I would not normally go against professional advice, yet the last time I spoke with one of the Parkinson’s Disease Specialist Nurses who is based at the University Hospitals of the North Midlands (UHNM) I felt that I had to.
Just to recap, the Consultant Neurologist had prescribed Amantadine Hydrochloride alongside the changeover to Ropinirole back in December 2016 because I was struggling with the stiffness in my legs which was making me shuffle like a really old man.
However with the change in medication which I needed to build up slowly to find out the right level I consulted one of the Parkinson’s Disease Specialist nurses Louise, who advised me not to start the Amantadine Hydrochloride in order to keep things clear and see what worked first. Good advice at the time.
I followed that advice until May this year (2017) when I managed to get the new Consultant Neurologist to prescribe a prolonged release version of the Ropinirole which I had been taking 3 times per day: 3 in the morning, 3 at 3.00pm and 3 at 10.00pm every day.
Taking this amount of immediate release drugs every day, meant that I experienced spikes in effectiveness and the tiredness feeling after taking the medication.
The new prolonged release version of Ropinirole, means that I take my medication once per day in the morning and I am on 10 mg which feels ok.
However the stiffness was still there so I called the Parkinson’s Disease Specialist nurse to ask about taking the Amantadine Hydrochloride. Her response was no different from previously and I had the impression that she thought the doctor was wrong to prescribe it in the first place.
Now, as I said, I would not normally go against professional advice, yet the stiffness and shuffling around was so bad and driving my wife around the bend, that I decided to try it.
I am very glad that I did because now after about 4 or 5 weeks I can move almost normally again which has opened up things for me, hallelujah!!