Category: medications (Page 2 of 2)

Low Blood Pressure and Parkinsons

October 29, 2009 / manabunnow4zph / 1 Comment

The following questions were sent by Nancy whose Dad has low blood pressure and Parkinsons.

Question:

Saw your interesting article on the internet last night. My Dad was diagnosed with Parkinson’s about 10 years ago. He has been on the required medication, such as Levadopa and Requip, maybe some others. My most concern is the Requip.

He has been the hospital all week because of his low blood pressure. For some reason they don’t know what to do about it. I have been told that the requip causes low blood pressure. Can he safely get off of the stuff? And how?

Response:

Once a person starts taking medication, it is very tricky to stop. The body goes into a type of withdrawal. It is important to work closely with the doctors if the intent is to stop taking any Parkinson’s meditations (or reduce the dosage). It is not a smart idea to go cold turkey on the medications.

Question:

How can you tell if someone has been misdiagnosed with Parkinson’s?

Response:

Parkinson’s is a garbage can type diagnosis which means it covers a wide range of symptoms. Research estimates show that about one third of the people who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s were misdiagnosed. This happens because there is no definitive test for it. Most doctors eliminate other possibilities – and if nothing is left – it is diagnosed as “Parkinson’s”.

Question:

Has all this medication put him in the condition he is in?

Response:

You can partially answer your own question by asking your pharmacist for the list of side effects from the medications he takes. If the symptoms he is experiencing are on the list, there is certainly a good possibility interactions of the medications might be the culprit.

There is also another problem that emerges when more than one medication is taken: drug interactions and depletions. Additional problems are caused sometimes when certain medications are combined. I refer people to Randy Mentzer who is a nutritional counselor and compounding pharmacist.

Randy does a full analysis of everything a person puts into their body, consults with the patients and writes up a detailed report of recommendations. He can sometimes make a natural medications that can substitute for the medication the person may be taking that is causing the problem.

Most medical doctors are not trained to do such an analysis. I might add it takes someone like Randy years and years to learn what these medications do and how they interact. It is a specialty in itself.

Question:

I see Parkinson’s patients and say to myself,

“My Dad does not act like that.”

How interesting, I always encourage people to trust their own intuition. It may be that it is time to entertain other possibilities.

Question:

Can a person safely get off of the medication to see if he really needs it at all?

Response:

As I mentioned above, weaning off of medications is a tricky business. You have to work very closely with your doctors and reduce the dosages very slowly and cautiously.

Question:

Just would like your opinion be and what can I do for him?

Response:

I am not a medical doctor, so I can only offer my “opinion” if this were my Dad. To be clear, I am not suggesting you do these things! This is only what I would do if this were my Dad who has low blood pressure and Parkinsons.

First, I would do everything in my power to get my Dad out of the hospital with the doctors’ blessings. There are many bacteria floating around hospitals these days, so people can get sicker sometimes because of exposure to new infections.

Second, I would get a consultation with a Nutritional Counselor or Compounding Pharmacist.

Third, I would order a bioenergetic assessment from Dr. Ivy Faber (which would likely point to possible causes of the symptoms).

Fourth, I would get a consultation with a naturopathic doctor.

Fifth, I would do everything possible to make sure my Dad was eating live foods.

Sixth, I would do something for my self as his son, so I could have some distance from the urgency of the problem at hand. If I am in fear as his son, it will do him no good whatsoever.

All of the above steps make it possible to approach the crisis in different ways, to step outside the box so to say. I am confident your current doctors are doing everything possible to help your Dad out, but specialists look at problems from the perspective of their own specialty. That is what they are trained to do!

If I were in your shoes,

I would begin thinking about the problem from different perspectives.
I would involve other health care practitioners in addition to the neurologists.
I would remind myself that the body always knows how to heal itself.

Give the body what it needs to come back into balance and your Dad’s body will take care of the rest.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery

Exciting News about Recovery Progress

September 5, 2009 / manabunnow4zph / 1 Comment

What follows is a letter which reports exciting progress of recovery that I have permission to post. This letter was a most wonderful and very unexpected birthday present that I received several days ago.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery

I just wanted to share with you that my neurologist was completely impressed with your website. We went online during my appt.

He is awesome- absolutely the most open M.D. I have ever met. I said you weren’t saying that this was a cure for Parkinson’s, but that you were saying a person could become symptom free and he said,

“Yes you can!”

He mentioned that many of his patients ask him what they can do to reduce symptoms and he tells them good nutrition, exercise, meditate, etc. That is the beauty of your site. You have done all the work and a wonderful job organizing everything — all we have to do is turn the computer on! The first thing he said to me is,

“Have you been working out a lot? You look great!”

That felt really good. I have made vast improvements in such a short time. However, I need to keep working hard and reduce my meds more as I am having a lot of very restricting dyskinesia again – that is my signal to reduce.

My doctor was also impressed with my med reduction. I have totally eliminated 3 drugs and reduced one, I have cut my l-dopa (mucuna) dose by 50% 1st than another 25% of that and now it’s time again. I just want to thank you for all that you have done and are doing- remember to take a break sometime!

