tamara29
04-20-2006, 11:09 PM
I'm sorry if this gets long, but I have a lot of questions and I feel that my grandmother might not be here much longer without some help. She can't get into see her neurologist until May 2, and I'm not sure she has that long at all.
Anyway, a few years ago, my granny started having trouble speaking. She couldn't get the words out. We assumed that she may have had a mini-stroke, and her primary care provider sent her to the neurologist. He said she had not had a stroke. We have had many different explanations from him about why her speech was affected. Once, they thought she had Lou Gehrig's, another time it was Parkinson's and another the answer was that the part of her brain that controlled speech was dying.
At the time that her doctor said she might have Parkinson's, she did have a few of the symptoms, but they were not too bad, so he wasn't sure. He did not prescribe any kind of medications.
About six weeks ago, Granny started to go downhill quickly. She was hospitalized and her primary care provider said her potassium was low. They got her potassium back up and sent her home. She would improve for a day or two, but then, would get worse. The tremors she had always had got worse, she could barely walk, had excessive salivia, trouble swallowing and suffered from a freezing spell. Last week, we called the ambulance to take her to the hospital, because we thought she might have had a stroke. The CT scan showed no signs of a stroke, but her potassium and magnesium are very low.
Now, since she's been home, she can barely eat and has to be fed. She can't wash herself and has to have help changing her clothes. The tremors are just awful, and she can barely talk.
We remembered that her neurologist had said something before about Parkinson's, and I've done some research and have become convinced that that is what she has.
Here are my questions, and again, I apologize that this is so long, but we are frantic.
1. Can Parkinson's progress that quickly?
2. Can low potassium, magnesium and sodium cause Parkinson symptoms to worsen?
3. With her being in the condition that she's in now, is there any hope that she can at least gain back some of the control she's lost?
4. What can we do for her until we can get her in to the neurologist? She's almost lost hope, and several of our family members have to. I'm clinging to it now, but I feel it could go any second.
Thanks for any answers and thanks for reading this long message.
Anyway, a few years ago, my granny started having trouble speaking. She couldn't get the words out. We assumed that she may have had a mini-stroke, and her primary care provider sent her to the neurologist. He said she had not had a stroke. We have had many different explanations from him about why her speech was affected. Once, they thought she had Lou Gehrig's, another time it was Parkinson's and another the answer was that the part of her brain that controlled speech was dying.
At the time that her doctor said she might have Parkinson's, she did have a few of the symptoms, but they were not too bad, so he wasn't sure. He did not prescribe any kind of medications.
About six weeks ago, Granny started to go downhill quickly. She was hospitalized and her primary care provider said her potassium was low. They got her potassium back up and sent her home. She would improve for a day or two, but then, would get worse. The tremors she had always had got worse, she could barely walk, had excessive salivia, trouble swallowing and suffered from a freezing spell. Last week, we called the ambulance to take her to the hospital, because we thought she might have had a stroke. The CT scan showed no signs of a stroke, but her potassium and magnesium are very low.
Now, since she's been home, she can barely eat and has to be fed. She can't wash herself and has to have help changing her clothes. The tremors are just awful, and she can barely talk.
We remembered that her neurologist had said something before about Parkinson's, and I've done some research and have become convinced that that is what she has.
Here are my questions, and again, I apologize that this is so long, but we are frantic.
1. Can Parkinson's progress that quickly?
2. Can low potassium, magnesium and sodium cause Parkinson symptoms to worsen?
3. With her being in the condition that she's in now, is there any hope that she can at least gain back some of the control she's lost?
4. What can we do for her until we can get her in to the neurologist? She's almost lost hope, and several of our family members have to. I'm clinging to it now, but I feel it could go any second.
Thanks for any answers and thanks for reading this long message.
Sponsor
monkeybrain
04-24-2006, 08:24 AM
So very sorry to hear about your grannys sudden deterioration...dont give up the loving care you are affording her, she is blessed to have you.
