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November 16, 1995
Web posted at: 12:15 p.m. EST
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Attorney General Janet Reno revealed Thursday that she has Parkinson's disease and is taking medication for trembling in her left hand. But Reno said her work has not been severely affected (108K AIFF sound or 108K WAV sound) and that she will stay on the job. (118K AIFF sound or 118K WAV sound)
"I'm taking my medicine. I feel fine now," the 57-year-old attorney general told reporters. She said she first noticed the trembling over the summer and the diagnosis was made three weeks ago. Displaying a steady left hand at her weekly news conference, Reno said her symptoms are now under control as a result of taking three tablets daily of the drug Sinemet, one before each meal. Sinemet contains levodopa, the standard medication for Parkinson's.
An estimated 500,000 to 1 million Americans have Parkinson's disease, which robs people of control over their movements. It causes tremors, a shuffling walk and muscular rigidity, and can eventually incapacitate people who have it. The disease results from the death of brain cells that produce a substance called dopamine, which transmits signals throughout the body. Medication can ease symptoms but there is no cure.
The White House has been "very supportive," Reno said, adding that she has no intention of resigning. If President Clinton wins a second term and "if he wanted me back, this would be no reason not to do it," she said.
Reno told reporters the disease itself has no relation to job strain but that she had been advised that stress can exacerbate the symptoms. Reno said her overall health is fine.
CNN Medical Correspondent Andrew Holtz
answers questions about Parkinson's disease.
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