Azilect

[healthabc]

I know azilect is recommended worldwide for pd, but I wonder- who has taken it, azilect alone, without any other addition of pd meds; and for how long was it the only pd med taken before layering in other pd meds? And did it help with tremors when taken alone? I am not on meds yet and am trying to figure out which to start with.... my cognition is good, tremor is my main symptom.

[park_bear]

I started Azilect, alone, and it did nothing for me. Didn't hurt either. I believe about half of the PWP that try it notice benefit.

Also, don't be afraid of carbidopa/levodopa. A recent study showed that degree of prior usage had no effect on later-stage intolerance. I have found the the controlled release version - Sinemet CR and equivalents - to be far better than the immediate release version.

[Skymom2008 in reply to park_bear]

I agree with park bear.y

[Beachdog in reply to Skymom2008]

Me too.

[Astra7]

I have been taking azilect for 10 weeks now and it has really helped with fatigue, improved fine motor skills in left arm and made right leg not ache while driving. Still have stiff left leg and occasional jolt. (Poured my cup of tea over myself at work a while ago!)

Does upset the stomach in the beginning and some dizziness which is not pleasant, but seems to be ok now. I also take magnesium daily and disprin when everything aches.

I think it's worth a try. May slow down progression too.

[Tribselyov]

On azilect 3.5 yrs. cannot say sx's better or worse. 4-5 mos of low dose levadopa seems to help a little with shuffle Tremor worse with stress and not med related."I am still early". Creative writing, exercise, attitude, and strong family provide best support; so far, more than meds

[jeeves19]

I've been on it for about 6 weeks now and definitely helped with mood, energy levels. I can brush my teeth again and handwriting has improved. No real big tremor for me so can't comment on this aspect (comes and goes) but as a drug, I'd certainly recommend.

[Spargs]

Hi I took it for a week and my tremors got worse.

[JohnPepper]

Hi Healthabc. I was on Eldepryl (Selegiline) for eight years. Eldepryl is an MAOb inhibitor, the same as Azilect. Azilect is a much newer medication and I am sure it is at least as good as Eldepryl.

The iteresting fact about my history is that I only took the Eldepryl for all those years. The other interesting fact is that I also started doing FAST WALKING at the same time as I had started taking the Eldepryl.

The final and most interesting fact is that after those eight years I was able to come off all Pd medication and have been off it ever since 2002.

I now live a normal life at the age of 81, having had Pd symptoms for 53 years. My Pd got so bad in 1992, the year I was finally diagnosed with Pd, that I had to give up my job and faced a very dim future.

You can read my story by going to reverseparkinsons.net where you will find over 400 interesting atricles, all aimed at reversing Pd.

FAST WALKING has been proven in scientific double-blind studies to be able to slow down the progerssion of Pd and to reduce the severity of many of the symptoms.

IT IS POSSIBLE TO REVERSE PD AND MANY PEOPLE HAVE FOLLOWED MY LEAD.

Good luck!

John

[Hikoi in reply to JohnPepper]

"FAST WALKING has been proven in scientific double-blind studies to be able to slow down the progerssion of Pd and to reduce the severity of many of the symptoms."

Reference?

[JohnPepper in reply to Hikoi]

Hi Hikoi. I think we have been through this before. It was announced at the 2006 WPC1 Congree held in Washington DC where Dr Beth Fusher and Dr ichael Zignmond announced the reults of studies carried out on the effects of exercise on Parkinson's disease. It was reported that Hight intensity walking produced the best results. Are you querying the 'Fast ' description as against the 'High intensity' descrription?

John

[Hikoi in reply to JohnPepper]

I was querying the "proven in double blind studies" This is the paper Fisher presented 10 years ago and the results. It is not a double blind study and as you know Zigmonds study was on rats not humans so not double blind.

Fishers experiment was using treadmills and all participants were early stage, 3 years or less diagnosed. They did not have existing joint problems.

She had three groups. High intensity exercise, low intensity exercise and no exercise.

There was a small improvement in all groups including the no exercise group!

----- --------- ----------- -------- ----------- -----

The effect of exercise training in improving motor performance and corticomotor excitability in people with early Parkinson's disease.

Fisher BE1, Wu AD, Salem GJ, Song J, Lin CH, Yip J, Cen S, Gordon J, Jakowec M, Petzinger G

OBJECTIVES:

To obtain preliminary data on the effects of high-intensity exercise on functional performance in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) relative to exercise at low and no intensity and to determine whether improved performance is accompanied by alterations in corticomotor excitability as measured through transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

DESIGN:

Cohort (prospective), randomized controlled trial.

SETTING:

University-based clinical and research facilities.

PARTICIPANTS:

Thirty people with PD, within 3 years of diagnosis with Hoehn and Yahr stage 1 or 2.

