My dad

Hi all I came across this forum only last week when I was reading some help leaflets on pd. (have also posted this on the meet and greet)

My dad has had this illness for the past 8 years and had symptoms for about 18 months before he was actually diagnosed, they first thought he was having mini strokes affecting the left side of his body. Hes just turned 60 last week . when we were first told it was a terrible shock, I was 20 and my younger brother only 10 and it was a lot to take on (as im sure you all understand).

for the past 7 years my dad has been marvelous, with a very few tweaking's of his meds. Im not very good with spelling (so forgive me) he takes sinemet and reQuip and some other meds but im not sure of the names.

earlier in the year he had a full knee replacement which he is still slowly recovering from but is more or less on the mend from. But sadly over the last 6 months hes gone down hill quiet a bit.stress seems to play a big part to making the pd worse so obviously having the knee op was very stressful for him and they wouldn't give him a general anesthesia , he had an epidural and was awake the whole time which put him under a great deal of stress, weather this has played a part in his getting worse or just that now hes had the knee replacement we can see how the pd is affecting him now.

he takes his meds 6 times a day but the time between him taking his meds are getting quicker because they dont last so long. He takes his first tablets at 4.15 am and he is really good till about 10 in the morning but then he gets a lot of freezes there after. he has terrible trouble sleeping and relaxing and because he gets stressed very easily the doctors have now prescribed him 2mg of diazepam which helps him lots.

so on tuesday we went to see the neurologist, he was brilliant, they aren't going to change any of his meds but in addition to what he takes hes now going to try apomorphine in a pen injection, the doctor explained as Pd progresses, some people develop an on-off effect like dad has when at one moment hes ok and the next he freezes up, and that this pen injection will give him boost his body needs through out the day. we are hoping this will help him to give him what his body needs has for the last year hes been more or less house bound, due to the fact hes to afraid to go out.

I was wondering if anyone's family members or people you care for have tried this pen injection and what sort of effects good or bad they have had?
Hello Natsel and welcome ..

Sounds a little like my husbands problem . He was diagnosed about 4 years ago that is eventually . He had been struggling for a long time . He had a a partial knee replacement that is a patello femoral replacement . He was also given an epidurel . As you said a very stressful time . His op was about 18 months ago and wasnt particularly successful although it is getting a bit easier he still takes pain killers .

Stress / anziety is part and parcel of Parkinsons and obviously makes it harder to cope with .

I get my husband to do depp breathing exercises he will try anything I ask if he thinks it will help .

My husband is taking Sinemet plus and also has the Rotigotine patch . Unfortunately none of it is as helpful as we would have hoped I sometimes wonder how much is the Parkinsons and how much is his poorly leg one thing doesnbt help the other does it . I will be interested in hearing how he gets on the the PEN .
I will keep you updated about the pen :)