In addition to the medication issue, there is no expected symptom or routine for PD. One person my have tremor and slow movement, another may not have any tremor but be plagued with stiffness and dystonia (twisting movements or abnormal fixed postures). Each individual can have a countless number of symptoms that may progress as the disease progresses, or may not. Symptoms may be added, or the disease may stay the same for a long period of time. If you're not a gambler, this is a tough disease to navigate. It is similar to predicting a game of craps!
But, don't lose heart! Some of the medications do work fairly well, and one can learn to manage them, though sometimes it is a tricky balance. If you are a type A personality, put on your "patience" helmet as your natural wiring will surely be tested! It might take some time to get the right timing and proportions of medication for you, but keep trying things until you do. Some of the medications you might ask your Neurologist about (in order of most used) are:
Cabidopa/Levodopa
Sinemet
Azilect
Ropinirole
Amantadine
Pramipexole
Mirapex
Requip
Simemet CR
Selegiline
Comtan
Rasagiline
Mirapex ER
Requip XL
Cogentin
Cannabis
And many more...
You can see, by our list, the myriad of symptoms for this disease requires a myriad of medications. Those who were diagnosed with early onset PD (my husband) take different medications than someone who is diagnosed at an advanced age, primarily because the side effects of the medications (which can occur after 20 years or so) will exhibit while the early-onset person is still relatively young, whereas, the older person will often be gone by the time they occur.
DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation) surgery is another option for symptom relief. You must be evaluated extensively by your neurologist to be proven as a good candidate. They take into consideration many things and there is detailed testing before the surgery. But, DBS can put off progression of PD and alleviate some symptoms temporarily. In my husband's case, it did allow him to drive and work about 3 years longer than he would have been able to. And, after almost 13 years, he is still getting some benefit.
Every type of Parkinson's Disease DOES respond to exercise, so that is the best thing to have in your arsenal! Exercise for PD sufferers has been proven to ward off the symptoms and progression of the disease. It will not necessarily give immediate relief or subdue the current symptoms, but, it will ward off the progression of future symptoms. For my husband, this was a difficult concept to understand. He was under the impression the physical exercise he was doing would make him feel better, or lesson the symptoms immediately. But exercise won't necessarily do that. In his case, it hasn't. However, it will most certainly keep the disease from getting worse. Because it's not always easy to see results, we must employ a certain amount of trust that it is doing what it is supposed to do. So, don't discount exercise. It is a proven abeyance!
There are a great deal of new medications and research on the horizon, but be leery of outrageous claims, i.e., "Stem Cell Cure!", "Cure on the Horizon!", etc. I have an acquaintance whose brother bought into the stem cell cure, paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to have it done, and got absolutely no benefit. Be careful! Every news station in the country will be touting a new proven breakthrough, especially one as lofty as an actual cure, so if you haven't heard about it on the 10 o'clock news, or if your doctor hasn't told you about it, it probably isn't valid! My husband and I have been on this wagon for over 22 years and every couple of years, we hear, "Five more years and we'll have a cure". It's good to keep hope alive, but temper it with realistic expectations.
Research is moving along and they are coming up with great helps every day, but it could be awhile before there is a cure. So keep walking that medication tightrope, and keep exercising!
