Madopar

[Guest guest]

,

Its wonderful to hear from you. I know that you are doing the very best for

you mom and that I'm happy that she is happy at her new home.

No matter where they are we always feel badly about having to take them out

of their home but in many ways my mom is happier now then she ever was at

home.

I feel like you that perhaps Madopar isn't very good for our LO's with the

hallucinations/depression. I've wanted to find something else other than

Sinimet for mom as it gives her the sweats something terrible but don't have

a clue what it could be replaced with.

Tell that wonderful gal of yours that I say hey!

Courage

Madopar

>

>Hi all

>

>I know I haven't been writing lately, I've been lurking. Wanted to tell

you a little of what has happened to my mother and me in the last few

months. First welcome to all the new people on the list since I last wrote,

this is a fantastic group of friends, I even found my soulmate on this list,

and a fabulous resouce for caregivers of loved ones with LBD, as I'm sure

you all have discovered.

>

>A little background. My mother was Dx with LBD 2 years ago now, although

her symptoms first appeared some time ago. In January of 2002 I came to

live with Mum in Wanganui, New Zealand, and care for her full time. I

managed to have several breaks from this caregiving, spending most of the

time in Iowa with Sandie. During the previous times I managed to get either

an aunt or a sibling to look after while I was away.

>

>During the past six months Mum has shown significant signs of

deterioration, and I put her name down for a very good rest home here in

Wanganui. I had booked a trip to see Sandie for the end of August, for

three months, and my brothers and sister and I wanted her to go into a home

for respite care while I was away, give her a chance to experience what it's

like there.

>

>Ideally we had wanted Mum to go into the one we had booked, Kowhainui, but

they don't take people on a short term stay. So I arranged for her to go to

another home in Wanganui. Two days before I was due to go, I had a call

from Kowhainui so say there was a vacancy, so we hastily rearranged things

for her to go in there initially on a respite basis, with a view to it

becoming long term depending on how she got on.

>

>Mum has stayed there, and I have visited her regularly since. Every time I

ask her if she wants to stay, she says she wouldn't want to be anywhere

else. It's a really good place, pleasant semi-rural outlook, fantastic

staff, and they know about LBD. Mum now needs more care than I can provide,

so it's a good thing she's happy there. It's really sad seeing her decline,

and I often leave in tears.

>

>Last Friday the geriatrician went and saw Mum, I wasn't there when he saw

her. The manager phoned to tell me about the visit. She said he wanted to

prescibe Madopar for Mum's tremours. He told the manager that a side effect

of this med is possible hallucinations. I've looked the drug up on the net

and found that the active ingredients are Levodopa and benserazide. The

site I saw, http://www.roche-australia.com/GeneralDocuments/madopar.pdf ,

also said not to take this med if the patient is being treated for severe

mental problems, and tell the doctor if she is being treated for depression

or other psychological conditions. Possible side effects listed are mental

changes, including paranoia, depression, mania and hallucinations.

>

>I was wondering if anyone had had any experience with this med, or it's

active ingredients. I remember people talking about Levodopa. My

inclination is to decline the use of this med. Would be interested in other

peoples' opinions.

>

>Sorry this is so long, hope you can get to the end ok.

>

>Hugs

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi !

Sally here ... I've been lurking too. I wish I could be more involved but quite

frankly I am up to my neck in teaching stuff; marking, lesson preparation,

target setting, reports etc .... it's what I expected. Teaching is just paper

shuffling these days!!

Anyway, I feel I must respond to the question about Madopar.

My dad was struggling on the Quetiapine (Seroquel) andhis PHYSICAL condition was

deteriorating. This was all about 6 months before he died. Basically his

Parkinson's type symptoms were getting worse ...the rigidity, immobility,

tremoring and trembling, stumbling and chronic fatigue. The 'experts' decided

that alongside the Seroquel they'd administer the Madopar. Well - my personal

opinion is that the drug is quite nasty and not much help.

It is supposed to help reduce the physical difficulties associated with the

Parkinson's - i.e to increase mobility and reduce the shuffling and tremoring.

BUT it does not mix with the Seroquel - the two conflict - and it was a

desperate struggle to see if Madopar helped at all.

On one night my dad 'froze up' and the doctors upped his Madopar immediately to

'loosen' him up but it sent him completely ga-ga!!

My inclination is to decline use ... but all I have is my personal observation

of my dad. I'll stick my neck out though and suggest it's not compatible with

LBD sufferers.

Hope it helps!!

Hugs back to you

Sally x

[Guest guest]

,,

Good to see you here. Glad you had a good trip with Sandie. I am sure

you are anxious to get back. Hope things settle for your Mom and you

are back here real soon.

Hugs to you and Sandie,

Donna R

[Guest guest]

I cannot help at all with the Madopar - have never even heard of it - but as

a relative newcomer, I was FASCINATED by the fact that you connected with

Sandie via this list!!! What a wonderful and romantic story!!! It just

proves the truth of the cliche " every cloud has a silver lining. "

carol