Parkinson’s unresponsive episodes.

Posted by bethv @bethv, Sep 16, 2018

My father, 93 years old, is suffering these unresponsive episodes, not to be confused with “freezing” of gait. The episode can last two hours and we think might be related to dehydration. Why can’t I find any mention of this in any web sites that describe Parkinson’s? Only in caregiver sites have I found any information. Is no one studying this phenomenon? There may be some connection here that needs investigation.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Parkinson's Disease Support Group.

@mshoggie

My mother is 86 and was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease about 17 years ago. She has limited mobility, but gets around fairly well with a rollator and can walk limited distances. She eats and drinks well on her own, but requires help in all other areas of daily living. About 4 years ago, she started having episodes of being non responsive. During these episodes she would not respond to us touching her hands or feet, and her eyes remained closed until they were over. Her blood pressure was normal and she has never had issues with high or low glucose. They last anywhere from a few minutes, with the longest one being 2 hours. Her neurologist recommended a brain scan to determine if she was having seizures or mini strokes, but the results were negative. Blood work is always good, and they diagnosed these episodes as being "behavioral". We cannot figure out what causes them, and can't understand why the doctor attributed them to behavior or "acting out." Generally, her routine remains the same and we cannot put our figure on anything that upsets her prior to the episodes taking place. Recently, these non responsive episodes occur almost weekly or at least a few times a month. It usually happens in the morning but on occasion they have occurred in the afternoon as well. Has anyone experienced this with a loved one or someone they know who has Parkinson's? Is this attributed to the progression of Parkinson's disease and should I seek a second opinion from another doctor.

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Hello @mshoggie and welcome to Mayo Connect.

I am sorry to hear of your mother's problems with unresponsive episodes. Others on Connect have mentioned this as well. Please take a look at the following discussion about this very matter. Just click on this link and you will find others discussing this,
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/parkinsons-unresponsive-episodes/.
When your doctor said it was "behavioral" he probably did not mean that she was acting out in the way that we think of acting out. You might inquire as to exactly what he meant. Parkinson's is a brain disorder and can produce personality changes as it progresses. Has she had any other change in symptoms? I'm also wondering if your mom sleeps well? If not, perhaps this could add to these "unresponsive episodes."

After you read some of the posts in the discussion above, will you post an update?

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@mshoggie

My mother is 86 and was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease about 17 years ago. She has limited mobility, but gets around fairly well with a rollator and can walk limited distances. She eats and drinks well on her own, but requires help in all other areas of daily living. About 4 years ago, she started having episodes of being non responsive. During these episodes she would not respond to us touching her hands or feet, and her eyes remained closed until they were over. Her blood pressure was normal and she has never had issues with high or low glucose. They last anywhere from a few minutes, with the longest one being 2 hours. Her neurologist recommended a brain scan to determine if she was having seizures or mini strokes, but the results were negative. Blood work is always good, and they diagnosed these episodes as being "behavioral". We cannot figure out what causes them, and can't understand why the doctor attributed them to behavior or "acting out." Generally, her routine remains the same and we cannot put our figure on anything that upsets her prior to the episodes taking place. Recently, these non responsive episodes occur almost weekly or at least a few times a month. It usually happens in the morning but on occasion they have occurred in the afternoon as well. Has anyone experienced this with a loved one or someone they know who has Parkinson's? Is this attributed to the progression of Parkinson's disease and should I seek a second opinion from another doctor.

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@mshoggie

If sleep is a problem, you might check out a video that I posted some time ago about sleep problems and PD. Here is the link, https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/sleep-disorders-parkinsons-video/

Also, just a thought if the anti-anxiety medication was begun (or increased) prior to the unresponsive episodes that might be a factor as well. Just something to consider.

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@mshoggie

My mother is 86 and was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease about 17 years ago. She has limited mobility, but gets around fairly well with a rollator and can walk limited distances. She eats and drinks well on her own, but requires help in all other areas of daily living. About 4 years ago, she started having episodes of being non responsive. During these episodes she would not respond to us touching her hands or feet, and her eyes remained closed until they were over. Her blood pressure was normal and she has never had issues with high or low glucose. They last anywhere from a few minutes, with the longest one being 2 hours. Her neurologist recommended a brain scan to determine if she was having seizures or mini strokes, but the results were negative. Blood work is always good, and they diagnosed these episodes as being "behavioral". We cannot figure out what causes them, and can't understand why the doctor attributed them to behavior or "acting out." Generally, her routine remains the same and we cannot put our figure on anything that upsets her prior to the episodes taking place. Recently, these non responsive episodes occur almost weekly or at least a few times a month. It usually happens in the morning but on occasion they have occurred in the afternoon as well. Has anyone experienced this with a loved one or someone they know who has Parkinson's? Is this attributed to the progression of Parkinson's disease and should I seek a second opinion from another doctor.

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Hello @mshoggie

I was thinking about you and your question about your mother's non-responsive episodes. Have you been able to determine the cause yet? Any changes that you have noticed in these episodes or anything that seems to trigger them?

As you are comfortable doing so, will you provide an update?

