How exactly do medications help?

[hilarypeta]

[LizaJane]

it address the fact of not having enough dopamine, or addresses the syptoms of lack of dopamine.

[hilarypeta]

Which symptoms? I have Three shaky fingers start of dupetrens, , stiff wrist and ankle on rhs and muscle cramps, saliva, swallowing water sometimes, slurred speech when tired, ,am a bit leaky, muscle weakness, frozen right shoulder, shorter sleep, high blood pressure and feel more depressed..

What thiings will change? Reading on this site it seems people have worse side effects than benefits from medications ...also difficulty in finding a suitable one.?

[LizaJane in reply to hilarypeta]

i know its hard to find the right meds for you, im still dealing with that. its a personal thing. some may have more side effects than others. im on azilect and never had any side effects. i also take requip, took awhile to adjust it and i feel better than when i first started but that is me. they help with movement and helps me write and function better. helps somewhat with my tremor but still there. my blood pressure lowered with meds, my depression was worse when not taking my meds. my main side effect on requip is dizziness but that is not as bad, i think im getting more adjusted. for me personally i would be much worse without them. i wrote earlier about botox injections for stiffness, pain and headaches, give that a try. i wasnt doing well on miraplex but this is only my opion and what my body will do on certain drugs.miraplex created more OCD than anything im on now and was to the point of almost blacking out but again this is only my opions. google about dopamine and how it effects you. hope this helps, its a journey that is for sure!

[gracrn in reply to hilarypeta]

My stiff wrist, shaky hand and stiff hip all improved tremendously as soon as I started Mirapex. I was recently diagnosed 12-07-211. I don't understand exactly how the meds work but I am so grateful for RELIEF.

GOD BLESS ALL

[hilarypeta in reply to gracrn]

Thanks will mention it when i get appt.. Good luck to us all!

[Hikoi in reply to hilarypeta]

I think all the symptoms you mention will be improved by medication Hilary (maybe not the sleep) . They may not go completely and will return as medication wears off.

It is a difficult decision to start medication.

[Hidden]

Without my meds I can not walk and have pain.

It took me over 3 years to get my meds straightened out, did not know how PD effects everyone differently so I did not have the information for conversations with Drs. that I should have had.

I have always hated meds, but now am grateful for them.

[DeParkiePoet in reply to Hidden]

Me too, I had not taken so much as an aspirin for at least 20 years before my Dx, Now I hate to think what would be without the stinking Meds.

[hilarypeta]

Thanks. Ive alwaya dine things naturaly up to now. There is one natural one you can try i think and one that is supposed to slow it down..

[maryalice in reply to hilarypeta]

I've tried a lot of different medications and had trouble with most of them.

I am now on Mirapex and Amanadine. They help, but I've decided to explore some natural alternatives. You might want to google John Coleman and Parkinson's Disease, Bowen Therapy and Parkinson's,

and Mucana Bean and Parkinson's. My Family Doctor believes in alternative medicine so she is guiding me through this journey. My neurologist doesn't. I hope this helps. Blessings

[hilarypeta in reply to maryalice]

You sound on my wave length! I seem to be allergic to neurologists..all the ones I meet seem to have a cavalier atitude and tunnel vision..if anyone knows of an enlightened open minded one in uk let me know!

[maryalice in reply to hilarypeta]

Good luck! I'm from the USA.

[daveyno9]

im not sure that they do help with everything when i was dxd i went on mirapex which nearly killed me then sinamet marginately better so iwasput on ropinarole not quite asbad along with madopar its taken me 3 years to get used to it. all with me itake my morning meds about 7am an hour later they kick in & set all my pd symptoms off ishake cant get my words out cant swallow & cant stand properly do they help ? god knows i didnt feel ill till i started on the pd meds

[Hikoi]

Its a hard one to know isn't it daveyn. My symptoms have got progressively worse since I started medication but for me I don't think the medication has done that, just the condition has continued to progress. I remind myself that by the time symptoms showed I had less than 20% of the dopamine I needed and it keeps getting less and less.