That said, if you type 'magnesium and parkinsons', into your search engine etc, you will be quickly enlightened as to the dramatic effects the lack of these things will have in the regard of pd. secondly, i can bare witness to rapid deterioration myself...at 39 i was to all ,'ok'..but very quickly lost my balance which resulted in frequent falls, my speech changed so friends and family thought i was drunk or worse, and the tremor in my lefthand side left me flapping like a bird in no time at all, however, with the speedy help of my doctor, i was taking sinemet very quickly and this worked for me, returning some normality back to my life....
i'm no expert, but with the time you have, perhaps it is worth asking your carer to get your granny on sinemet (L-dopa) as quick as possible in the hope that she may have some quality of life.....its strange to me that she never got to try this when her doctor first suspected she may have pd.
good luck...hope things go well :angel:
That said, if you type 'magnesium and parkinsons', into your search engine etc, you will be quickly enlightened as to the dramatic effects the lack of these things will have in the regard of pd. secondly, i can bare witness to rapid deterioration myself...at 39 i was to all ,'ok'..but very quickly lost my balance which resulted in frequent falls, my speech changed so friends and family thought i was drunk or worse, and the tremor in my lefthand side left me flapping like a bird in no time at all, however, with the speedy help of my doctor, i was taking sinemet very quickly and this worked for me, returning some normality back to my life....
i'm no expert, but with the time you have, perhaps it is worth asking your carer to get your granny on sinemet (L-dopa) as quick as possible in the hope that she may have some quality of life.....its strange to me that she never got to try this when her doctor first suspected she may have pd.
good luck...hope things go well :angel:
tamara29
04-25-2006, 01:40 PM
Thank you, thank you, thank you. You don't know how much I appreciate you posting to me.
I'm not sure why he didn't put her on the medication in the first place, except he didn't think she showed all the symptoms. The last diagnosis we had for her was cerebral degeneration, but the neurologist wasn't even sure if that was it or not.
My aunt has put in a call to her primary care doctor to see if she can get the L-Dopa. Granny has an appointment with the neurologist who didn't have any answers for her speech on May 2, but she also has an appointment with a neurologist at Vanderbilt in Nashville for May 8. We really want two opinions, and the neurologist at Vanderbilt is supposed to be very, very good.
I do have another question. Can Parkinson's cause magnesium and potassium levels to drop? Her potassium is really low again, even though she is taking potassium pills and my aunt is feeding her foods high in potassium. It seems like she goes in the hospital, they raise her levels and then when she's home for a day or two, the levels drop again.
Thank you again.
I'm not sure why he didn't put her on the medication in the first place, except he didn't think she showed all the symptoms. The last diagnosis we had for her was cerebral degeneration, but the neurologist wasn't even sure if that was it or not.
My aunt has put in a call to her primary care doctor to see if she can get the L-Dopa. Granny has an appointment with the neurologist who didn't have any answers for her speech on May 2, but she also has an appointment with a neurologist at Vanderbilt in Nashville for May 8. We really want two opinions, and the neurologist at Vanderbilt is supposed to be very, very good.
I do have another question. Can Parkinson's cause magnesium and potassium levels to drop? Her potassium is really low again, even though she is taking potassium pills and my aunt is feeding her foods high in potassium. It seems like she goes in the hospital, they raise her levels and then when she's home for a day or two, the levels drop again.
Thank you again.
monkeybrain
04-25-2006, 03:41 PM
:wave: hello again...i hope this note finds you and granny as well as can be.
in answer to your question....
Magnesium is a critical element in 325+ biochemical reactions in the human body.
Recent research, in France and several other European countries, gives a clue concerning the role of magnesium plays in the transmission of hormones (such as insulin, thyroid, estrogen, testosterone, DHEA, etc.), neurotransmitters (such as dopamine, catecholamines, serotonin, GABA, etc.), and minerals and mineral electrolytes. (it is the dopamine that is of interest to you here as it is the lack of dopamine that effects those of us with Parkinson's)
This research concludes that it is magnesium status that controls cell membrane potential and through this means controls uptake and release of many hormones, nutrients and neurotransmitters. It is magnesium that controls the fate of potassium and calcium in the body. If magnesium is insufficient potassium and calcium will be lost in the urine and calcium will be deposited in the soft tissues (kidneys, arteries, joints, brain, etc.).
