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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Re: Need help for my grandmother 
hello again...i hope this note finds you and granny as well as can be.
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