End Stage Parkinsons

[Boyce3600]

Is sleeping more and more during this diagnosed stage a sign that death is near?

[chartist]

Boyce3600,

Here is some basic information on the stages (5) of PD :

medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

parkinson.org/Understanding...

crossroadshospice.com/hospi...

what you describe may be something else, so having a conversation with the neurologist or MDS is needed to be certain.

Art

[Patrickk]

Never heard of "end stage Parkinson's." Have heard that people die with Parkinson's, not from Parkinson's. Extra danger of falls and a type of pneumonia cause by letting food get into lungs are only Parkinson's related extra morbidity as far as I know.

[kevowpd in reply to Patrickk]

Its physical disability combined with dementia (most of the time).

[Berrytog]

My wife was diagnosed two years ago and sleeps a lot during the morning. Her limbs are constricted so I feed her but other than a total change in personality al her other vital signs are normal, in fact, the doctor said she could be twenty five.

[LAJ12345]

Could it be the medication you/they are on? My husband was on mirtazapine for depression and did not want to wake and when awake would just sit with a blank face. He was 57 and looked 90. I have weaned him off this over a few years, cutting the tablet, reducing by a few percent every few weeks, then finally getting the medication compounded at 1/10 the strength and weighing that with jewellers scale and decreasing very slowly. This week I have switched him onto placebo capsule to see if he can get off that extremely tiny amount that he has been on the last month. His face is back to normal and doesn’t need day sleep any more. He has taken a bit longer to drop off to sleep at night but takes melatonin for that now.

He has been taking a range of supplement at the same time so who knows which intervention has helped. I am pretty sure it was the mirtazapine that started the symptoms though years ago.

So far so good!

[LeharLover62]

My husband has had Parkinson’s for 15 years and treatment with any variety of dopamine at this point can cause hallucinations. But, last fall I started him on mannitol, and he suddenly was awake and out of bed all day for the first time in years! It’s not perfect, as too much can also trigger anxiety and mild hallucinations for him.

He also always sleeps more if he’s getting a bit too little dopamine, but that’s tricky to raise at this stage in the disease.

Sad to hear that the Parkinson’s is progressing so far! Best wishes, and I agree with the recommendation to ask their neurologist.