Magnesium protects the cell from aluminum, mercury, lead, cadmium, beryllium and nickel. Evidence is mounting that low levels of magnesium contribute to the heavy metal deposition in the brain that precedes Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's. It is probable that low total body magnesium contributes to heavy metal toxicity in children and is a participant in the etiology of learning disorders.
Deficiency (from low dietary intake or excess loss) is clinically associated with: Amongst other things, PARKINSONS
so it does seem that there is a clear connection between Magnesium/Potassium and Parkinsons.
Not sure if this is of any help, but i hope so....dont ever be affraid to ask your carers any questions you feel you should ask, you will only regret not asking if you dont. What may be important to remember is, that if indeed your granny is effected by pd, she will always be aware of the care you are giving her, even if she is unable to tell you or respond, ...so, always talk to her and reassure her..(i'm sure you already do)
sorry about the time delay, but i'm on GMT
in answer to your question....
Magnesium is a critical element in 325+ biochemical reactions in the human body.
Recent research, in France and several other European countries, gives a clue concerning the role of magnesium plays in the transmission of hormones (such as insulin, thyroid, estrogen, testosterone, DHEA, etc.), neurotransmitters (such as dopamine, catecholamines, serotonin, GABA, etc.), and minerals and mineral electrolytes. (it is the dopamine that is of interest to you here as it is the lack of dopamine that effects those of us with Parkinson's)
This research concludes that it is magnesium status that controls cell membrane potential and through this means controls uptake and release of many hormones, nutrients and neurotransmitters. It is magnesium that controls the fate of potassium and calcium in the body. If magnesium is insufficient potassium and calcium will be lost in the urine and calcium will be deposited in the soft tissues (kidneys, arteries, joints, brain, etc.).
Magnesium protects the cell from aluminum, mercury, lead, cadmium, beryllium and nickel. Evidence is mounting that low levels of magnesium contribute to the heavy metal deposition in the brain that precedes Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's. It is probable that low total body magnesium contributes to heavy metal toxicity in children and is a participant in the etiology of learning disorders.
Deficiency (from low dietary intake or excess loss) is clinically associated with: Amongst other things, PARKINSONS
so it does seem that there is a clear connection between Magnesium/Potassium and Parkinsons.
Not sure if this is of any help, but i hope so....dont ever be affraid to ask your carers any questions you feel you should ask, you will only regret not asking if you dont. What may be important to remember is, that if indeed your granny is effected by pd, she will always be aware of the care you are giving her, even if she is unable to tell you or respond, ...so, always talk to her and reassure her..(i'm sure you already do)
sorry about the time delay, but i'm on GMT
NHone
04-26-2006, 04:31 AM
I'm sorry if this gets long, but I have a lot of questions and I feel that my grandmother might not be here much longer without some help. She can't get into see her neurologist until May 2, and I'm not sure she has that long at all.
Anyway, a few years ago, my granny started having trouble speaking. She couldn't get the words out. We assumed that she may have had a mini-stroke, and her primary care provider sent her to the neurologist. He said she had not had a stroke. We have had many different explanations from him about why her speech was affected. Once, they thought she had Lou Gehrig's, another time it was Parkinson's and another the answer was that the part of her brain that controlled speech was dying.
At the time that her doctor said she might have Parkinson's, she did have a few of the symptoms, but they were not too bad, so he wasn't sure. He did not prescribe any kind of medications.
About six weeks ago, Granny started to go downhill quickly. She was hospitalized and her primary care provider said her potassium was low. They got her potassium back up and sent her home. She would improve for a day or two, but then, would get worse. The tremors she had always had got worse, she could barely walk, had excessive salivia, trouble swallowing and suffered from a freezing spell. Last week, we called the ambulance to take her to the hospital, because we thought she might have had a stroke. The CT scan showed no signs of a stroke, but her potassium and magnesium are very low.
Now, since she's been home, she can barely eat and has to be fed. She can't wash herself and has to have help changing her clothes. The tremors are just awful, and she can barely talk.
We remembered that her neurologist had said something before about Parkinson's, and I've done some research and have become convinced that that is what she has.
Here are my questions, and again, I apologize that this is so long, but we are frantic.
