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