INTERVENTIONS:

Subjects were randomized to high-intensity exercise using body weight-supported treadmill training, low-intensity exercise, or a zero-intensity education group. Subjects in the 2 exercise groups completed 24 exercise sessions over 8 weeks. Subjects in the zero-intensity group completed 6 education classes over 8 weeks.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:

Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scales (UPDRS), biomechanic analysis of self-selected and fast walking and sit-to-stand tasks; corticomotor excitability was assessed with cortical silent period (CSP) durations in response to single-pulse TMS.

RESULTS:

A small improvement in total and motor UPDRS was observed in all groups. High-intensity group subjects showed postexercise increases in gait speed, step and stride length, and hip and ankle joint excursion during self-selected and fast gait and improved weight distribution during sit-to-stand tasks. Improvements in gait and sit-to-stand measures were not consistently observed in low- and zero-intensity groups. The high-intensity group showed lengthening in CSP.

CONCLUSIONS:

The findings suggest the dose-dependent benefits of exercise and that high-intensity exercise can normalize corticomotor excitability in early PD.

[JohnPepper in reply to Hikoi]

Hi Hikoi. It appears that we are looking at two different reports. I am looking at a reoprt in the SPRING Magazine No 40 by Michael Kelly. I quote here word for word:

Dr Fisher reported on studies of mice using MPTP (a neurotoxin, causing immediate damage to dopaminergic neurons) in which one group receiving MPTP was exercised intensively for 30 days, a second group receiving MPTP did no exercise and a third group exercised without receiving MPTP.

It was found that the MPTP group, which was forced to exercise, caught up with the non-MPTP exercise group and, in terms of speed and endurance, could match them after 30 days. This provides powerful evidence of the benefits of exercise in an animal model.

For exercise-testing of patients, use was made of a treadmill with an overhead bodyweight-support suspension harness to allow high-intensity exercise without any danger of falling or injury. Patients were divided into three groups: a high-intensity exercise group with MET 3.5 and above, a low-intensity group with MET below 3.0 and a no-exercise control group (1 MET=1kcal/kg, h). Testing was carried out in 24 sessions, each of 60 minutes duration, over a period of 8 weeks.

The outcomes of the exercise were measured in terms of changes in disease severity, functional performance (stair climbing, stand/sit movements) and brain function testing. This latter test, carried out using Trans-cranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) techniques, provided the most significant indications of the benefits of exercise. At various levels of stimulation, TMS was used to provide a Motor Evoked Potential (MEP) response, with peak-to-peak maximum amplitude and cortical-spinal rest time (Silent Period Duration, SPD) being measured independently in both brain hemispheres. This enabled a comparison to be made between the more the less affected sides in Pd patients and between Pd patients and healthy controls. SPD tends to be shortened and MEP shows higher peak-to-peak rest values (hyper excitability) in Pd.

Comparison between pre- and post-exercise readings showed that exercise led to a convergence to normal values in Pd patients, with the higher intensity exercises having the greatest effect.

•In a recent study conducted by Beth Fisher et al., researchers at the University of Southern California found that exercise may have an effect on the brain. On a day-to-day basis, people with PD who exercised moved more normally than those who did not. Based on these findings, they believe that exercise may be helping the brain to maintain old connections, form new ones and restore lost ones. They suggest that, in certain situations, the neuroplasticity created from exercise in patients with PD may actually outweigh the effects of neurodegeneration.

•The above are just some of the mounting evidence that shows that for people with Parkinson’s, exercise is an essential part of managing the disease. Many researchers are working to better understand this, what makes it happen, and how to achieve the best results and the National Parkinson Foundation is supporting their efforts.

You will note the use of control groups. I have also read another report on Dr Fisher's work where monkeys were also used but will have to look fpr that.

John

[Hikoi in reply to JohnPepper]

Hi John

My question was for references to support your statement

FAST WALKING has been proven in scientific double-blind studies to be able to slow down the progerssion of Pd and to reduce the severity of many of the symptoms.

You referred me to Fisher report as proof but in all your quote above I see nothing about double blind studies or reversing PD.

The treadmill experiment you are quoting is exactly the same one I was quoting. 30 people divided into 3 groups.

This is not about the benefits of exercise because as I have said many times I agree about exercise being good. it is about your claims about fast walking being proven as best etc. It isn't true. It is just one of many exercises.

Have you viewed the WPC video posted here a week ago ? It is in the thread called Inspirational. Also the 12 videos that were chosen as best by WPC judges are nearly all focusing on exercise. Worth watching.

Yes we can agree exercise is very good for us indeed. My observation is that exercise is mentioned a lot in PD circles. there is so much happening now.

Internationally there are many many exercise based programmes. It is all very exciting.