1. Can Parkinson's progress that quickly?
2. Can low potassium, magnesium and sodium cause Parkinson symptoms to worsen?
3. With her being in the condition that she's in now, is there any hope that she can at least gain back some of the control she's lost?
4. What can we do for her until we can get her in to the neurologist? She's almost lost hope, and several of our family members have to. I'm clinging to it now, but I feel it could go any second.
Thanks for any answers and thanks for reading this long message.
Yes she can come back, and YES, YES, YES to number 2. There is a very good chance that she has Parkinsonism....(something thats mimics parkinson's , but is not parkinsons) It is imparative that she have an intracellular magnesium test...it must be intracellular. It her blood (serum) magnesium is low, she will not survive long. It must be replenished NOW!!!...
I know it is almost May 2, but you DO NOT have time to waste. As a stop gap measure the doctor should replace her electrolytes immediately..she needs to be on intravenous magnesium. You well probably see a marked improvement very, very quickly. The people that they say died of natural causes most likely died because they ran out of magnesium. If it seems like you doctor will not help...find an alternative medicine doctor.. A good D.O. also understands the body much better than an M.D. What you can do is get her on a good magnesium.. I would suggest MagOx, (its behind the prescription counter, but not prescription.) At least 600 mg per day. The bottle says MagOx 400, but you need to look at the elemental magneium. In magOx it is 244 mg. It says so on the back of the bottle. It is a quick disolve formula and is 99% absorbed. Don't worry about too much magnesium. Unlike calcium excess magnesium will be excreted. Is she taking calcium...calcium depletes magnesium, unless enough magnesium is given. You need to search on the web the following: (seelig and low magnesium) Dr. Mildred Seelig is the world's magnesium expert. Her book "the magnesium factor" is also an excellent source. Low magnesium can mimic a stroke. Save her for now and I will tell you were to hae some more tests done to test other intrecellular values... Why do I know...My mother has been in the same situation...(caused by her doctors).. She was near death because her serum values of magnesium came back ok..whle her intracellular test cam back low. The blood will do everything in its power to maintain itself..including stealing from the cells. Good Luck...you very much have a fighting chance. You might have to argue with the doctors...but, hey, they are the employee here..and don't let them forget it.
Anyway, a few years ago, my granny started having trouble speaking. She couldn't get the words out. We assumed that she may have had a mini-stroke, and her primary care provider sent her to the neurologist. He said she had not had a stroke. We have had many different explanations from him about why her speech was affected. Once, they thought she had Lou Gehrig's, another time it was Parkinson's and another the answer was that the part of her brain that controlled speech was dying.
At the time that her doctor said she might have Parkinson's, she did have a few of the symptoms, but they were not too bad, so he wasn't sure. He did not prescribe any kind of medications.
About six weeks ago, Granny started to go downhill quickly. She was hospitalized and her primary care provider said her potassium was low. They got her potassium back up and sent her home. She would improve for a day or two, but then, would get worse. The tremors she had always had got worse, she could barely walk, had excessive salivia, trouble swallowing and suffered from a freezing spell. Last week, we called the ambulance to take her to the hospital, because we thought she might have had a stroke. The CT scan showed no signs of a stroke, but her potassium and magnesium are very low.
Now, since she's been home, she can barely eat and has to be fed. She can't wash herself and has to have help changing her clothes. The tremors are just awful, and she can barely talk.
We remembered that her neurologist had said something before about Parkinson's, and I've done some research and have become convinced that that is what she has.
Here are my questions, and again, I apologize that this is so long, but we are frantic.
1. Can Parkinson's progress that quickly?
2. Can low potassium, magnesium and sodium cause Parkinson symptoms to worsen?
3. With her being in the condition that she's in now, is there any hope that she can at least gain back some of the control she's lost?
4. What can we do for her until we can get her in to the neurologist? She's almost lost hope, and several of our family members have to. I'm clinging to it now, but I feel it could go any second.
Thanks for any answers and thanks for reading this long message.
Yes she can come back, and YES, YES, YES to number 2. There is a very good chance that she has Parkinsonism....(something thats mimics parkinson's , but is not parkinsons) It is imparative that she have an intracellular magnesium test...it must be intracellular. It her blood (serum) magnesium is low, she will not survive long. It must be replenished NOW!!!...
