Parkinson Disease

Question: What are the treatments for Parkinson disease and what will be the medical cost for each of them? Please answer me in detail about Parkinson disease.

Answer: Although many doctors still use the drug levodopa (usually in the form of Sinemet) as the first treatment for Parkinson's disease, more and more, experts are recommending that newer drugs, such as Requip and Mirapex be used first. Levodopa is a drug that is converted to dopamine, which increases levels of dopamine in the brain. But large doses can cause disabling side effects, including nausea and painless (but emotionally distressing) involuntary body movements called dystonia. Often, a second drug (a COMT inhibitor such as Comtan or Tasmar) is used in combination with levodopa to maximize efficacy and minimize side effects. The newer medications, such as Requip and Mirapex, are called dopamine agonists, another type of drug. They work by boosting any surviving dopamine-producing cells and increasing the sensitivity of cells in the brain to dopamine. That is, they make the patient's existing dopamine supply more effective. Other medications used to treat Parkinson's disease include selegiline and amantadine, which can be used alone to treat mild symptoms or in combination with levodopa in more advanced cases. Another class of medicines, known as the anticholinergics, may also be prescribed to help with symptoms such as tremor. Examples of anticholinergics used for Parkinson's disease include Cogentin and Artane. Your doctor may prescribe or recommend other therapies to help with some of the complications of the disease such as constipation or bladder control problems. Price of Congentin COGENTIN 2 mg x 100 $21.08 In cases where symptoms no longer respond to medication or become severely disabling, surgery may be recommended to destroy overactive areas of the brain. Although not perfect solutions -- there can be side effects and they may need to be repeated within a few years -- surgical procedures such as pallidotomy and thalamotomy do relieve symptoms and restore day-to-day function for many patients. Several other promising treatment options are being tested. Small, implantable nerve stimulators have been effective at controlling tremor and reducing the need for medication, but long-term effects are unknown, and the units can be quite expensive. Fetal cell transplantation is an experimental procedure that has shown mixed results. Although it can take months to see any benefit, some patients have shown significant and long-lasting improvements in rigidity and slowness of movement with the controversial procedure.

Question: Parkinson disease? My father who is 71 years old suffering from parkinson since last 5 years. He is active, mobile,energitic and mentally alert too. Goes for morning walk, yoga and exercise daily since long. Right now his hand rather palm shakes not all the time but yes it does and at times he feels that he has to put efferts now to walk means now he drags his legs while walking, gets tired after some job. Couple of years back, he had high chelestrol level + high BP, so was on restricted diet he is loosing weight also is only 47 kg. Doctor say after 7 years parkinson takes bad shape He is on allopathy medicene and gets giddyness with that. I am worried about him please help me and is there any alternate therepy also...please advise

Answer: Parkinsons is a HORRIBLE disease. I watched my grandfather suffer with if for many years. I'm sorry you are going through the same thing. They have not found a complete cure for the disease just meds that help keep tremors down etc. The best thing to do is keep him comfortable and be there for him when he needs you. Its going to get harder and harder but you just need to be strong and be there. If you need to talk please email me. Like I said my grandfather had it and I know this is a very hard time for you and the rest of your family. Best wishes. -Allie

Question: How long does it take for parkinson's disease to cause you death? My grandpa has had parkinson's disease for a long time. 5 years ago, he was seemingly healthy, could walk and everything. And now, he cant walk, cant talk good, twicthing alot, and very thin. Im really worried that his time to drawing near. If anyone has had a family member with parkinsons, please let me know everything that happened.

Answer: Hi... My father-in-law has Parkinson's and I cared for him in our home until 3 yrs ago when his condition required more care than we could do at home. He has had this disease for over 20 yrs and is now in a vegetative state in a nursing facility. Because he was a law enforcement officer, he was always in very good physical shape. This contributed to him being mobile for far longer than anyone ever thought. Parkinson's is a terminal disease;however people don't die from Parkinson's usually. They die from falls or accidents because of the symptoms of Parkinsons. Like wandering around because of dementia and getting hit by autos. Or falling around the house and breaking a bone which makes them bedbound much quicker. Your grandpa needs to take in @2500 calories a day to sustain himself as Parkinson's twitching and involuntary movements burn calories constantly. Virtually impossible to do as they get worse and can no longer eat properly. My father-in-law has had a feeding tube for 2 yrs now. It actually helped him gain back lost weight though he'll never be fat. He is stable now and bedridden,unable to talk, sleeps 75% of the time, unable to move really. The human body is strong though as long as it is receiving nutrition. There is no telling how long my father in law can hang on in these conditions unless he sustains some sort of infection. He is coughing a great deal these days as he can no longer control his throat muscles to swallow and chokes on his own saliva. Its very sad to watch and even sadder I'm sure for my husband. ENJOY your grandpa's time while he is lucid and able to be with you. Thats the only advice I can offer you. And take the gift that this teaches us HOW precious life is and the ability to just put one foot in front of the other. And I'm sending you a Cyber-hug because this is a suckee suckee disease that is hard on EVERYBODY :~(

Question: What is the cure for parkinson's disease? How can it be reversed and completely cured? One of my best friend has Parkinson's disease going into 4th or 5th year. He is taking medication to control movement and the dosage is now up to 15 pills a day. Is there a cure/treatment for this disease? What can be done to reverse it? Are there any therapies to halt this disease? Are there any herbal suplements?

