’t even go out because i couldn’t trust my meds to last until the next one. I am due to go into Southampton hospital on 27th September to have the pipe fitted for the duo dopa system which goes through the side and then back on the 3rd October for pump fitting and tuition on using it. Ive been pd for 9 years and hoping for a good xmas for the fiirst time in ten yrs.
I know it’s been a long time since you posted this question, but my answer is for you and anyone else who is questioning the idea of the pump.
DO IT!! I am a caregiver for a dear friend of mine, she is 77 and has had parkinson’s for 12 years. She got the pump in July of 2024. Her symptoms are such that she freezes up, as opposed to shaking. We were at a point of meds 5x’s a day. I will say, we spoke to a woman who did have the shaking issue, and she had fantastic results. It does give you your life back. You don’t have to time your meals or your activity around your meds anymore. She experiences very few “off times”, maybe one a week or less. We all know every case is different, but we highly recommend it to everyone we can.
The pump it’s self is very easy to work with and Abbvie is a fabulous company. They offer extensive training and 24/7 support. Don’t wait until you get worse.
Good Luck and get it!
Kindest Regards,
Katie