I know it is almost May 2, but you DO NOT have time to waste. As a stop gap measure the doctor should replace her electrolytes immediately..she needs to be on intravenous magnesium. You well probably see a marked improvement very, very quickly. The people that they say died of natural causes most likely died because they ran out of magnesium. If it seems like you doctor will not help...find an alternative medicine doctor.. A good D.O. also understands the body much better than an M.D. What you can do is get her on a good magnesium.. I would suggest MagOx, (its behind the prescription counter, but not prescription.) At least 600 mg per day. The bottle says MagOx 400, but you need to look at the elemental magneium. In magOx it is 244 mg. It says so on the back of the bottle. It is a quick disolve formula and is 99% absorbed. Don't worry about too much magnesium. Unlike calcium excess magnesium will be excreted. Is she taking calcium...calcium depletes magnesium, unless enough magnesium is given. You need to search on the web the following: (seelig and low magnesium) Dr. Mildred Seelig is the world's magnesium expert. Her book "the magnesium factor" is also an excellent source. Low magnesium can mimic a stroke. Save her for now and I will tell you were to hae some more tests done to test other intrecellular values... Why do I know...My mother has been in the same situation...(caused by her doctors).. She was near death because her serum values of magnesium came back ok..whle her intracellular test cam back low. The blood will do everything in its power to maintain itself..including stealing from the cells. Good Luck...you very much have a fighting chance. You might have to argue with the doctors...but, hey, they are the employee here..and don't let them forget it.
NHone
04-26-2006, 04:33 AM
Forgot...to add..It is impossible to raise the potassium level in the body until the magnesium level is regulated. (seelig)
tamara29
04-26-2006, 12:42 PM
Thanks again for all the information. I called my aunt and told her and she's going to talk to Granny's doctor about it today.
Granny is back in the hospital. We suspected she had pneumonia, but right now, it's just a bad cough. They are giving her breathing treatments to keep it from going into pneumonia. And, now the news is that her potassium is too high. I'm not sure what is going on.
Her primary care doctor did decide that he thinks she has Parkinson's. We have two appointments for her with two different neurologists. One May 2 and one May 8, but until then, he's going to put her on some kind of medication. He's going over the medication she already takes for other problems to see which one would be best and what would interact with it. This is actually giving me a little hope for the future.
Thanks again.
Granny is back in the hospital. We suspected she had pneumonia, but right now, it's just a bad cough. They are giving her breathing treatments to keep it from going into pneumonia. And, now the news is that her potassium is too high. I'm not sure what is going on.
Her primary care doctor did decide that he thinks she has Parkinson's. We have two appointments for her with two different neurologists. One May 2 and one May 8, but until then, he's going to put her on some kind of medication. He's going over the medication she already takes for other problems to see which one would be best and what would interact with it. This is actually giving me a little hope for the future.
Thanks again.
NHone
04-26-2006, 04:34 PM
Thanks again for all the information. I called my aunt and told her and she's going to talk to Granny's doctor about it today.
Granny is back in the hospital. We suspected she had pneumonia, but right now, it's just a bad cough. They are giving her breathing treatments to keep it from going into pneumonia. And, now the news is that her potassium is too high. I'm not sure what is going on.
Her primary care doctor did decide that he thinks she has Parkinson's. We have two appointments for her with two different neurologists. One May 2 and one May 8, but until then, he's going to put her on some kind of medication. He's going over the medication she already takes for other problems to see which one would be best and what would interact with it. This is actually giving me a little hope for the future.
Thanks again.
I bet she does NOT have parkinsons. If they give her the sinemet, and she doesn't have parkinsons, she will be falling all over the place. There is an absoulte balance between acetylcholine and dopamine. She needs to be on intravenous magnesium NOW. or you are going to lose her.
Granny is back in the hospital. We suspected she had pneumonia, but right now, it's just a bad cough. They are giving her breathing treatments to keep it from going into pneumonia. And, now the news is that her potassium is too high. I'm not sure what is going on.
Her primary care doctor did decide that he thinks she has Parkinson's. We have two appointments for her with two different neurologists. One May 2 and one May 8, but until then, he's going to put her on some kind of medication. He's going over the medication she already takes for other problems to see which one would be best and what would interact with it. This is actually giving me a little hope for the future.