Answer: There is no cure for Parkinson's disease. When symptoms grow severe, doctors usually prescribe levodopa (L-dopa), which helps replace the brain's dopamine (the cause of involuntary movements is due to the decreased dopamine levels). In patients who are very severely affected, a kind of brain surgery known as pallidotomy has reportedly been effective in reducing symptoms. Another kind of brain surgery, in which healthy dopamine-producing tissue is transplanted into the brain, is also being tested. Gene therapy offers great potential for PD and many other brain disorders. With this type of therapy, viruses are engineered to deliver genes that increase the supply of dopamine, prevent cell death, or promote regeneration of neurons. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a surgical procedure used to treat a variety of disabling neurological symptoms—most commonly the debilitating symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD), such as tremor, rigidity, stiffness, slowed movement, and walking problems. The procedure is also used to treat essential tremor, a common neurological movement disorder. At present, the procedure is used only for patients whose symptoms cannot be adequately controlled with medications. DBS uses a surgically implanted, battery-operated medical device called a neurostimulator—similar to a heart pacemaker and approximately the size of a stopwatch—to deliver electrical stimulation to targeted areas in the brain that control movement, blocking the abnormal nerve signals that cause tremor and PD symptoms. Some people are not able to undergo deep brain stimulation surgery to alleviate their Parkinson’s disease symptoms. For these people, a non-invasive surgical approach — like gamma knife surgery — might be beneficial. While gamma knife is not as effective as deep brain stimulation, it does offer another treatment option for some patients. The gamma knife is a machine that emits hundreds of powerful, highly focused gamma radiation beams. The gamma knife allows for a more precise and concentrated treatment than do other radiation treatment options. This helps the doctors target the diseased area of the brain while sparing the surrounding healthy areas. Gamma knife treatment has up to a 70 percent to 90 percent success rate, which depends on the patient and the disorder for which he or she is being treated.

Question: what's the difference between Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson disease ? Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson disease ..... they look similar to me cuz they share common symptom. For instance, one of the similar symptom is patients show difficulties in moving and walking. Please point the main difference between them. Please also show me if there is another similarity between them. Thank you so much!!!

Answer: Alzheimer's is a progressive disease of the brain--it affects thought processes (reasoning, memory, etc.) more than motor function like moving and walking. Parkinson's is a degenerative disease of the central nervous system; it affects movement--walking, control of the hands, head, etc. , but usually doesn't interfere with mental function. Both diseases can affect behavior and mood.

Question: Can you join the US Coast Guard if you have Wolff Parkinson White disease? This is very important. If anyone at all has any helpful information I would greatly appreciate it! For anyone who doesn't know, Wolff Parkinson White disease is a heart condition that causes your heart rate to increase when you do extensive physical activity. Thanks in advance for all your help.

Answer: According to what I've been reading, anything that is not correctable via surgery will bar you from serving. It lists Wolff Parkinson specifically.

Question: What are the side effects of the medications for Parkinson's Disease? My doctor recommended using medications that is for Parkinson's Disease, to help relieve my PLMD. Has anyone ever used it, or know someone who used it? What are some of the side effects?

