Brenda Reese
Forum Replies Created
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My husband was diagnosed with PD in 2016. He also has orthostatic hypotension. He has been taking Midodrine 3x daily for months, but in the last few weeks, we have had to add Fludrocortisone each morning. This week, he has been needing 2 Fludrocortisone 0.1 mg pills first thing in the morning. (He deals with high BP when laying down, so he takes meds at night to lower it.) Before he gets out of bed, his BP is usually high. I get him sitting up and after 10 minutes of sitting up, his BP drops to normal. But as soon as he stands up, it drops to the 80’s over 50,s or even 40’s! SOOOO, I give him the Fludrocortisone and help him get to the bathroom and dressed etc. Once I wheelchair him to the dining table for breakfast, he takes his Carbodopa-levodopa and a Midodrine pill. His neurologist says that digestion causes the BP to lower, so he takes Midodrine at breakfast, lunch and supper. Dizziness, fatigue and weakness are his most bothersome symptoms, followed by constipation.
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My husband’s symptoms began with tiny, tiny hand writing and a masked face. For several years he was in denial that he was showing signs of PD. (His grandmother had had it ). His GP finally referred him to a neurologist who diagnosed him within 20 minutes with stage 3 PD. He was already exhibiting many symptoms of PD by then. Prescriptions of Carbodopa-levodopa (CL) helped rid him of several of his symptoms within a month or so. Nine years have passed and many of his earlier symptoms are returning in spite of is two CL prescriptions.
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My husband was diagnosed with PD in 2016 at stage 3. He takes Magnesium 400 mg 2-3x a day to help with constipation! It really does help. As someone else mentioned, it has kept him from having leg cramps which he experienced early on before his diagnosis.
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- I agree. Diapers ARE a poor AND expensive choice. At some point, we will try the catheter. He IS on Medicare, so glad they cover the catheters!
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Marjorie, thank you for your response. My husband takes Magnesium citrate 409 mg with each meal and I have to insert 2 glycerin suppositories every morning to help him poop. I bought him Miralax, but he won’t take it. I believe it would work, if he would take it!
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<li style=”text-align: left;”>My husband was diagnosed in 2016 with stage 3 PD, but he obviously had symptoms well before that. We have tried manitol for his constipation. I don’t see that it helps much with any of his symptoms, but I keep giving him 1 tsp in his OJ each morning. He has sleep issues, urinary issues, hears music that is not there, is mobile but slow, masked face, weak muscles, mind not always clear. But he is not depressed. He is a minister who had to go out on disability at age 62. He knows that I will take care of him and that the good Lord will take care of us. I did worry about our future when he was first diagnosed, but I decided that worrying was was futile and drained my strength to deal with the situation, so now I just take one day at a time and ask God to help me with whatever I face each day. We are dealing with slow progressing PD. So, he might outlive me! Anyway, God has been faithful to us and we have a good church family. Our children live 2 states away, so they do not help me, but church family is here for us.
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My husband has PD. He goes to the bathroom 3-4x per night. He has urgency issues from time to time. He does not want to wear diapers, so he has wet the bed a few times. Ugh. His urologist has not been helpful in dealing with this issue. He just says to wear diapers. 😫
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My husband has Parkinson’s disease. He cannot tolerate the outdoor heat either. He just “wilts”. He has to come back into the house in the air conditioning.  In the winter, he gets too cold. Sometimes, I am content with the indoor temperature and he is either cold OR hot! The neurologist says that goes with Parkinson’s disease impact on the sympathetic nervous system. No suggestions were given on how to handle outdoor heat. 😟
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My husband takes 4mg Fludrocortisone at breakfast to combat dizziness that would lead to fainting. If he still feels lightheaded, he sits in his recliner for 15-30 min with eyes closed. Then, he is usually able to function alright the rest of the day. He is stage 3 PD, age 69. Diagnosed early 2016, but had symptoms probably 10 years before diagnosis.
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Theresa, you just described to a “T” exactly all the things that I do. My husband was diagnosed with PD in 2016, already stage 3. I believe it began around 2004. Nearly every morning when I wake him up, he says “Are you my nurse for the day?” Of course, he is just teasing me, but sadly, I am nurse and much more. It is frustrating to not feel like a wife. ~Brenda R.