PARKINSON’S DISEASE: REAL LIFE STORIES, PART 1
Vivek Jain
A 7th generation jeweller from the Surana lineage, devoted to crafting timeless treasures and dedicated to philanthropy, enhancing lives globally.
Dora - Too many medications
Dora, a 79-year-old woman, developed distressing symptoms including uncontrollable shaking, head bobbing, and tongue darting in and out of her mouth. A lady who really liked her daily trip into town found herself housebound and wondering what was to be her fate.
Dora’s daughter took her to the general practitioner who said sympathetically that this was Parkinson’s disease and there was nothing to be done. In the course of the conversation, the doctor mentioned that the only Parkinson’s she had ever seen alleviated was drug-induced.
Upon returning home, Dora’s daughter happened to glance at her mother’s long list of medications and had a moment of inspiration. She returned to the doctor and asked, "Considering the number of drugs she is on, is there any possibility this might be drug-induced Parkinson’s?". The doctor said the only way to find out was to take her mother off the medications.
Unaware that it can be risky to remove patients abruptly from their medications, Dora’s daughter stopped all her mother’s medications without further consultation. Fortunately for Dora, no permanent harm was done. After a week of withdrawal symptoms, including hallucinations and disordered thinking, all Parkinson’s symptoms disappeared, never to return. Dora was able to resume her usual daily trip to town and return to an independent life.
Taking a large number of drugs without regular medication reviews can have a devastating impact on quality of life and patient safety, especially in older people. Patients and families should make a practice of routinely going over the need for all medications with their health care providers and should be cautious about trying to stop medications without medical supervision.
*The names and photos used in this story are not real, but the story is based on true events.
Source: @World Health Organisation ( WHO )
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