Is dementia a symptom of Parkinson's or a side effect of the PD Rx we suffer with acquiescence? i sense my forgetfulness is lifting since i weaned myself from first pramipexole then Azilect and lately Sinemet.
A family acquaintance, whom we don't talk to anymore because they stopped coming around, said a few years ago after a conversation in which my diagnosis was discussed that eventually everyone with Parkinson's gets dementia. Hateful woman works in a retirement community, the assisted living section, where an elderly woman smacks her on the head if she does something incorrectly. Deserves it I think
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BUZZ1397
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Not all PD people suffer from dementia. Mohammed Ali's mind remained sharp to the very end, and even after he could no longer speak, he gave interviews via a keyboard, and he also condemned Donald Trump. Some people suggest that the percentage may be 25%, some higher. I suspect that the real answer is that there are possible 4 types or more of PD, and hopefully many of us will not have dementia in the future. The hateful woman probably deserves it.
If you have PD, the risk is higher of developing dementia, but by no means is it inevitable and I know several people in their 80s with PD who don't have if. On the other hand, my aunt who doesn't have PD is completely bats., bless her.
Aren't people insensitive? When I told one of my very close friends about my having PD a couple of years ago she also said 'everyone' with PD gets dementia. Rather like saying 'everyone' with cancer dies. The possibility is higher but it depends on what type and other factors including, frankly, luck. I was astonished at her lack of tact. She now denies saying it, but she absolutely did. Delighted to hear your acquaintance is being smacked on the head on a daily basis. The woman with dementia sounds like she's got good instincts 😎
I agree with PD man and Stevie about the likelihood of dementia. I dont believe the drugs cause dementia but they can trigger it. They.can also make cognitive difficulties worse.
i think all this medicine makes me worse and when i send info on mucina he blows it off. can you tell me how to go about starting the procedure to switch over. i am presentely on rytqry /95 4 pills 4 x a day and allizect. I was formally diagnosed in nov 2015. i wonder how i would be now without all this medication. there were never any off times before it just slow walking and dragging my right side. Buzz - i would really like to know what you did.
To start, I declined to take my meds exactly as ordered (azilect) and I went on an on about natural methods (including fire ant venom) until finally my neuro offered to refer me to another and did not want to be my neuro or see me again. Disgruntled as the neuro may have become with me, I began to get more serious and followed Silvestro herein. I gradually experimented with the natural methods Silvestro lauds and at the same time being comfortable with how I was doing I gradually titrated off Rx. I recommend looking at Silvestro's posts he writes freely about hhow to address symptoms of PD w/o Rx.Warning it might cost more than your Rx.
Well, I benefit from a few stings on the fingers that need it every 4 or 5 days, that is my practice. By benefit I mean the stinging makes my body do an anti-inflammatory response, so there is that which also makes it a little easier to walk for awhile. But the main reason I continue what some might think nuts is it restors some of the tactile ability in my right hand. Not normal ability by any means of measuring but I do regain the ability to eat with my right hand even to button and tie laces. I noticed it after experiencing fire ant venom the first time it happened. I would not have noted this effect but for the lucky fact that I was stung on my right hand. It appears that the venom has a temporary restorative effect on the nerves in proximity to where the stings occur, in addition to eliciting the anti-inflammation. For me it was immediate and it has been hard to get anyone to believe. I don't have the medical language to describe it, I just know the improvement is demonstrable. I can lay off doing it for a week and lose my dexterity then go find a fire ant mound and get it right back. Go figure!? If you search fire ant, piperidine and Parkinson's you will discover there is a European pharmacy co. that has an adjunctive product for Parkinson's already on the market that is based on fire ant venom. I believe it is called Parkinsans. It has been arouund so long there is already a generic called budipine and neither are available in America. Just remember you might be allergic and are risking anaphylaxis if you have never been stung by a fire ant before so have some Benadryl handy if you think you may be allergic. And it must be fire ants apparently, I tried little red ants and NOTHING!
How interesting! I've heard of bee venom for arthritis but apparently there are more critters that can help us... I have been stung by fire ants many times and fortunately never had a reaction, just little itchy blisters like chicken pox, but know someone who would develop a huge red swelling around the bite. I was diagnosed last month and so far have only tremors, but have a friend who is loosing dexterity in her fingers although she has not been diagnosed with PD, and will let her know - we have plenty of fire ant mounds to experiment on
It occurred to my feeble brain that I'd be amiss to not write that budipine or Parkinsan is made by Lundbeck. That company's Parkensan pharmaceutical is the only synthetic I would try if I could get my hands on some. It is derived from a fire ant venom component, piperidine, which has neurotransmission effect that is researched and found beneficial. I am following Silvestrov's suggestions closely, e.g., salmon oil, EGCG, Quercetin/Bromelin, ascorbic acid and natural sourced levadopa (mucuna pruriens standardized extracts). Good luck to you and your friend.
My husband (78) blames all of his cognitive issues on Sinemet. He hates taking it, and claims he immediately gets "fuzzy".... that said, he has dropped his morning dose (he was taking 2-25/100, 3x a day) now he is just taking 2/ 2x a day) because mornings are worse and he does get sharper as the day goes on... but he seems just as fuzzy in the mornings w/o it! Maybe the damage is done? So hard to tell what is really happening!
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Just remember you might be allergic and are risking anaphylaxis if you have never been stung by a fire ant before so have some Benadryl handy if you think you may be allergic. And it must be fire ants apparently, I tried little red ants and NOTHING!
Dementia and Parkinsons
Medication induced dementia
PD Dementia
Meds for dementia 
