A pox on the heads of ......

Amantadine, that powerful, fabulous drug is in short supply. For two months my pharmacy has not had any amantadine and nobody knows what's going on with manufacturer. That is the drug that I believe, controls my tremor. Without amantadine, the shaking palsy would return. Fortunately, there is a place in town that fills its own capsules and I was able to get 300 of them but a 4 per day they won't last that long and then what???

I have an odd sleeping pattern. By 8pm, when I take my last dose of amantadine, I am totally, inhumanely exhausted. All I want to do is sleep so I watch TV to spur on the appearance of Morpheus, but within an hour or so, I find myself wide awake and unable to sleep. Now I know why.

Now listen carefully, my PD brothers and sisters. You should really read the information sheet that that accompanies the drugs. You start to read it and then stop after the first couple sentences. Why stop? For me, I never read it because it lists so many side effects,it scares the bejeezus out of me. Well, the 300 pills I purchased came with a sheet that informed me of only the common side effects including AMANTADINE CAUSES INSOMNIA. Whoa! Insomnia! That can't be good. Hey, maybe that is why I am sleepless after that the 8pm dose. I think that might be the case. Now I will have to screw up my schedule and take the bitter little pill at 6pm or, I can stop taking it or, I can reduce the dosage. Of those 3 choice, I think I will try screwing up my schedule.

I really believe my PD is progressing more slowly than most. As I said in an earlier entry, most of the weird symptoms are gone, leaving only the tremor and exhaustion. But, that's not quite true, I forgot that people can't hear me when I am speaking, that my gait is slowing down and that I am having difficulty rising out of soft sofas. So those symptoms remain as a constant reminder that the disease is still progressing. My wife, (where would I be without her)who is a physiotherapist, has helped me learn new techniques to overcome some of my difficulties. A physiotherapist! Could a person with parkinson's ask for a better caregiver? Judging by the picture below, she has her work cut out for her.