Thanks again.
I bet she does NOT have parkinsons. If they give her the sinemet, and she doesn't have parkinsons, she will be falling all over the place. There is an absoulte balance between acetylcholine and dopamine. She needs to be on intravenous magnesium NOW. or you are going to lose her.
tamara29
04-26-2006, 05:04 PM
Another update. They tested her magnesium levels, whether by regular testing or the intracellular testing, I'm not sure, but either way, it was low. Go figure, high potassium and low magnesium. So, she now has magnesium by IV.
She had started showing some symptoms of Parkinson's before all of this happened. In fact, at one point, the doctor even thought she had it. I don't really know anymore. The last time she got magnesium by IV, it didn't really help her all that much. This was nearly two weeks ago.
She had started showing some symptoms of Parkinson's before all of this happened. In fact, at one point, the doctor even thought she had it. I don't really know anymore. The last time she got magnesium by IV, it didn't really help her all that much. This was nearly two weeks ago.
NHone
04-26-2006, 05:39 PM
Another update. They tested her magnesium levels, whether by regular testing or the intracellular testing, I'm not sure, but either way, it was low. Go figure, high potassium and low magnesium. So, she now has magnesium by IV.
She had started showing some symptoms of Parkinson's before all of this happened. In fact, at one point, the doctor even thought she had it. I don't really know anymore. The last time she got magnesium by IV, it didn't really help her all that much. This was nearly two weeks ago.
I'm so glad they started her on the magnesium by IV. magnesium helps to regulate the potassium. Search (low magnesium and parkinsonism) or (low magnesium and parkinson's). Also search (low magnesium seelig). Your grandmother is written all over it. The other person that wrote magnesium utilized in 325 reactions in the body is right on the money. Doctors just don't realize how extremely important magnesium. We fertilize fields for our crops, but we never add magnesium. We have depleted it in the fields. Your grandmother will be better. Her body is just so run down from low electrolytes. You might ask if the test was intracellular, this is critical information. Also spectracell in Houston can do a complete intracellular panel. It will show if her cells are utilizing the elements not just that they are in her blood. also insurance will cover the spectracell test.
She had started showing some symptoms of Parkinson's before all of this happened. In fact, at one point, the doctor even thought she had it. I don't really know anymore. The last time she got magnesium by IV, it didn't really help her all that much. This was nearly two weeks ago.
I'm so glad they started her on the magnesium by IV. magnesium helps to regulate the potassium. Search (low magnesium and parkinsonism) or (low magnesium and parkinson's). Also search (low magnesium seelig). Your grandmother is written all over it. The other person that wrote magnesium utilized in 325 reactions in the body is right on the money. Doctors just don't realize how extremely important magnesium. We fertilize fields for our crops, but we never add magnesium. We have depleted it in the fields. Your grandmother will be better. Her body is just so run down from low electrolytes. You might ask if the test was intracellular, this is critical information. Also spectracell in Houston can do a complete intracellular panel. It will show if her cells are utilizing the elements not just that they are in her blood. also insurance will cover the spectracell test.
tamara29
04-27-2006, 09:25 PM
Another question, sorry for so many. I was telling my granny today that I would buy her magnesium supplements because I knew she needed them. When I asked her if she would take them, she nodded her head. My mom interrupted us and said that she had spoken with her friend, who is a pharmacist and said that if she needed them, the doctor would prescribe them and we shouldn't get her the supplement. Is the pharmacist right?
NHone
04-29-2006, 01:29 AM
Another question, sorry for so many. I was telling my granny today that I would buy her magnesium supplements because I knew she needed them. When I asked her if she would take them, she nodded her head. My mom interrupted us and said that she had spoken with her friend, who is a pharmacist and said that if she needed them, the doctor would prescribe them and we shouldn't get her the supplement. Is the pharmacist right?
