Incredible images have revealed how one man’s life has been completely transformed by a revolutionary new drug that curbs the debilitating tremors of Parkinson’s.
The clip, shared by the NHS on Instagram, shows the surprising difference in the 52-year-old’s ability to make a cup of tea before and after taking the medication.
The first half of the clip shows the patient, Damien Gath, suffering extreme tremors and spasms as he walks to the kitchen counter and pours water from the kettle into a cup.
But the second half of the video, taken days after starting treatment, shows him completing the task with virtually no tremors.
The key to this incredible transformation lies in the black rectangular device Gath carries: a portable pump that slowly releases a drug called foslevodopa-foscarbidopa (or Produodopa), which was recently approved by NHS chiefs for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
It works by increasing the amount of a hormone called dopamine in the brain, which is involved with movement and mood.
In Parkinson’s disease, which affects 145,000 Britons, the brain cells responsible for producing the hormone die, resulting in a deficiency.
Although other medications are now available, patients with serious illnesses often have to take several pills to get relief. Many notice that their symptoms get worse at night, once the medication has worn off.
But the Produodopa infusion provides a steady flow of medication throughout the day and night, entering the patient’s bloodstream through a cannula under the skin that is controlled by a small automatic pump.
Mr Gath was one of the first patients at NHS Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust to receive what he called a life-changing drug that costs the NHS £31,000 per person per year.
“It’s been amazing and life-changing, the big difference is that there are no fluctuations now,” said Gath, who was first diagnosed with the disease 12 years ago.
‘Soon after receiving the first treatment, I can make myself a cup of coffee and go to the grocery store more easily, and I also sleep much better.’
Damien’s wife Amanda, who filmed the clips, added: ‘It was hard sometimes to deal with the lack of understanding from the people around you and that made me very protective of Damien.
“Now we’re like any other couple having fun.”
Parkinson’s is a disease in which parts of the brain become progressively damaged over the years.
This causes people to suffer from tremors and rigid, inflexible movements that can end up robbing them of their independence.
Patients may also experience other problems such as depression and anxiety as a result of their illness.
It is unknown what triggers the brain changes that lead to Parkinson’s, and while treatments are available, there is no cure.
Symptoms can include uncontrollable shaking, slow movements and muscle stiffness, but experts say they often only appear when about 80 percent of nerve cells have been lost.
Patients may also respond differently to treatments: some find that medications offer a solution, while for others they do not work.
In Mr Gath’s case, his condition had recently deteriorated and he was taking a combination of four medications six times a day to try to control his involuntary movements.
But these treatments were only partially successful and he suffered especially at night, when the dose began to wear off.
However, thanks to the new portable pump, he said he now rests much better.
“The big difference is that there are no fluctuations now,” he said.
“I also sleep much better and the duvet doesn’t weigh down my legs too much; I can turn over whenever I want.”
