Dear All
I am a 61 year old male living with my wife and 26 year old son in Edinburgh. We also have a 30 year old daughter, currently on a two year adventure in New Zealand. I developed a right leg tremor around June 2009. In January 2010 I was seen by a neurologist who asked for a head MRI scan and a DATscan. The MRI was negative and the radiologist (a professor) reported the DATscan as negative also. By the summer of 2010 I had developed a right hand tremor too, occasionally with a tremor in the left foot. The neurologist referred me to one of his colleagues for a second opinion, who on seeing me in January of this year, advised that I had Parkinson's. He disagreed with the radiologist about my DATscan, indicating that there was a hint of loss in the dopamine region (around the tails of the two coma-shaped regions iin the middle of the brain). We agreed to postpone medication. He saw me again in July this year and advised that I take beta blockers (propranolol) in the first instance if the right hand tremor continues to increase. The tremors increased, especially when nervous. Hence, I took propralnolol for about three months this summer but to no avail. Through an email exchange he advised me to stop the propranolol and start sinemet which I started taking on Tuesday, beginning at 1 tablet twice a day (to increase gradually over four weeks to the full dose of 2 tablets 3 times a day). So far the sinemet has had no effect whatsoever (I know it is only 4 days since I started, but I thought I might feel some improvement, no matter how small). All along since the beginning of my tremors 2.5 years ago I have continued playing racket ball and badminton weekly (as I have been doing for three decades) running around the courts without any problem. Do I really have Parkinson's or is it some form of essential tremor? Will taking the full dose of sinemet be detrimental if I do not have Parkinson's? Answers to these questions will probably arise in the next few months. Mean time I will be interested in anyone's thoughts out there. Have a nice weekend all
Hi Janig welcome
I was dx last year age 47 my MIR scan was negative but my neuro said this was what he expected
He told me that dopamine does not show on a scan
It really takes a while to adjust to the meds and which work for you
Well Done for playing badminton /ect
I go to a pilates class swim and gym a bit This really keeps going
Regard Adian
I was dx last year age 47 my MIR scan was negative but my neuro said this was what he expected
He told me that dopamine does not show on a scan
It really takes a while to adjust to the meds and which work for you
Well Done for playing badminton /ect
I go to a pilates class swim and gym a bit This really keeps going
Regard Adian
Thanks Adrian and real good to hear from you.
Actually the dopamine region lights up in an expensive test called DATscan,, which involves injection with a harmless radioactive agent that binds to the dopamine region over a period of three or so hours,following which a scan is carried out. It is well documented that by the symptoms arise about 80% of the region is depleted, yet mine was the reverse (more than 80% was still there) which makes me wonder how accurate my PD diagnosis is. Mind you if I do have PD I will just get on with it and make the most of life as usual
, Let's see how I respond to sinemet 62.5 which, as I said earlier, I would be on two tablets 3 times a day by Christmas.
Cheers
Actually the dopamine region lights up in an expensive test called DATscan,, which involves injection with a harmless radioactive agent that binds to the dopamine region over a period of three or so hours,following which a scan is carried out. It is well documented that by the symptoms arise about 80% of the region is depleted, yet mine was the reverse (more than 80% was still there) which makes me wonder how accurate my PD diagnosis is. Mind you if I do have PD I will just get on with it and make the most of life as usual
, Let's see how I respond to sinemet 62.5 which, as I said earlier, I would be on two tablets 3 times a day by Christmas.Cheers