[lagerbauer]

I am fifty threee have parkinson since I was forty six.i have being taken azilect for nearly seven years now and I don't notice anything different or what it is supposed to do .i also take a lot of other medication as well i now suffer side effects from the tablets now where my leg keeps moving and I can't walk I have being stuck indoors for about three months. I am hopefully DBS next year to see if it improves anything

[Marcomando]

Hi,

I'm just 55 was diagnosed 8 months ago confirmed with a DAT scan. Main symptom is left hand tremor and shuffley/flat footed left leg. Have been taking Rasagaline (Azilect) for four months. Occasionally I miss a day or two. I'm not sure it makes any difference to me but my consultant says there is some evidence it'll slow down the progression so that's why I take it.

I'm meeting the neurologist tomorrow and intend asking about inosine /raising urate levels.

Good luck

Marc

[park_bear in reply to Marcomando]

Raising urate levels seemed like a good idea until I researched it further and found high urate is associated with increased risk of stroke, kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease in general.

-----------------

"Is serum urate causally associated with incident cardiovascular disease?...After adjustment for confounding factors, a 2 S.D. difference in serum urate (0.45 vs 0.27 mmol/l) was associated with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.56 (95% CI 1.32, 1.84). This was more than double that of the equivalent distributional change in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (adjusted HR 1.22) and one-third greater than that for HbA1c (adjusted HR 1.41)."

-----------------

"Hyperuricemia and Risk of Stroke: A Systematic Review and

Meta-analysis...total of 16 studies including 238,449 adults were eligible and abstracted. Hyperuricemia was associated with a significantly higher risk of both stroke incidence [N=6 studies, RR 1.41, 95% confidence interval (CI): [1.05–1.76] and mortality [N=6 studies, RR 1.36, 95% CI: 1.03–1.69] in our meta-analyses of unadjusted study estimates"

[Marcomando in reply to park_bear]

My understanding is that it can raise your blood pressure which is presumably where the danger of stroke comes in. It can also increase risk of gout and kidney stones. However there does seem to be evidence that PD progresses much more slowly in people with higher urate levels. Fox Foundation are now moving to a stage 3 trial following success with the previous trials.

I'd be prepared to risk a bit of gout or take some BP meds if it stopped this wretched disease in its tracks!

However I'm not going to self medicate - I want a doctor to advise me...

[p-oui in reply to Marcomando]

Marc, are you moving ahead with inosine? We are on the same regimen / same age though I have greater confidence in the azilect.

[Marcomando in reply to p-oui]

Hi, no I'm on a trial of Deferiprone which is an iron chelating drug eg should strip excess iron out of my brain. It's a 9 month trial - I'm four months in. No improvement - but that's not really expected. The best outcome could be they find it slows progression. We'll see. I may just be on the placebo of course...

I'm a bit worse now than I was this time last year, mainly in increased left side tremor and gait stiffness. Feel well otherwise! Still got my sense of smell, no incontinence/constipation problems, haven't forgotten what day it is yet and still know that Winston Churchill is the prime minister....

[p-oui in reply to Marcomando]

Marc my tremor is a little worse as well. Exercise seems to help the most and yoga helps but I hate that my tremor is noticeable during yoga. I find spin class is very helpful.

Haha, So good to hear about Churchill, so much better than remembering Trump is your President.

[Marcomando in reply to p-oui]

Yes you have my commiserations on the occupant of your oval office!

('Your oval office' sounds like a euphemism.

I certainly wouldn't want Trump occupying my oval office! lol)

[marcet]

I have been using it for more than 3 years with no side effect, it seems to help with mood and fine hand and fingers moves but does nothing regarding tremors

[nourilo in reply to marcet]

How much inosine do you take?

[marcet in reply to nourilo]

i know nothing about inosine, what is it ?

[Skymom2008]

It never helped me, but everyone is different.

[Hidden]

healthabc,

Amantadine is what helped my tremor. It is an anti-viral drug that they found had beneficial benefits for ppl with PD.

Best wishes, Darkflower

[beang]

I used it briefly but it made me feel worse. Check the dietary restrictions. I went back to selegilene, now Requip. Nothing works better than exercise, as hard as you can handle. See rocksteadyboxing.org.

[ruthgt]

try acupanctur i do ones a week and it helps with the tremor

[ruthgt]

before going on levodopa there are other the agonist type and before try mucuna pruriane ite vegetarian iam on it for 15 month with no side effect

[Bailey_Texas]

I have taken Azilect for 11 years don't know if it works or not. Just know I am taking

Azilect, C/L and Requip together with exercise controls my Pd 95% of the time. With few if any side effects on a daily basis. I can truly say i am better today than any time in the last 11 years. For example i worked 14 hours today picking up construction debris, moving 100 boxes out of a attic, repairing a dump truck,all outside in the heat 97 degrees at the peak without any sign of PD. No down time at all. BTW i am 62 years old. I lost 7 pounds today from sweating. It shows that some of us can live a hardy life with PD. I believe i am one of the lucky ones but i do work at being fit.

Wishing everyone good luck with their struggle with PD.