Sincerely,

Turtle

Medical Specialities for Parkinsons

July 29, 2009 / manabunnow4zph / 0 Comments

There are many alternatives to consider when searching for therapies and treatments that provide relief from the symptoms of Parkinson’s. I will preview both Western and Eastern medical specialties for Parkinsons several by way of opening up ideas for where you can search to find relief.

Western Medical Specialities for Parkinsons

One of the places that is familiar to most people today is western medicine, a specialty among many other possible specialties that can be considered. Western medicine treats symptoms with prescription drugs and surgery. This approach for treating illness has become a commonly accepted method of treating disease for about 100 years now.

It is losing some of its popularity because of the side effects of the medicines and the consequences of surgeries. It is important to remember, however, that the mainstream medication specialty is precisely what some people need to jump start their recovery program.

Thank goodness the western medicine specialty is stringently regulated. Prescription medicines make molecular changes to the cellular structure of the body. Most prescription medicines have side effects. This is why Federal Drug Administration (or a similar agency in other countries) legally regulates the prescription and sale of all prescription drugs. Stringent certifications are required for the medical doctors who prescribe the meditations and for the pharmacists who sell them.

The standard treatment approach in western medicine is to perform diagnostic tests to determine the cause of the symptom. Unfortunately administration of the tests can of course take months and require considerable expense. Unfortunately, the diagnostic tests sometimes cause illnesses in their own right.

After determining a diagnosis, the standard approach is to prescribe medications or surgery. If the medications and/or surgery succeed in alleviating the symptoms, the treatment is declared a success. If unsuccessful, the treatment is suspended in search of an alternative drugs or surgeries that are hoped will provide relief. Sometimes medical doctors have to go back to the drawing board to consider other diagnoses. Some people have a long list of diagnoses for a variety of symptom sets.

The western approach to medicine works beautifully for some people and some symptoms. For other people and other symptoms, such treatments can be disappointing. Many people prefer this specialty over other alternatives. Others use both.

Eastern Medical Specialties for Parkinsons

There are also a wide variety of other specialties that offer the potential to provide relief which rely on natural methods to heal the body. An advantage of such specialties is that they have been practiced for many thousands of years with great success. The worst side effect you are likely to experience when using natural therapies is improved health on some level.

The number of specialties other than western medicine is extensive: homeopathy, acupuncture, herbs, meditation, energy healing, physical therapy, tai chi, qigong, naturopathy, exercise, hypnosis, counseling therapy, nutrition, body work – you name it. This is the short list.

Most of these specialties have been practiced for thousands and thousands of years. The standard approach to illness in the United States was to use homeopathic remedies until the beginning of the 20th century, a time when most of us today were not living.

Many people get a huge advantage when they use a combination of specialties. Why? When used in combination, the benefits from using the treatments from more than one specialty are usually synergistic.

In the countless interviews I do with individuals who have the symptoms of Parkinson’s I am overwhelmed with what people do that helps – not just a little – but a lot.

May you open the door to consider what all specialties have to offer. That is what I have been doing with my own research strategy and I am unearthing unbelievable discoveries which you can read about in the Parkinsons Recovery blog.

Join me with investigating other specialties that have the potential to help you feel a lot better. The people who are getting great relief from their symptoms are willing to experiment with many different specialties. The sky is the limit. The potential for healing is limitless.

Robert Rodgers PhD
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery

Pain and Parkinsons Disease

July 20, 2009 / manabunnow4zph / 0 Comments

Although the topic of pain and Parkinsons disease may have come up before, we haven’t gotten yet a satisfactory answer. The question is whether you have found pain to be a significant symptom in people with other symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, and if so, what they do to find relief.

The second question is whether in people who take L-dopa, it is common for them to feel worse 20-45 min after taking the medication before finding relief. Any suggestions or information you have on these two related questions would be very much appreciated.

Pain and Parkinsons Disease

Yes, I have received many reports from people who report pain is a very troubling symptom for them among others. First, from what I have learned, people get relief from pain by meditating. Meditation allows them to override all of the thinking that surrounds the “meaning” of the pain. We all put a head on top of our head, which makes the experience worse. That is one reason I have been motivated to record the weekly series of meditations for Parkinsons Recovery members.

Second, my observation is that there is typically a thought form that is buried beneath the pain. Once that is cleared and released, the pain resolves.

Third, a source of the pain is often unreleased trauma. Using one body therapy or another (we use craniosacral) helps with releasing trauma. Other therapies are helpful as well. Once the trauma is released, the pain resolves (if trauma is the primary causal factor)

Timing of Medications

As for the timing of the medications – this is a tough one. Your doctor of course is the go to resource when it comes to questions about medications. Most people tell me that when they work closely with their doctor, they can adjust their medications so that the down time is minimized. People I have interviewed tell me they experience symptom relief after taking medications, not pain.

I wonder about the reason for the emergence of pain before the meditations kick in. Perhaps the body is in a suspended state of withdrawal until the new dose starts to work. Perhaps there is a temporary flare up of inflammation

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery

Parkinson’s Supplements

June 23, 2009 / manabunnow4zph / 23 Comments

You must be most certainly aware of Dr. Mukesh Paneri,an ayurvedic doctor from Ahmedabad, India. His website is www.drpaneri.com who I understand treats patients with Parkinson’s supplements and diet.

