As for your friend, they are making new advances in medicine everyday, and so many things that have been a death sentence in the past, are now treatable.  I think when I worked in the Gamma Knife department they were doing some kind of deep brain stimulating surgery on Patients with Parkinson's disease with pretty decent results, I don't know if it is a treatment available to the general public now or not, or whether it was a small trial, but little by little we are learning more and more.  Tell your friend to keep his or her chin up, and continue to be there for them.  I'll see what I can find out about what little I remember from years ago, and I'll let you know.

Michele

Well it's good they stop when your friend is sleeping, at least your friend can get a decent night sleep.  My Grandmother was on Senemet and I think Mirapex, as of a year ago, she lives in Florida, so I don't know what she is taking now.  I just saw her over Christmas, it's so hard to see someone you love go down hill like that.  I can't remember when she was diagnosed, she has Breast cancer too and it has become Metastatic and is in her spine, hips and Skull.  She's 87 years young :0) and has been struggling with chemo.  I'm not sure the chemo is a good thing, it just seems to make her sicker and with all of her problems, well it's hard to watch.  She says she has no pain from the cancer, which would be the only reason I'd want to see her treated for it.  My grandfather is in excellant health, he and my mom have just told her they are going to put her in a nursing home, he can't go with her because he is in good health, it's bad enough to be 87 and sick, it would be worse to be 87, sick, married and in a nursing home by yourself, do you know what I mean?  I hope I don't sound terrible, it's just hard.

Dear Sleep Tech,

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply.  I appreciate it.   My friend is not at the point your Grandmother is.  Do you know what meds she takes?  Requip XL states that at higher doses you can fall asleep in an instant, even when you don't know you are sleepy.  That is scary.  

Like other diseases, Parkinson's is a terrible, progressive disease.  My friend has had it for about ten years so I suspect it is slowly progressing.  At times the tremors are really terrible - and then they will subside.  What is interesting is that when my friend goes to sleep - the tremors stop completely.

HappyGarden,

     Mirapex, Requip, and Senemet are all Parkinson's disease medications, they work for people with Restless Leg Syndrome and Periodic Limb Movement Disorder.  PLMD is a jerking of the legs that happens at night, not related to Parkinson's disease, but since the medication stop involuntary movements and tremors they work for PLMD too.  RLS/PLMD are sleep disorders, being a sleep tech I can speak to the sleep issues and medications used, but on the Parkinson's Disease, my sleep knowledge is no help.  My grandmother has Parkinsons Disease, so I understand how hard it is to watch someone with the disease.  Neurontin works on the nervous system and has many uses, mostly for patients with pain, not sure on whether it would help a person with Parkinsons Disease, unless there is a pain issue.  My grandmother doesn't have pain, just can't control her movements, it's caused falls, made it hard for her to get around, she can't move her legs some days, and of course the involuntary tremors.  She has difficulty feeding herself, opening things, drinking, etc.  I hope some of this helped.

Michele

Have just recently found out about your wonderful show - The Doctors!

I'm hoping to be able to watch it as often as possible. 

Thank you for all the interesting material.

Am interested in high cholesterol - and also I have a friend

that has Parkinson's disease - any news on this?

Thank you.