Re: incorrect diagnosis of PD?

[John DeGelleke <degellek@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, 17 Jan 1995, Ann M Strozewski wrote:

> Hello all--
>   I have written several times on behalf of my mother who was diagnosed with
> PD about 1.5 years ago...
> Our first reason for suspiscion is that Sinemet
> seems to have no effect whatsoever on her. There is no on/off.
>   Our second reason for questioning the diagnosis is that PD typically
> progresses rather slowly. It was a slow progression for my mom at first but
> recently it has changed so dramatically that I could see a difference in her
> in a matter of *days*...

Ann,
There are several types of Parkinson's Plus syndromes around that can
have these symptoms? Does your mother have tremor? My father doesn't, but
has lots of other PD-like symptoms, most troubling are his hallucinations
about furniture being swapped with the friends about which he is very
concerned. We're studying his meds.
He has visited Dr. Joseph Jankovic, head of the Parkinson's Disease and
Movement Disorders Clinic in Houston, part of the Baylor College of
Medicine. This man has written extensively on Parkinson's Plus, but they
really have a small database. Shy-Dragers Syndrome is one of them and has
been mentioned before in PARKINSN.
I have a copy of one of Dr. Jankovic's papers which I can send you a copy
of, snail mail, if you like. I don't know of an electronic copy being
available. It's at home, and I can't remember which Journal published it.


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John DeGelleke (degellek@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)
or johnd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx after 1/31/95
Palm Harbor, FL
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