My husband has always suffered from cyclical bipolar disease and now has PD. He has been taking Sinemet for a couple of months now, but recently has appeared very paranoid and agitated about routine matters which is making him very angry and depressed. Can Sinemet cause such a reaction? Atm, he is threatening to stop taking his medication because he feels out of control.
Any opinions/ advice greatly appreciated as day to day life becoming very upsetting and difficult for both of us and affecting others in our family as he is treating them unkindly. Help us please.
Hello mckenzie and sorry to hear life is becoming so difficult. Without hesitation I would encourage you to contact your husband’s medical team asap. It is of course, not always the problem but medication is so important in managing symptoms that when it goes out of kilter this needs to be reviewed to see if it is the medication or if there is some other cause. It would not be wise for him to stop taking his medication without advice although in his shoes I would probably feel the same. Make sure you mention that when you contact them. Given the circumstances you describe I would contact the consultant’s secretary and ask he or she contacts you as a matter of some urgency. i would also recommend that you follow up with an email or make a note of any conversations what was agreed with dates and times in case it gets complicated - it can be easy to lose track of days, dates and who said what when things are tense. You can of course contact the Parkinson’s Nurse since he or she can maybe help but I think it is the consultant you really need to speak to given the situation you describe. The helpline 0808 800 0303 can perhaps advise you further, I hope this helps. Let us know how you get on
Tot