With a long history of heart problems and related operations, I had frequent reminders that the problems were still there. I took several medications to stabilize the heart and two more, Lysinopril and Zettia, to lower blood pressure. After PD diagnosis and, as symptoms worsened, weakness, faintness and dizzy spells developed. These were traced to extremely low blood pressure. We dumped the blood pressure meds and the bp retuned to the normal range. The dizziness disappeared. Not only that but somehow (knock knock!!) the other heart related symptoms seem to have backed off also. I no longer carry Nitro.
There are some interesting studies on the subject. If anyone else has had a similar experience I would like to discuss it.
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ronn
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I havent had cardiac problems but all the same this is very interesting. Do you think the lowered BP relieved the symptoms or is it more than that? I do notice i get short of breathe lately but is that lack of exercise, cardiac or a PD symptom related to low dopamine ( maybe affecting diagphragm or intercostal muscles). Guess its time for another google search!
Thank you for your response to my question. I am sure that a cardiologist would call it over-simplifying to say that the PD alleviated all my heart problems but, whatever happened, it is welcome so far.
Regarding your shortness of breath, whatever the cause, a good exercise program including deep breathing exercises could ony help. Sorry, didn't mean to preach. It sounds like you are quite capable of managing your own program.
If you go to google for info you will find a study done several years ago which showed that the heart normally produces a substance related to dopamine and used within the heart. This substance is missing in most Parkinson patients, which provides more food for thought.
Regarding shortness of breathe - oh yes I know what to do but the occasional prompt is welcome !
Thanks for the info above, I have googled PD and heart disease and there is some interesting information to read, or more accurately fall asleep over! I miss being able to concentrate on reading.
Seven years ago my hus band went to the GP and asked him if he might have Parkinsons .. He occasionally had a little tremor and he was bent to one side with poor balance . He asked him to put his arms out .
He took his BP and it ws on the high side with a fast pulse . Gave him Amlodopine and suggested he have some treatment with an osteopath . He did this for three months which didnt help at all ..
He was really struggling especially walking , now and then he would get anxious and ask me to hold him tight he couldnt explain how he felt to me .. At the same time as all this was going on my mother had a very serious stroke and was also in quarantine in hospital .for five months . She ended up in a nursing home for 3 years until she died . All this time we visited daily ..She was the best and very special to us all ..
The week before she died I went into see the GP with my husband and told him we couldnt go on any more like this .
He said to my husband " Why are you looking at me like that " Immediatlely he said I think you have Parkinsons . .
Then he was diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation and treated with Beta Blocker .
We are now in the middle of trying out different treatments for his heart , something I feel was a bigger problem in the first instance
So maybe it's why the extra Parkinsons meds didnt seem to help and that it was not having the strength to cope with it all ..
Thank you for sharing your story. I'm sorry you had such a hard time getting your husband's PD properly diagnosed. It often seems to me that any Stage 2 PWP could recognise the syptoms better than most doctors. The "disease" (I hate that word)is entirely different from the inside looking out. I can understand what your husband was feeling when he asked you to hold him. My wife and I have been there.
As to the heart problems, your husband has Atrial Fib (an electrical problem). Mine is Coronary artery disease, (a "plumbing" problem). The relationship with blood pressure would not be similar.
As for the chicken and egg controversy, it's obvious that the egg came first.
im on meds for high blood pressure beta blockers ect. this was under control until i started taking mirapixen for pd, now after taking i feel kinda dizzy and like everything is fuzzy, this only last about 30 mins. i have lost my appetite and feel sick. i was only diagnoised in jan so i just put it down to the meds settling in, also get really bad heartburn something ive never had, but im scared im blaming pd for everything, insomnia is starting, feel a trip to docs to demand something done...
Thank you for responding. I have no medical training but have PD, have taken meds for high blood pressure and have experienced dizziness and "fuzziness" while taking them. I developed the practice of taking my own blood pressure whenever I felt dizzy and weak and recording the reading for my doctors. Those readings were always low. I also took BP when I felt good. Those were usually normal. When my doctor reviewed the record, she voided the prescriptions for the two blood pressure reducers. I stopped taking them and have had no more dizzy spells. If you have a home BP device, it may be worth keeping a record to show your doctor. Again, Please don't consider this "medical" advice.
Don't blame everything on Parkinsons . I also don't refer to Parkinson's as a disease , t's an illness / condition . it's not contagious .
I have been using a BP monitor since I was also diagnosed with High BP so I have also kept a check on my husbands .
It helps sort the white coat syndrome !
Its interesting when you say that the substance with the heart might take a part in it .
Although I am sure he has had Parkinson's for many years I believe the Atrial Fibrillation was miss diagnosed for many years as well
The Amlodopine has caused the fluid retention gasping etc etc they are looking at enlarged heart with failure
.
Now on Forusamide , BisiprololDigoxin . Hopefully if we can get rid of the F retention he will go onto a different medication . As you mentioned the meds can bring the BP down much too low ..
We are hoping once /if the meds help the heart work a little better at the same time it will help cope with the Parkinsons .
Ronn, since my PD diagnosis, I have been struggling with low blood pressure. I take Enapril and Coreg. Because of the low pressure, my cardiologist discontinued the Enalapril. I still continue to have low blood pressure. Last week he lowered my Coreg to 3.125 twice daily, which is the lowest dosage you can take. I'm still having episodes of low blood pressure; but need the Coreg to rebuild damaged heart muscle and to help take the workload off my heart. The Coreg also protects the heart. Bottom line, I need it. When I feel dizzy or lightheaded, I sit for a while until it passes.
Our GP told us that having Parkinsons often goes with low B Pressure .been back and fore the GP removing and adding drugs, Now taking extra Forusamide and Digoxin but he is more confuse / switched off sleepy . anyone had this problem
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