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Hello everyone, My mom has these episodes too and I just came across this article. She has gone anywhere from 5 -45 minutes of unresponsiveness, and her Blood pressure is all over (high and low). After reading this article (Cognitive fluctuations in Parkinson’s disease dementia: blood pressure lability as an underlying mechanism), we are going to try this: basically, lying them flat and elevate the legs during the episode. The Physician who last saw her also suggested coban wraps (compression stockings) and had also heard of a pt who wore Nitroglycerin patch at night (removed early am) and this helped with the swings in blood pressure.

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@mshoggie

My mother is 86 and was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease about 17 years ago. She has limited mobility, but gets around fairly well with a rollator and can walk limited distances. She eats and drinks well on her own, but requires help in all other areas of daily living. About 4 years ago, she started having episodes of being non responsive. During these episodes she would not respond to us touching her hands or feet, and her eyes remained closed until they were over. Her blood pressure was normal and she has never had issues with high or low glucose. They last anywhere from a few minutes, with the longest one being 2 hours. Her neurologist recommended a brain scan to determine if she was having seizures or mini strokes, but the results were negative. Blood work is always good, and they diagnosed these episodes as being "behavioral". We cannot figure out what causes them, and can't understand why the doctor attributed them to behavior or "acting out." Generally, her routine remains the same and we cannot put our figure on anything that upsets her prior to the episodes taking place. Recently, these non responsive episodes occur almost weekly or at least a few times a month. It usually happens in the morning but on occasion they have occurred in the afternoon as well. Has anyone experienced this with a loved one or someone they know who has Parkinson's? Is this attributed to the progression of Parkinson's disease and should I seek a second opinion from another doctor.

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Hi, I have also posted below, but in case you don't see it - look for this article (CASE REPORT) "Cognitive fluctuations in Parkinson’s disease dementia: blood pressure lability as an underlying mechanism". We are going to try this: basically, lying them flat and elevate the legs during the episode.

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@judithanne

Hello everyone, My mom has these episodes too and I just came across this article. She has gone anywhere from 5 -45 minutes of unresponsiveness, and her Blood pressure is all over (high and low). After reading this article (Cognitive fluctuations in Parkinson’s disease dementia: blood pressure lability as an underlying mechanism), we are going to try this: basically, lying them flat and elevate the legs during the episode. The Physician who last saw her also suggested coban wraps (compression stockings) and had also heard of a pt who wore Nitroglycerin patch at night (removed early am) and this helped with the swings in blood pressure.

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Hello @judithanne and welcome to Mayo Connect.

You have posted about unresponsiveness that many have discussed on Connect's Parkinson's (PD) discussion group. I appreciate the information and I hope that it will be helpful to @mshoggie, @chuckcallahan, @bethv, and others. I tried to search for the article that you referred to but I was not able to find it. Could you possibly tell me the name of the website and also the name of the author of the case study?

Have you tried any of these methods to see if they help your mom? I would be interested in knowing which ones helped the most, Is it the compression stockings, the elevated legs or the Nitro patches?

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@judithanne

Hello everyone, My mom has these episodes too and I just came across this article. She has gone anywhere from 5 -45 minutes of unresponsiveness, and her Blood pressure is all over (high and low). After reading this article (Cognitive fluctuations in Parkinson’s disease dementia: blood pressure lability as an underlying mechanism), we are going to try this: basically, lying them flat and elevate the legs during the episode. The Physician who last saw her also suggested coban wraps (compression stockings) and had also heard of a pt who wore Nitroglycerin patch at night (removed early am) and this helped with the swings in blood pressure.

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Thank you very much. I will take a look at the article.

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@judithanne

Hi, I have also posted below, but in case you don't see it - look for this article (CASE REPORT) "Cognitive fluctuations in Parkinson’s disease dementia: blood pressure lability as an underlying mechanism". We are going to try this: basically, lying them flat and elevate the legs during the episode.

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@judithanne, You will be able to post links in a few days. There is a brief period where new members can't post links. We do this to deter spammers and keep the community safe. Clearly the link you wanted to post was not spam. Please allow me to post it for you.

- Cognitive fluctuations in Parkinson’s disease dementia: blood pressure liability as an underlying mechanism published in the Journal of Clinical Movement Disorders https://clinicalmovementdisorders.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40734-018-0068-4

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Hi! What great news that you are doing so well! Does your neurologist know you are using the herbal supplement? What does he/she think? Are you taking other PD meds? I must admit that I am skeptical about natural remedies, but certainly not closed minded. Would be WONDERFUL if something natural worked!!! Your response would be much appreciated. Thx.

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@susan62

Hi! What great news that you are doing so well! Does your neurologist know you are using the herbal supplement? What does he/she think? Are you taking other PD meds? I must admit that I am skeptical about natural remedies, but certainly not closed minded. Would be WONDERFUL if something natural worked!!! Your response would be much appreciated. Thx.

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Hi @susan62, you were right to be skeptical about the post above claiming cure with natural remedies. A member reported the post. Upon investigation, it was discovered that this member was impersonating a patient who had discovered cure with herbal supplements. The information was medically inaccurate. Furthermore, commercial posts and advertisements are not permitted on Connect.

Thank you for your diligence is seeking reliable information.

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