Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 2016)
6 B SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2016 TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH Tremors aren’t always a sign of Parkinson’s DEAR DR. ROACH: I have been diagnosed with essential tremor. Propranolol 10 mg has not helped. Sometimes I can write and eat with no shaking, but other times the shaking is so bad that the food falls off the fork or I cannot read my printing or writ- ing. If I drink a beer, it seems to relax me enough that in five minutes I can write or eat quite normally nearly every time. I’ve been told that it does- n’t appear to be Parkinson’s. Any sug- gestions will be enormously appreci- ated. — J.N. ANSWER: Essential tremor, some- times called benign familial tremor, is common. Often, one has a family his- tory of tremor. It is not Parkinson’s disease; however, it isn’t always “benign” in that, for some people, it can be disabling, preventing a person from not only writing, but, as in your SALOME’S STARS ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Whatever decisions you’re faced with this week, rely on your strong Aries instincts, and base them on your hon- est feelings, not necessarily on what others might expect you to do. TAURUS (April 30 to May 20) Your sensitive Taurean spirit is pained by what you feel is an unwarranted attack by a miffed colleague. But your sensible self should see it as proof that you must be doing something right. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) More fine-tuning might be in order before you can be absolutely certain that you’re on the right track. Someone close to you might offer to help. The weekend favors family get-togethers. CANCER (June 21 to July 22) The week continues to be a balancing act ‘twixt dreaming and doing. But by case, activities of daily living such as eating. Alcohol has long been known to reduce the tremor temporarily, but it must be taken cautiously, since regular use will diminish its effectiveness, requiring higher doses for effective- ness — and, as I have written many times, excess alcohol is a major cause of many medical problems. Occasional use with meals is reason- able. Other effective treatments for essential tremor include anti-epilepsy medications such as primidone, gabapentin and topiramate. Unfortunately, all of these can have side effects, so they are best pre- scribed by an expert, such as a neurol- ogist who specializes in movement disorders. For serious essential tremor not responsive to medications, deep brain stimulation (via electrodes placed sur- gically) is effective. DEAR DR. ROACH: My mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s dis- ease in 2009, and she is taking Namenda and Aricept to help slow the advancement of the disease. I am writ- ing because she complains of being cold all the time. She and my father keep the temperature in their house at 80 degrees, and my mother wears winter clothes, a coat and a blanket in the house. She sometimes sweats through the clothes, but we can’t per- suade her to remove any layers. The house is uncomfortably hot for any- one else, and yet she says she is cold. Her general practitioner has said that this is part of her disease. Is there anything else you have heard of that could explain this? — C.L. ANSWER: I have seen a lot of peo- ple with dementia of all kinds, but I haven’t personally seen this degree of intolerance to cold. Her doctor may have more experience than I do, but I didn’t find much about it written in the medical literature. Every person is dif- ferent, and it’s possible this is just part of how the dementia is affecting her. However, cold intolerance to this degree suggests some alternate possi- bilities. The most important and likely is low thyroid levels, which can also cause a condition that looks like dementia and would certainly make dementia worse. I bet her doctor has checked for it. If not done recently, she should have her thyroid level checked. Other, less-common causes include Addison’s disease (inability to make appropriate amounts of steroid hor- mones), iron deficiency, anemia from any cause and severe malnutrition. week’s end, you should have a much better idea of what you actually plan to do and how you plan to do it. LEO (July 23 to August 22) Changing your plans can be risky, but it can also be a necessary move. Recheck your facts before you act. Tense encounters should ease by mid- week, and all should be well by the weekend. VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) You might still be trying to adjust to recent changes. But things should improve considerably as you get to see some positive results. An uneasy per- sonal matter calls for more patience. LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Congratulations. Your good inten- tions are finally recognized, and long- overdue appreciation should follow. Keep working toward improvements wherever you think they’re necessary. SCORPIO (October 23 to November 2) Try to look at your options without prejudging any of them. Learn the facts, and then make your assessments. Spend the weekend enjoying films, plays and musical events. SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Someone might want to take advantage of the Sagittarian’s sense of fair play. But before you ride off to right what you’ve been told is a wrong, be sure of your facts. CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) You might be surprised to learn that not everyone agrees with your ideas. But this can prove to be a good thing. Go over them and see where improvements can be made. AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) After taking advice on a number of matters in recent months, expect to be called on to return the ges- ture. And, by the way, you might be surprised at who makes the request. PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Reassure everyone concerned that a change of mind isn’t necessarily a change of heart. You might still want to pursue a specific goal, but feel a need to change the way you’ll get there. Siuslaw N ews ! AD IT DAY E R TO www. the siuslawnews.com E -E DITION • S PORTS • T OP S TORIES • O BITUARIES • W EATHER • F ORUMS • B LOGS