Parkinson's Drugs and Valve Damage

[tobagotwo]

Heart valve risk with some Parkinson's drugs may be greater than believed, two studies show

Copyright 2007 Associated Press All Rights Reserved Associated Press Worldstream January 03, 2007 By MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP Medical Writer MILWAUKEE

"The risk of heart valve damage with two drugs for Parkinson's disease may be far greater than was known, new research suggests.

"One of the Parkinson's drugs, pergolide, sold as Permax and other brands, also is used to treat restless legs syndrome. Cabergoline, sold as Dostinex, Cabaser, and other names, is mostly used in Europe.

"Moderate to severe valve problems were seen in 23 percent of those on pergolide and nearly 29 percent of those on cabergoline, but none of those on other Parkinson's drugs, and less than 6 percent of the comparison group.

"Cabergoline is approved in the U.S. for treating a hormone problem, excessive prolactin in the blood, but not Parkinson's."

Text of a warning lewtter sent to physicians: http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/SAFETY/2003/permax.htm

Best wishes,

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Unfortunate. I know someone with 2+ reguirg with Parkinsons. 2+ before taking the meds for a handful of years. Hopefully all will be ok. Ugh!

Thanks for the info.

 

[bvdr]

That is an incredibly high percentage! I know my mom would have taken the risk at various points in her struggle with Parkinson's if it was incredible effective controlling the Parkinson's with few other side effects. My mom had MVP anyway and during her last year or so was having a prominant pulsation in her neck so I suspect she had developed other cardiac valve problems as well. I'm a believer though that if nothing is going to be done about what a test might reveal then why in the world take it. At that point her Parkinsonian dementia had pretty taken over her life.

It seems like the letter is downplaying the problem or that the valve problems don't become apparent until some years after usage?