He claims to have cured more than 50 patients from Parkinsons Disease and 122 well on their way to recovery. I would like to know how genuine and authentic are his claims before progressing further. I am eagerly waiting for your reply.

Srinivasan

I have been trying to arrange an interview with Dr. Paneri for a year but I have thus far not succeeded. I have talked with several people who have received his treatment. Results of my investigations to date are reported in my book, Pioneers of Recovery .

This is the first I have heard that he reports specific numbers of persons who are symptom free. It would be wonderful if he is now meticulously tracking the recovery of his patients.

My own feeling about “cures” is that no one else cures us of anything. We cure ourselves. I do know from my interview with Nathan Zakheim (who reports a full recovery from Dr. Paneri’s treatments in Pioneers of Recovery) that Dr. Paneri uses an Ayurvedic approach which requires a very strict dietary intake of food. His treatment involves much more than simply taking herbs or supplements which he sends his patients from his clinic in India.

He is the fifth generation in his family of people who have worked with people using supplements for Parkinson’s and diet. You are clearly dealing with someone who has intimate knowledge of the symptoms. I understand that he does consultations with his patients by phone.

I do not know whether the claims you report above are “valid” or documented. I have talked with people who have used his services who report feeling better as a result. I suspect that like all possibilities, some people respond favorably to his therapies and some do not. I have no direct evidence to this effect. I only have results of my own investigations on many other therapies and treatments.

Everyone has to find the path of recovery that works for them. I have not found a therapy yet that has a positive impact on everyone. I do know that if you commit to working with Dr. Paneri, you have to have a strong commitment to get better and you must be willing to make significant changes in your diet and life style. I suspect a reason people do feel better is because they begin to watch the food they eat much more mindfully.

If you decide to receive his treatments, please let us all know how it turns out! We would all love to hear from you.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery
www.parkinsonsrecovery.com

Has Anyone Improved Enough to Discontinue Sinemet?

May 19, 2008 / manabunnow4zph / 2 Comments

Has Anyone Improved Enough to Discontinue Sinemet?

The most encouraging news I have heard comes from John Coleman ND who is from Australia. He is a naturopath who himself had Parkinson’s in the mid 90’s and has now fully recovered. John has now helped many others do the same. What follows is John Coleman’s answer to this question in his own words.

“I chose not to take any western medication during my journey. There were a number of reasons for that, mainly around the way doctors treated me. But that was my choice, and I’m glad of it.”

“However, all my clients who have recovered were taking western medication (Sinemet, Madopar, and/or others) until they got better. The first was taking around 1500 mg of levodopa per day, and gradually weaned himself of it over two years. Another was on Sinemet 100/25 three times daily and reduced that to 0 over about 18 months. Another was on Madopar and went cold turkey (I don’t advise that) after three years or so and has stayed well. Others have started on high medication and reduced to very low doses while they still work towards recovery.

“I saw a client this week who just gave up Sinement in January because he didn’t like the way it made him feel. He is a little stiffer without it, but feels better in himself and has more energy to work towards wellness. He is improving in health steadily.”

At Parkinsons Recovery we are hearing more and more stories from people who have successfully reduced the dose of the medications they have been taking under the close supervision of their doctor. The answer from John Coleman ND to the question: Has anyone improved enough to discontinue Sinemet – is yes.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery

Dose and Timing of Medications

May 19, 2008 / manabunnow4zph / 2 Comments

Most people have problems figuring out the best
timing and dose of their Parkinson’s medications. I
am not a medical doctor, so I am not qualified or
trained to be able to help you with this problem.
Clearly, the best thing you can do is to consult with
your doctor with these type of issues..

I do want to comment on the energy behind trying
to figure out the right timing and dose of medications.
The energy behind this effort is intentional (which is good),
forceful (which can be good) and controlling (which is bad).
So what is so wrong with the energy behind control? After all,
control is what makes things happen in the world, right?

Most people we work with who have Parkinson’s have
been successful in their various jobs
because they know how to use the energy of control
effectively and efficiently. So again you are probably
wondering why is control in this case “bad”?

Controlling behavior can be bad for people with the
symptoms of Parkinson’s. Controlling
behavior pumps out adrenaline which sustains
hormonal imbalances in the body.
If you are trying to control the timing of your medications,
every day (and even making different decisions every
hour about what do to) there is an energy of control
which is continuously present. The hormonal imbalance
in the body is continuously present, making balance an
ever present challenge for the body.

What do you do about the energy behind control?
Make it conscious, so that you come to a place where
evaluating your dose and timing become effortless
(as opposed to forced) as you listen to the needs of
your own body.

I always recommend that your muscle test these
questions. They are many methods that can be used
to access the wisdom of your body, or you can simply
honor your own intuition and instincts. I use both
actually.

In summary, there is a curious tension between
the energy of “control” (which involves doing
something every day to your body) versus being
able to relax and let go. When you attempt to force
relaxation, it just doesn’t work. The body just
becomes more alert and even more adrenaline
is pumped out.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery