Questions About Parkinson's Treatment

1. What kind of specialist should I go to about my husband's confusion and movement disorder?

   Question - This is a difficult situation as "vascluar parkinsonism", "vascular dementia" and other "structural causes of Parkinsonism" are very difficult to treat. My sense is that a very thoughtful memory expert (sometimes called a behavioral neurologist) may be helpful in some regards and may help with confusion...
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2. My mother was diagnosed with Parkinson's 15 years ago, an...

   Question - I am not a doctor, but for general health improvement, there is a pro duct called "OsteoDenx" which is for bone health (all natural, no chemicals)which might help a little...seems to help lots of people with different issues. How is her sleep? Balance?
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3. How can I best care for my father with Parkinson's disease?

   Question - This is a very tricky problem and we often encounter this when patients have had PD for many years and/or with our older patients. We often struggle to strike a balance between treating the "motor symptoms" like the tremor and stiffness and causing side effects from the medication...
   1 Expert Answer, 5 Community Answers

4. Is it normal to talk in your sleep while on Carbidopa?

   Question - More than half of patients with Parkinson's disease will at some point have what we call "REM sleep behavior disorder" or RBD. This means that they act out or vocalize their dreams. Behaviors range from simple conversations to kicking, punching and even falling out of bed...
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5. Foods or vitamins that help with Parkinson's?

   Question - In the early stages of Parkinson’s disease there is no special diet, per say, that is recommended or required. In the later stages it is often helpful to work with an RD, Nutritionist if the side effects of medication, such as constipation, loss of appetite, dry mouth or nausea, become an iss...
   1 Expert Answer, 2 Community Answers

6. Are blood pressure spikes a common side effect of adjusting Parkinson's medication?

   Question - Parkinson's disease often affects the autonomic nervous system ("internal nervous system") which is responsible for why patients with Parkinson's disease often have constipation, bladder urgency, and can have low and/or swinging blood pressure.
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7. Has anyone heard anything about Parkinson's cell therapy at Duke University?

   Question - I'm seeking the same information. I can't find information post-2009 and am wondering if Miguel Nicolelis of Duke has progressed his study into the Spinal Cord Stimulator. I hope someone can shed some light on this...
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8. How do I get my wife with Parkinson's disease to take her medication?

   Question - This sounds like a very difficult situation in which the Parkinson's and stroke are interacting. I would reccomend that you meet with a speech pathologist who can check to see if her ability to swallow is still fully intact. If so, this represents a very difficult situation in which one may need to...
   1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

9. Do you have any info about Parkinson's wellness program?

   Question - This is an interesting question, as occupational therapists can be incredibly helpful in helping PD patients manage their deficits. Although I do not, there are a number of wellness centers in various regions of the country that may. I'm sorry to not have a great answer to your question
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10. Are my husband's new addictive behaviors related to his Parkinson's medication?

    Question - Addictive and compulsive behaviors have been linked to some Parkinson's disease medications and we often reduce medications or alter medication regimens when we hear of this type of behavior. The "bad actors" in this regard are the dopamine agonists such as ropinirole and pramipexole (Requip and Mirapex)...
    1 Expert Answer, 2 Community Answers

11. Do you know where I can find a live-in caregiver for Parkinson's care?

    Question - Hi donnamills47! Thanks for your question.
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12. Is the Theracycle beneficial to those with Parkinson's?

    Question - As you and your mom know, exercise is very important in Parkinson's disease and more and more studies have shown the benefit of various types of exercise in Parkinson's disease. Studies have shown great benefit to tandem bicycle riding, tango, and other forms of vigorous exercise...
    1 Expert Answer, 4 Community Answers

13. Could the wrong dose of carbidopa/Levadopa worsen Parkinson's symptoms?

    Question - Unfortunately, this happens more frequently than it should. Typically, when this happens, two things result. One is that the sinemet CR is not absorbed as fully as the regular sinemet (only about 60%) so that patients can feel "undertreated" or like their dose is suddenly lower or doesn't "kick-in...
    1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

14. Why does the drug levodopa seem to work well for my father with Parkinson's only at certain times of the day?

    Question - The first thing I'd check is that he's not taking the levodopa with a high-protein meal, because that in itself could be knocking out the medicine's effect. Levodopa should be taken either 30 minutes before or an hour after a high-protein meal...
    1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

15. Are Mom's medications not working?

    Question - Alzheimer medication side effects are both plentiful and mysterious particularly when more than one medical issue exists. Not every patient reacts the same way to the different meds which confounds the prescription process often leading carepartners to assume the doctor is not appropriately managing their loved one's care...
    1 Expert Answer, 2 Community Answers

16. What happens if medications for Parkinson's is temporarily discontinued?

    Question - What can a person expect when after having the deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery and still takes Sinement CR and Requip, when they have to stop taking the medications, and has the stimulator turned off? This is being done for a study. What kind of symptoms can be expected, and how will one feel...

17. Would a posture brace be helpful for someone with...

    Question - Would a posture brace be helpful for someone with Parkinson's who cannot monitor his posture?

18. Is Mom experiencing Parkinson's symptoms or side effects from Sinamet?

    Question - This is a tricky question, as Parkinson's can cause fatigue, balance difficulty and an overall sense of weakness. That being said, sinemet can cause or worsen tiredness (15% of patients). Typically when we encounter this dilema we will make a bold move of either increasing or decreasing the sinemet to get more infomation...
    1 Expert Answer, 5 Community Answers

19. Is it the caffeine in coffee that helps prevent Parkinson's?

    Question - The Parkinson's Disease research community isn't really sure about the answer to the question as to the reason for why coffee drinkers are less likely to develop Parkinson's disease, although similar reductions in risk have not yet been noted in other caffeinated beverages...
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