NB (23) above indicates the latest post & numerical order
PD + BPH + HYPOTENSION = DiZzInEsS?
What is evidence? One answer to that question is that evidence is information gleaned as a result of an investigation or a series of observations. For instance, I was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease (PD) in 2013. Since then, almost daily, I have had dizzy spells that have been debilitating and even confined me to bed for a few hours. Naturally, I assumed this was the result of my having PD. Nine years later, in May 2021, I have been able to revisit that deduction based on new evidence. The bottom line is that, in my case as a PD-drug-free person, the dizziness was not induced by my PD but by side-effects of chronic medication! (If you are curious about specific medication names, dear reader, please e-mail <ari.naidoo@gmail.com>.)(And thanks, SN, for suggesting an amendment.)
I have had an enlarged prostate (a.k.a. benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH) since 2004 and have been treated by three different urologists. In 2015 my then urologist suggested I supplement the morning prostate medication with another at night and I did. Recently, my prostate has been misbehaving, resulting in my needing a catheter in December 2019. So, on 18 May 2021, I had a surgical procedure to reduce the size of my prostate gland by about 70%.
It has been one month and I am not completely back to "normal" after the surgery, but, there have been other major benefits. Firstly, since 18 May, I am permanently off the two chronic meds treating the BPH: Yay! Secondly, since 18 May my dizzy spells have stopped completely: Yay! That suggests that a combination of two chronic meds for BPH resulted in the dizzy spells. What else could it have been? I am still on a morning chronic med for hypertension so that could not have been the cause of the dizziness. Pharmaceutically, there was an indelicate balance in my meds, in stark contrast with the perfect balance of this baby grey loerie below.
A published side effect and precaution for one of the BPH meds I have stopped taking is that "orthostatic hypotension (postural hypotension, dizziness and vertigo) may occur...". Personally, I will still trust a medical specialist or a GP but will be extra cautious before any more pill-popping. Inserts in medicine containers are quite clear and also present a sort of disclaimer, I suppose.
The above observations should be read in the context of my being generally cautious when taking any medication. This has been an underlying thread woven into my blog, another being my constant search for alternative approaches to ease the plight of being parkinsed.
Diagnosing PD: a standard procedure?
In 2013 in Gauteng, I produced the results of an MRI scan and filled out a long self-diagnosis form and was asked to do a few physical exercises in front of the neurologist. At the end of that he pronounced that I had had PD and gave me a script for medication. I decided then to ignore the script and look for alternative approaches, all of which are in this blog's posts.
After retiring to KwaZulu-Natal in 2020 I eventually found a new general practitioner (GP) in 2021 who recommended a urologist and a neurologist. Upon the GP discovering I had been a drug-free PD sufferer since diagnosis in 2013, he expressed surprise and was impressed with my courage. Specifically, he commented on the positive gains made for nearly ten years of being PD-drug-free. However, he also expressed concern regarding the dangers of my lack of balance and arranged for me to see a senior neurologist.
On the appointed day, the senior neurologist spent a long time gathering historical and personal data and did some physical resistance exercises with me. He then asked me what PD meds I was on. When I answered "none" he expressed dismay and wanted to know why I had avoided PD meds. He then prescribed a drug that had all the side-effects I had been trying to avoid, for example, nausea, dizziness and hallucinations. Secondly, I had to avoid certain foods when taking it. Finally the effect of the drug lasted about four hours so I would need at least four doses daily and that dosage and drug strength could be increased over time. In the final analysis, as a non-medical person, it appeared he was a neurologist gathering data to inform an understanding of PD rather than treating a patient trying to cope with PD. I was disappointed. Déjà vu!
A new sense of balance
Since 2012 when I first noticed my leg tremor, I have been trying to deal with my symptoms in creative ways, as indicated throughout this blog. So, after the last neurologist's diagnosis a month ago, I have decided to capitalise on my gains of being PD-drug-free and to try an alternative that I will share in another post: an Ayurveda approach to PD. We have tried this approach to an ailment in the past and the result was most impressive.
I must also acknowledge that a few medical practitioners in Durban were cynical when I indicated that I had had constructive results from neurolaser treatment (SEE posts 10, 11 & 13). They laughed it off as non-scientific as there were no large scale clinical trial results and what I had probably experienced was simply a placebo effect: I may have experienced a benefit but there was no medical effect. As the recipient of the laser treatment I can vouch for its impact so why do I need the evidence of a large scale clinical trial? Am I just stubborn, dear reader, or trying to justify the money spent on the laser treatment? Hmmm...
In conclusion, I need to express my deep admiration for all those of you on a PD medication regime, especially my 2018/2019 friends from the Dance for Parkinson's class in Pretoria. All of you have more courage than I have. I miss the camaraderie of the Pretoria group even though not everyone there is on PD meds. Till next time, dear reader.