Lets see? NO! Has he taken leave of his sences? I highly reccommend that you get the book "the magnesium factor" by Dr. Mildred Seelig. I don't know what other medications you grandmother takes... but there is a very good chance that at her age she is low in magnesium. I can't stress to you how vital magnesium is. I know she had a serum magnesium test. The intracellular test takes two weeks because they have to grow the cell cultures. If she is low in serum magnesium, she was in very critical shape. I would take a little time and search (low magnesium mildred sellig). If you mother agrees with the pharmacist I would hand her the phone book and have her start looking for nursing homes for your grandmother. But she shouldn't worry about your grandmother being in the nursing home long...she won't be around that long. I hate to be so blunt, and I think you understand how dire the situation is. WE are NOT talking about a one a day vitamin here, we are talking about magnesium!
Lets see? NO! Has he taken leave of his sences? I highly reccommend that you get the book "the magnesium factor" by Dr. Mildred Seelig. I don't know what other medications you grandmother takes... but there is a very good chance that at her age she is low in magnesium. I can't stress to you how vital magnesium is. I know she had a serum magnesium test. The intracellular test takes two weeks because they have to grow the cell cultures. If she is low in serum magnesium, she was in very critical shape. I would take a little time and search (low magnesium mildred sellig). If you mother agrees with the pharmacist I would hand her the phone book and have her start looking for nursing homes for your grandmother. But she shouldn't worry about your grandmother being in the nursing home long...she won't be around that long. I hate to be so blunt, and I think you understand how dire the situation is. WE are NOT talking about a one a day vitamin here, we are talking about magnesium!
monkeybrain
05-01-2006, 08:50 AM
tamara.....sorry to have been absent for a few days but i have been in my pd clinic for a couple of days....
just wanted to wish granny best of luck 2moro, ask all the questions that you need to (dont leave it to memory...write them down so you dont forget, you get little enough time with these appointments as it is. my own wife got so frustrated at forgetting alot of the detail that was told us at these appointments that we got a small recordable not***** so we could review at home at our own leisure)
I must agree somwhat wit 'finres'...get your magnesium supp's for her as well, it certainly will only help not harm...getting the magnesium up is crusial.
I do believe however that granny has pd, and your neurologist will recognise this and start her on l-dopa (sinemet)
A DaTSCAN would of coarse determin wether your granny is dopamine deficient, confifming Parkinsons.....
good luck
just wanted to wish granny best of luck 2moro, ask all the questions that you need to (dont leave it to memory...write them down so you dont forget, you get little enough time with these appointments as it is. my own wife got so frustrated at forgetting alot of the detail that was told us at these appointments that we got a small recordable not***** so we could review at home at our own leisure)
I must agree somwhat wit 'finres'...get your magnesium supp's for her as well, it certainly will only help not harm...getting the magnesium up is crusial.
I do believe however that granny has pd, and your neurologist will recognise this and start her on l-dopa (sinemet)
A DaTSCAN would of coarse determin wether your granny is dopamine deficient, confifming Parkinsons.....
good luck
tamara29
05-02-2006, 12:28 AM
My granny's primary care doctor recommended that we cancel the appointment tomorrow, because he feels she isn't well enough to travel. She was hospitalized last week, which I think I mentioned, because they thought she had pneumonia. She didn't, but they treated for that anyway, to keep it from going into pneumonia. She now has cellulitis (sp) in her legs. She's being treated for that, too, with antibiotics. She was hoping to come home on Thursday, but she said tonight she's afraid she won't get to. Her 84th birthday is Friday, and we really wanted her home for that.
We are keeping the appointment scheduled for next Monday with the neurologist in Nashville. The doctor said that even if she is still in the hospital, he will schedule an ambulance to take her. She was started on the Parkinson's medicine (not sure which one) last Thursday. Does anyone know how long it should take to see results? Her speech is much, much better than it was. She can actually talk now, even though it can still be hard to understand her, but the tremors aren't any better. Thanks again for all your help, and yes, we are going to continue with magnesium supplements.
We are keeping the appointment scheduled for next Monday with the neurologist in Nashville. The doctor said that even if she is still in the hospital, he will schedule an ambulance to take her. She was started on the Parkinson's medicine (not sure which one) last Thursday. Does anyone know how long it should take to see results? Her speech is much, much better than it was. She can actually talk now, even though it can still be hard to understand her, but the tremors aren't any better. Thanks again for all your help, and yes, we are going to continue with magnesium supplements.