I have just been prescribed trihexphenidy to take alongside Co-Careldopa (4 times a day and 1 x slow release at night). I am taking the minimum (half a tablet 3 x times a day) but was told to build trihexphenidy up to 3 x 2mg a day. So far so good, the shaking has come under control on the minimum so I am hesitant to increase the dose. Has anybody out there any experience with this drug? I appreciate that Parkinsons means differant things to everybody.
Hello Pete, my husband was prescribed Trihexphenydl when he was first diagnosed with PD 6 years ago. He also takes Sinemet and in the last few years, Ropinerole was added. The consultant prescribed the trihex to see if it could control his tremor as his PD is tremor predominant. All I can say is that it didn’t really make a marked difference to the tremor. But he persevered with it and upped the dosage. However, I noticed it seemed to be having an impact on his short term memory and when I read up more about the drug I felt the side effects were perhaps not worth it if tremor reduction was minimal. However, as you rightly point out, everyone reacts in different ways to medication, and of course Parkinson’s is such a complex and indeed frustrating disease that symptoms differ widely from person to person. I tapered him slowly off the trihex and he no longer takes them. It’s difficult to say with any certainty if the drug was causing the memory issues or if it was just another symptom of the disease itself. If you are getting notable relief from the tremor and aren’t experiencing any unwanted side effects, then it is of obvious benefit to you. But if you have any concerns speak to your PD nurse or consultant as if course I’m only relating my husband’s experience with this drug. Best wishes Jean.