Meds. not doing the trick, far as I can figure. Taking Azilect and Requip...'supposed to operate by discouraging enzymes in the brain from breaking down the existing dopamine. Been on this stuff for ~ 3 months....much preferred the recreational drugs of my youth....this stuff, so far, does not seem to abate the tremor, or slowness - do, of late, feel on the border of dizziness more often than not. Meeting w/movement disorder specialist end of this week.....other class of drugs would be Sinemet and the like which operate by stimulating more production of dopamine.....downside, for many, is it is known to bring on side fx worse than the condition.
The other question I'm wrestling with is understanding just how far in the progression I've progressed (.....like progressive politics, but would prefer my chronic diseases to be staunch conservatives....). I've noted some disturbing bilaterial progression ....i.e., involvement of my right side, which, to date, has allowed me to compensate well. Bilateral progression is not a good sign and from what I know would indicate things may be further along than I'd like to imagine...disturbing stuff, but thats the deal.
Ideally, sinemet may pull me through for a bit till (cue up heroic music) big PHARMA releases stem-cells in a capule to the rescue.....and everything reverts to how it was. Not impossible...but I have no way to know, either. For what its worth, the UCLA movement disorder clinic I'm being treated at just got a $25 million grant for stem cell research, so if things develop I'm close to the source.
Still that stuff ain't perfect....heard of a case where the stem cells developed not into neurons but
a foot or a kidney....not gonna help having a new spleen in your head....or to give anyone a real and valid reason to call you a dick-head :) .....look forward to hearing the good Doc's take on all of this.
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