Blood Tests

[Court]

I recently had a routine appointment with my Parkinsons Nurse. I have gained quite a lot of weight, which is linked to the Requip I am taking. However, I have never had any tests for Parkinsons. I was given a few mobility tests and that was how I was diagnosed. However, this time the Nurse asked when I last had blood tests. I said never. So she is arranging with my GP to get these done. Has anyone had blood tests and what will they prove. if anything?

[shall1019]

I have blood tests for my general health about 2 - 3 times a year. I don't think there are blood tests for Parkinson's.

[Hikoi]

Anyone on longterm medication is likely to have a blood test once or twice a year. Usually its a liver function test, just a routine to make sure the liver is working effectively, it has to cope with the extra load of medications. They make check for anaemia etc as well. Thats my understanding anyway.

[Court]

Thanks for your reply. The Nurse mentioned a test, I can't remember which one, as I mentioned that my balance is not always wonderful and she said it could be that some tablet needs adjusting.

[Norton1]

Court

My PD diagnosis was done by the neurologist watching me walk and asking me questions; no blood tests whatsoever.

So far as you know, could the blood test also include looking at your sugar levels?

Norton

[PatV in reply to Norton1]

blood tests cannot detect PD ; only movement tests

[honeycombe3]

Hi Sue,it's been a while. Re blood tests - I believe that blood sugars are almost always checked when a sample is taken. My blood is checked every 3 months for liver & kidney function as they can be affected by the amount & concentration of the meds. Possibly your nurse is being thorough & checking such factors as thyroid levels which are often overlooked because they aren't associated with PD. if this is the case I you are fortunate as recently there have been several reports on the site of conditions being overlooked ...in my case I had bad angina which wasn't picked up. As regards your blood test it depends on what they are looking for. After 7.5 of my 9 years taking Requip I had to gradually comedown from 16 mg daily to my present 8 mg due to weight gain, oedema round my feet & ankles & dizziness. To compensate I started Sinemet & I'm now stable weight & fluid wise but still have these dizzy spells.

[Court]

Yes, it has been a while. I am having problems with weight gain which my nurse says is probably down to the Requip. But what do you do? My meds are quite good at the moment, change them, and who knows? I think she is just being cautious especially as I have been having slight balance problems. How are you getting on?

[ronn]

Sue, Isn't it strange how the symptoms of Parkinson's and the side effects of meds vary so much from one PWP to the next? I have been on 8mg. of Requip (as ropinerole) for two years, and can eat anything without gaining weight. My medical provider tests blood every three months and, since they draw five vials of blood each time, they must do a series of tests for the patient's file.. As for your diagnosis of Parkinson's, you probably have more information on symptoms than most doctors.

Wishing you well,.

[Court]

Hi Ronn. Lovely to hear from you. I don't post very often since the changes, but I really miss the regulars on HU. As for your comment about me having more information than most Drs, I hope I don't come across as a know it all, as this could not be further from the truth. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Sue

[ronn in reply to Court]

Sue, I meant the doctor comparison in the best sense.

[Hidden]

PWP are best advised caution when it comes to heart disease. Do have your blood labs as well as blood pressure results, then enter data into :

Heart Attack Risk Assessment

heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditio...

(mine) March 18, 2014

Blood Pressure: 130/70 (systolic/diastolic)

LDL ~ 158

HDL ~ 67

Ketones ~ neg

Triglycerides ~ 75

Cholesterol ~ 240

BMI (body mass index) ~ 25.81

A person with a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered to be at a healthy weight. A person with a BMI of 25-29.9 is considered to be overweight. A BMI over 30 is considered obese. A BMI of 40 or above indicates that a person is morbidly obese. This can increases a person's risk of death from any cause by 50% to 150%.

AHA (American Heart Assoc.) Recommendation

We recommend using the absolute numbers for total blood cholesterol and HDL cholesterol levels. They're more useful to physicians than the cholesterol ratio in determining the appropriate treatment for patients.

Some physicians and cholesterol technicians use the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol in place of the total blood cholesterol. The ratio is obtained by dividing the HDL cholesterol level into the total cholesterol. For example, if a person has a total cholesterol of 200 mg/dL and an HDL cholesterol level of 50 mg/dL, the ratio would be 4:1. The goal is to keep the ratio below 5:1; the optimum ratio is 3.5:1.

240/67=3.58

My Heart Attack Risk Assessment shows LOW risk.