Answer: Hi Honey Here are some answers for you. Cause A deficiency of dopamine in the brain can be due to underlying nutritional deficiencies, cerebral vascular disease (blockage of blood vessels in brain), side effects of anti-psychotic drugs, carbon monoxide poisoning, abuse of certain designer drugs, and a rare infection (encephalitis lethargica). Parkinson's disease has been associated with toxic buildup of heavy metals in the body, especially mercury from dental amalgams. To slow the progression of Parkinson's amalgam fillings should be replaced, followed by a detoxification program. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Natural Cures Note: Left untreated, over time (usually years) Parkinson's can lead to severe incapacitation. Treatment with complicated drug combinations and mobility exercises can reduce the progression and severity of the disease. Levodopa and Sinemet are the two most commonly used drugs for treating Parkinson's disease, but Levodopa is made ineffective if taken with vitamin B6. (Sinemet does not have this problem.) Using vitamin B6 alone can be just as effective in some individuals in the initial stages of the disease. Levodopa should also be taken away from protein meals, which decrease its effectiveness. Diet: Eat an organic, whole foods diet with raw foods (50% to 75%), emphasizing dark green leafy vegetables, rutabagas, sprouts, sesame seeds, and sesame butter. Also drink plenty of pure, filtered water. People using the drug levodopa should avoid or minimize their intake of foods that are rich in vitamin B6--whole grains, oats, raw nuts (especially peanuts), bananas, potatoes, liver, and fish. Herbs: Passionflower can enhance the positive effects of the drug L-dopa (levodopa), producing a greater reduction in tremor. The Ayurvedic herb Mucuna pruriens, a natural form of levadopa, can also be helpful. Nutritional Supplementation: Assessment of individual amino acids is important. Consult an orthomolecular doctor. Other useful nutrients include GABA, calcium, and magnesium, vitamin B complex (taken away from Levodopa), lecithin vitamin C, vitamin E, evening primrose oil, multivitamin/mineral complex, and DHEA (a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands). The coenzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) (25-50 mg per) day administered intravenously has also been shown to produce a beneficial effect in patients with Parkinson's. Selenium is also recommended for its ability to detoxify mercury poisoning. Alternative Professional Care If your symptoms persist despite the above measures, seek the help of a qualified health professional. The following professional care therapies have all been shown to be useful for treating Parkinson's Disease: Cell Therapy (Stem Cell Therapy), Chelation Therapy (extremely important for detoxifying from heavy metal poisoning), Craniosacral Therapy, Detoxification Therapy, Holistic Dentistry, Light Therapy, Magnetic Field Therapy, Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy, Naturopathic Medicine, Orthomolecular Therapy, and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Best of health to you

Question: What are cancer treatment options when the patient also has Parkinson's Disease? A dear friend of mine has Stage 3A lung cancer, but also has Parkinson's Disease, and there appear to be limited treatment options. Can anyone provide some guidance on this issue?

Answer: My sympathy and thoughts go out to you and your friend. I have been with a Research company for the past 10 years and they have had some remarkable results with a product called Transfer Factor. I have literally been witness to hundreds of cases where the success has been incredible with Cancer. It has also had good results with Parkinson's disease. You might want to look into it for your friend. The product is completely natural. It is geared towards raising your immune intelligence and training your body's best defense to deal with foreign invaders of all kinds. It's an advancement in biotechnology that has over 3,000 clinical studies. You can find more about it by visiting: www.4lifetransferfactorstore.com That site has testimonials from many people who have experienced the benefits of Transfer Factor, plus their are some clinical study results, and more information on how Transfer Factor works. I wish the best for you and your friend during this difficult time.

Question: Can a person who has Parkinson disease know when they have to pass urine? My mother has Parkinson's and tells me that she doesn't know when she has to pass urine.

Answer: You don't mention how long your mother has had Parkinson's disease, but I would ask you to consider this, that Parkinson's disease can sometimes lead to a form of dementia (organic brain failure). Your mother may not be 'lying'. She may simply not recognise the signals that she's getting, telling her that she needs to empty her bladder. In my own experience, one of the things that you might like to try is getting your mother to sit on the toilet every few hours, just to see if she can pass anything. Although it may cause some 'disagreement' between you as to why you're requesting her to keep going to the toilet, it will aid in your fight against incontinence. (I apologise unreservedly if I'm 'jumping the gun' here. I've certainly no wish to cause undue anxiety with regards to any untoward assertions that I may be accused of making.) I wish both yourself and your mother the very best of luck and good health.

Question: Is there a connection between Parkinson's disease, heat intolerance, and vision problems? I have young-onset Parkinson's disease and have developed significant vision problems as a result. I also have noticed some heat intolerance with a possible connection to making my vision (double-vision) a bit worse at times. Anyone know of any significant connection?

Answer: Eye problems are not unusual in people with Parkinson's disease. There's a great article here explaining why: http://www.healthandage.com/Home/gid2=1972 Also virtually all patients with Parkinson's disease have evidence for a loss of a particular type of "automatic" nerves, called sympathetic nerves. Sympathetic nerves are responsible for the increases in the force and rate of the heartbeat during exercise, sweating and skin temperature changes during exposure to heat, tightening of blood vessels and regulation of blood pressure when a person stands up, and many other functions. So yes, heat intolerance can also be a factor. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/funding/research/parkinsonsweb/bios.htm

Question: How does parkinson disease affect cells of the body? and what cells of the body does parkinson disease affect? thanks and NO STUIPID ANSWERS! i need it for a project that is due tommorow!

Answer: Parkinson's disease results from loss of dopamine producing cells in the part of the brain called the Substantia Nigra.

