My mother has HD and was recently hospitalized for a fracture of the shoulder. She spent 1 month in rehab. and was taking Percocet for pain. I noticed that she stopped walking on her toes and was walking flat footed. I also noticed less movement and her speech improved slightly. The nurse and PT also noticed that when Mom took the Percocet she had less symptoms.
Mom has always taken pain medication, Asprin, but never a narcotic. Mom has always complained of pain but can never pinpoint where.
Has anyone had any experience with narcotics and decreased symptoms?? I think the reason she has less movements is because she is in pain and the Percocet helps with that pain. In turn she is more relaxed and has less movements. She is currently taking flurophenozine twice an day along with the percocet.

Fey,

I'm sorry you haven't received a response! I think that is because others have not had the experience you and your mother are having with the decreased symptoms. I can't find anything about it in the literature. There seems to be so much variation in symptoms and response to medication from one individual to another.

I do know one caregiver whose wife in the later stages of the disease experienced pain whose origins neither she nor her doctors could pinpoint. She needed to take painkillers to deal with it.

Sorry we haven't been more helpful!

Marsha

Thanks Marsha, I was just so suprised that the pain medication also had an effect on the movements and figured many people with HD fall or have needed to take a narcotic.... so maybe this isn't new but since I haven't heard from anyone else I guess it is new. Or I should say it is working for my mom.