PD treatment option - Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery or Stem cell treatment

Dear Friends:

 

I have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in Feb 2002  @ the age of 59 yrs and I have been taken treatment for the same since last 8 yrs. Currently, I am treated by Neurologist specialist. My present age is 65 years.

 

Last week I was hospitalized for 2 weeks and my medications were changed (few of the medications had been withdrawn) but after that I was not keeping that well with new medications...

 

But even with the new medications I have been experiencing the rigidity in the left arm (hand) & left leg (foot fingers) which is caused lately. This is stressful & pulling the entire body system/making nervous & facial expressions to become dull/speechless/look drowsy (very painful experience)...   

 

 Here I have few Questions:1)      Are there any other good medications/drugs that could provide a better improvement in my health condition such as longer time of on periods and reduced stiffness.

 

2) Other than drugs would the options of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery or Stem cell treatment be better?

 

3) Which one of these options (DBS or stem cell treatment) would be better one and has a better quality or has a high success rate?

 

4) What would be the side effects or disadvantages of DBS and Stem Cell treatment?

 

5) Would any of these treatments relieve me further from taking on the medications and would these be permanent treatments?

 

6) After having the surgery or stem cell treatment then how often do I need to have the routine medical check ups?

 

7) How long would the surgery or the stem cell treatment take to bring in the progress in my health conditions? 

 

8) If decided to have the surgery or stem cell treatment, how long would the patient need to be in the hospital?

 

9) What would be the cost of the whole package along with the treatment /surgery and admission and stay at Jaslok hospital or other reputed hospital for DBS surgery or the Stem cell treatment?

 

Thanks for all your time and the help.

 

Regards,

 

Monty

I know that U cal. S F was doing stem cells and gave them up temporarily (strokes), I am local to there and intend to personally go and offer lab rat status, I am also probably manganese poisoned. In the Ironworkers it is called Welders Madness. Used be common around the Railroads. Gandy dancers got it. I am hoping that my unique status might be of interest to them( UC.) No one currently can separatly know the difference. If someone has info please let me know. Wenonah.

Monty11
Sorry to hear about your situation. You don't mention what current meds you are taking. DBS has it's after effects, and as yet there is not one case worldwide where stem cell implants have shown to be effective. There is currently a new non-invasive treatment in the works, may be available in US - where they pinpoint radiation to kill off the cells causing tremors and other unwanted movements. Google 'viartis parkinson' search their news database for more info.
Good luck, hope you are feeling more back to normal soon.

Could the member who answered my query about stem cells be given my email or cell? Moderator?

stemcellblogger...

a friend of mine went to china about two years ago for stem cell transplants, he is now in worse condition than before the $30,000 procedure. there are clinics in many parts of the world trying to tap in on this lucrative procedure just like for any other chronic disease. when it is readily available in usa with positive results then may be the time to consider.

20th February 2009 - New research

STEM CELL SURGERY FAILS TO RID PARKINSON'S DISEASE

The open Stem Cell Journal [2009] 1 : 20-29 (M.F.Lévesque, T.Neuman, M.Rezak) Complete study

Researchers have published what is described as "a landmark peer-reviewed paper" that details "the first successful adult neural stem cell transplantation to reverse the effects of Parkinson’s Disease". For more information go to the News release. However, the study involved only one patient, and surgical operations for Parkinson's Disease are renowned for their strong placebo effect. That patient's symptoms appeared to reduce by around 80%. However, the patient still had to remain on Parkinson's Disease drugs. After five years they had symptoms that were worse than when they started, and that were deteriorating rapidly. This completely nullifies claims of the operation being "landmark" or "successful". Stem cell operations have been carried out around the world. Yet nobody has come away from them rid of Parkinson's Disease. This is not surprising, because the use of stem cell surgery is based on the false assumption that there is massive cell loss in Parkinson's Disease and that replacing lost cells is the logical means of treating it. However, not a single study in the entire medical literature has shown that there is massive cell loss in Parkinson's Disease.

17th July 2009 - New research

STEM CELLS MIGRATE IN PARKINSON'S DISEASE

Neuroscience Letters [2009] Jul 8. [Epub ahead of print] (Feng ZH, Ji MA, Li YU, Gang YU.) Complete abstract

Neural Stem Cell transplantation has been claimed for decades to have the potential to treat medical disorders including Parkinson's disease. Researchers investigated the effect of transplanted Neural Stem Cells in an animal model of Parkinson's Disease. They found that the implanted stem cells migrated to where they are needed, rather than merely remain where they are added. A significant portion of the cells differentiated in to the cells responsible for producing dopamine, the substance whose deficiency causes Parkinson's Disease. The researchers claimed that this improved Parkinson's Disease. However, the Parkinson's Disease symptoms were only induced, and their methods did not actually assess improvements in Parkinson's Disease. Despite stem cell operations now being carried out around the world, they have never resulted in anyone being rid of Parkinson's Disease. Although it is claimed that stem cell operations are necessary because there is massive cell loss in Parkinson's Disease, no studies have ever shown that there is massive cell loss in Parkinson's Disease. In order to refer to this article on its own click here.

sorry the shortcuts to articles don't work here, you ca go to viartis for more info.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080118101925.htm

all the best - canuk