Question: Do people who have Parkinson's Disease get a lot of migraine headaches? I have a friend who was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease about 5 years ago. She takes several different kinds of medication for it as prescribed by her doctor. She has also been seen and tested by a neuorologist and they can't seem to pinpoint why she gets these headaches all the time. She misses a lot of time from work because of these headaches. I was just wondering if other's who have Parkinson's suffer like my friend does and what she might do to help alleviate the frequent headaches.

Answer: here's a good link

Question: How do people with Parkinson's disease finally die? My wife has Parkinson's disease. She is in constant pain. She is losing her ability to do even the most ordinary actions of living. We wonder how Parkinson's patients finally die.

Answer: The most common cause of death in Parkinson's disease is aspiration pneumonia. As the disease progresses, the patient swallowing becomes extremely difficult. This difficulty swallowing often causes the patient to choke or inhale (aspirate) their food...leading to aspiration pneumonia.

Question: any suggestions for books on Parkinson's Disease that give ideas for More Natural methods of dealing with it? My husband has Parkinson's and there are too many books out there to buy them all. Are there any suggestions for a book that gives ideas for natural methods of dealing with the disease? Or any suggestions from someone who also has the disease?

Answer: I suggest that you use the web to read a variety of articles. You will find yourself referring to Wikipedia for definitions. You will not find a definitive book because there are so many variables. And you really have to be aware that many suggestions are sometime contraindicated. I have been surprised at some suggestions because physics intrudes with an equal and opposite reaction. I suggest that you begin by looking at CoQ10 1200 mg daily. Glutathione is another powerful antioxidant. But it is not effective inthe tablet or capsule form. There is a patch available and there is also sublingual gluathione. It should contain NAC and be accompanied by Milk Thistle. Not knowing your husband's symptoms, I am going to suggest general PD exercises including vocal exercises to assist swallowing, voice quality and oxygen intake. Check this website for a number of these topics in brief and feel free to comment and ask questions in the comment sections. http://parkinsonsfocustoday.blogspot.com… You will also find interesting articles about the Butykeo method of breathing which are aimed at Asthma patients but are suitable for PD as well. This is a method dealing with the breathing pattern, the respiration and inspiration rate aand rhythm. It is designed to avoid hidden hyperventilation based on a CO2 theory. There is also physical therapy, swim therapy, dance (yes-do the tango) therapy, massage therapy all designed to loosen those tightening muscles, assist in regaining strength, regaining balance by walking differently. You should check with your doctor as some therapies can be covered by your medical coverage. Some people are helped by diet adjustments. This can be quite simple or quite complicated depending upon the present diet. http://www.nutritionucanlivewith.com/par… You can also join Patient's Like Me which is a good forum for asking these questions and getting lots of answers; for tracking the disease, for reading about real side effects which real people are experiencing. You can both join: your husband as a patient and you as a caregiver. It will give you access. The site has become a bit more difficult to use but it now is around 3,000 members. http://www.patientslikeme.com/ There several good web sites with suggestions for alternative therapies. You will want to read about accupuncture as well. Please feel free to email me if you have more questions. Best wishes. PD is a difficult journey for both patients and caregivers but it can be made easier with a good plan of action and monitoring. Even your neurologist may have alternative therapy suggestions. You wouldn't have asked your question if the pills were all you wanted for quality and quantity of life. Addendum: there is one book which is a must read for PD exercise: "Parkinson's Disease & the Art of Moving" by John Argue http://www.amazon.com/Parkinsons-Disease… These exercises are meant to be done with two people - one to read, guide and assist and the patient. They may not retrain the brain - neoplasticity - in the same way the the two gait retrainers, relatively new on the market, can do but it is an economical way of adjusting stance, walk, voice to "increase flexibility, strength, nalance and coordination, improve communication, voice power and speech clrity, delay the progression of symptoms" Another addendum: Check this web site - it is a quick read with many good suggestions: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art3… Check out zinc ascorbates - may be important.

Question: What Are All Of The Specifics Of Parkinson's Disease? Please give me all or any of the specifics mainly on the topic about Parkinson's Disease. How does it affect the body? What are the symptoms? Will there ever be a cure for this disease? Please answer any of these questions that I have asked about Parkinson's Disease. Thank You All for any help, Jerry

Answer: everything you need to know about Parkinson's disease: http://www.neurologychannel.com/parkinso…

Question: what is parkinson disease and what does it do to you? Like Michael J. Fox, He has it and I was just wondering what it is and I see that when he talks he moves his body around constantly is it part of that disease?

Answer: Parkinson's disease is caused when your brain doesn't produce enough dopamine. This can lead to rigidity, slowness of movement, and tremors among other things. The moving around of Michael J Fox is most likely dyskinesias which are a side effect of sinemet, which is a primary medication in treating parkinson's.