jaxenro
New member
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2022
- Messages
- 2
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Diagnosis
- 00/0000
- Country
- US
- State
- GA
- City
- Gainesville
My wife was diagnosed with Parkinson's over a year ago but the disease is progressing much faster than expected and the symptoms are not all directly Parkisons related although some are. She is on carbadopa-levadopa (15 25-100 daily) which we would expect to treat the PD symptoms and it does seem to be, to a degree, the tremors are mostly under control when sh tales the meds although they come back in the off times. However there are points that led me to suspect ALS was "hiding" under the PD diagnoses and the neurologist has scheduled a EMG to validate. Female age 57
all symptoms seem to be worse when she has been active or is tired and she tires very easily
what concerns me is the progression time:
90 days ago she used a cane to help walk when out but was mostly ok within the house, now she needs a cane to walk from room to room, when able to, and a wheelchair when out. Many times walking from the bedroom to the kitchen using the cane she is unable to return without help a distance of 30 feet
90 days ago her legs would get "twitchy" and not hold her up, she could not stand or walk, maybe once/twice a week now it is 5 or 6 out of seven days. This used to be a late in the day event now it can start as soon as she wakes up
swallowing ability worsens each week. We attributed it to PD but since the levadopa seems to be addressing the PD symptoms there must be some other cause. She had an endoscopy but nothing out of the ordinary
slurred speech she sounds drunk but it doesn't seem to a be cognitive disability so much as she just can't form the words, used to be occasionally but the occasions are growing in frequency
heavily swollen feet and ankles progressing up to her knees
muscle cramps
fatigue
I keep notes every symptom has worsened over the past 90 days despite the improvement in PD due to medication
also meant to add falling this was a very occasional even now it is weekly
all symptoms seem to be worse when she has been active or is tired and she tires very easily
what concerns me is the progression time:
90 days ago she used a cane to help walk when out but was mostly ok within the house, now she needs a cane to walk from room to room, when able to, and a wheelchair when out. Many times walking from the bedroom to the kitchen using the cane she is unable to return without help a distance of 30 feet
90 days ago her legs would get "twitchy" and not hold her up, she could not stand or walk, maybe once/twice a week now it is 5 or 6 out of seven days. This used to be a late in the day event now it can start as soon as she wakes up
swallowing ability worsens each week. We attributed it to PD but since the levadopa seems to be addressing the PD symptoms there must be some other cause. She had an endoscopy but nothing out of the ordinary
slurred speech she sounds drunk but it doesn't seem to a be cognitive disability so much as she just can't form the words, used to be occasionally but the occasions are growing in frequency
heavily swollen feet and ankles progressing up to her knees
muscle cramps
fatigue
I keep notes every symptom has worsened over the past 90 days despite the improvement in PD due to medication
also meant to add falling this was a very occasional even now it is weekly