I was a Parkie carepartner for almost 30 years. I'm interested in hearing about your very first PD symptoms

[annemikkelsen]

Any Parkies who are willing to share first symptoms and how long before your diagnosis they appeared, please contact me by email. [e-mail]. Thank you

[quirkyme]

my husband had a fall, slipped on a bump between sidewalk sections and sprawled out flat. This was about 2 years prior to diagnosis. He always had constipation and for years had migraines (but we found the cause was ingredients in sausages). Right before he was diagnosed, after developing a hand tremor, he got swollen hands that turned blue. No one has found the origin of this but the tremor started right after that. His mother had several miscarriages and one stillbirth before he was born and I wonder if there was something in utero that affected him. No way to prove this.

[annemikkelsen in reply to quirkyme]

Thank you quirkyme for your response. I appreciate every detail. Anne

[partypants]

I think my first symptoms were bladder related - not completely emptying, increased frequency and urgency especially at night. I had these problems for at least 3, perhaps 5 years before my next symptoms which were balance related and slowness of my left hand and arm.

I'm not sure if my neurologist believes that the bladder problems were related to my PD but I've since spoken to two other people locally with PD who confirmed they also had bladder problems - one young woman was not diagnosed for 14 years and ended up incontinent and in a wheelchair before she got help. Funnily enough she had the same neurologist as me.

[annemikkelsen in reply to partypants]

Thank you for your response. Every one's experiences are different aren't they?

[quirkyme in reply to annemikkelsen]

they certainly are, that's the first thing we learn when we join a group....

[Mikila]

Looking back now I think the first symptoms I became aware of appeared about 5 years before my diagnosis. I was training for triathlons and noticed when swimming that the little finger on my right hand quite often stayed out straight and I had to use my other hand to bend the finger at the second joint.

About a year before diagnosis I noticed also that my right arm just "hung" when I was walking - it didn't swing at all and it was a strange feeling. Around this time my right hand became "heavy" and I found it more difficult to use eg when stir frying veges and also found it difficult to apply makeup.

I have also has no sense of smell for over 15 years and from reading information about Parkinson's this appears to be another symptom.

[annemikkelsen in reply to Mikila]

Thank you Mikila. My husband's first symptom was cognitive. He couldn't figure out how to use a common carpentry tool (the Swanson's Speed Square) one he had deftly used over many years. His next symptom was loss of taste. PD diagnosis was 12 years later. I'm curious as to whether the first symptoms could be better tracked for an earlier diagnosis

[SGHALDIA]

I am 56 years old, male still active. PD was detected 3 yrs back.

Some of the common symptons I had before diagnosis are:

Stiffness in right leg, thumb would bend.

Diabeties.

Constipation.

Balance problem. Walking was different.

Pain in joints.

Hand would shake, holding a spoon was difficult.

Hand writing became smaller.

I sweat a lot even now.

Regards