Peter: Working with Confidence

This story recounts the experience of one patient who is receiving Medtronic Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy to reduce symptoms of essential tremor. Please bear in mind that the experiences are specific to this particular person.

While Peter was growing up, his essential tremor was never that big of a deal to him. In fact, he went through grade school and much of his adult life rarely thinking about his condition. "For me, the tremors were part of who I was. My dad and two sisters also had ET. The tremors were just a part of my life," Peter remembers.

As Peter grew older, his tremors grew increasingly more debilitating. He found some of the tasks at the explosives plant where he worked were becoming more difficult. He tried to hide his tremors from his co-workers.

"I would be shaking while working with these explosives and chemicals. I knew it was a matter of time before I dropped something," he recalls.

Searching for Symptom Relief

When he was in his mid 40s, Peter visited a neurologist to discuss his tremors. At first, the neurologist suggested that he try medications. Peter received a prescription, but worried about how the drug's side effects would affect his job performance.

A few weeks later, Peter read a story about someone with a similar condition to his who had benefitted from Medtronic DBS Therapy. Several months later, Peter returned to his neurologist and asked if the treatment would work for him.

Finding Relief with Medtronic DBS Therapy

In August 2004, Peter underwent two separate surgical procedures to implant the Medtronic DBS Therapy system. Ten days after his second procedure, his system was turned on and programmed.

"I was impressed right away. I felt a quiet in my brain I hadn't felt before," Peter remembers. "With ET, my hands were quivering all the time and I had mood swings. When DBS Therapy was turned on, my body felt so quiet that I thought I could hear angels singing!"

After several programming sessions to fine tune Peter's system, he still wasn't totally satisfied with the amount of tremor relief he was receiving on the right side of his body. It was determined that one of the leads needed to be replaced. Shortly after the procedure to replace the lead, Peter found his stimulation was too strong, which made him experience unusual mood swings. After two weeks of feeling overly emotional, his clinician reprogrammed the stimulation settings and this symptom along with the majority of his tremors faded.

When Peter reflects on the surgeries to place DBS Therapy, the only discomfort he remembers was getting used to the sensation of the implanted lead that ran from his brain down the back of his neck – behind his ear – to the neurostimulator.

"At first I was aware of it every time I moved my neck," he recalls. "But within days I was unaware of it."

In March 2007, the battery in the neurostimulator expired and Peter had surgery to replace the device. He took a week off of work, but was ready to return after three days. "After the surgery I had itching spells for a week that lasted about 10 seconds at a time."

Risks of the Procedure and Stimulation

DBS Therapy requires brain surgery. Risks of brain surgery may include serious complications such as coma, bleeding inside the brain, seizures and infection. Some of these may be fatal. Once implanted, the system may become infected, parts may wear through your skin, and the lead or lead/extension connector may move. Medtronic DBS Therapy could stop suddenly because of mechanical or electrical problems. Any of these situations may require additional surgery or cause your symptoms to return.

Medtronic DBS Therapy may cause worsening of some motor symptoms associated with your movement disorder, and may cause speech and language impairments. Stimulation parameters may be adjusted to minimize side effects and attain maximum symptom control. In patients receiving Medtronic DBS Therapy, depression, suicidal thoughts and suicide have been reported.

Celebrating Daily Victories

Today, Peter lives an active life with reduced tremors. He manages transportation in the explosives industry and rarely worries about his tremors getting in the way of his job duties. Away from work, he enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf, and doing handy-work around his house.

"Doing things that required manual dexterity were becoming challenging before DBS. Today, most people don’t know that I have tremors. I'm able to work with my hands with confidence," Peter says. "But most importantly, now my co-workers don't run when I'm holding a detonator!"

Next: Talk to a Patient

Medtronic invited this patient to share his story candidly. Not everyone who receives Medtronic DBS Therapy will receive the same results as the individual in this story; some people may experience significant symptom relief from DBS Therapy, and others may experience minimal symptom relief. Talk to your doctor to determine if Medtronic DBS Therapy is right for you.

This therapy is not for everyone. Please consult your physician. A prescription is required. For a complete list of adverse events that have been associated with the therapy, please refer to Important Safety Information.