i live in new jersey. diagnosed with parkinsons one year ago. i am a union mechanic. my job is becoming difficult. i am not on meds help

[jimbo112]

looking into disability need help

[Hidden]

Social Security? We recently helped my sister obtain disability status. She was and is not capable to comprehend the process that was necessary. The one blessing, my wife is in the medical records profession. Between the psychiatrist documentation and my wife's writing the letters and forms, my sister was successful. I strongly recommend, if you pursue SS disability claim, find a writer with some medical knowledge.

I am going on two years since my diagnosis, and still not on meds. (by choice). My right side is weak. But I am self-employed (self-starvation) and no problem keeping my "job". Do you have another question?

[isis6361]

You need to start medication Parkinson's is similar to diabetes in the way that one lacks insulin and the other dopamine. Without treatment this depletion will continue and the condition will continue to degenerate. You need to be seen by your neurologists and discuss your symptoms

[Pete-1]

If you want to get the best drug option make sure you are given something with Levodopa in it. At one time it was thought that going straight into taking Levodopa based drugs would speed the progression of the disease but that idea is losing favour now.

Thee are 4 categories of PD drug

1. Dopamine agonist, e.g.Pramipexole

2. Levodopa based e.g. Sinemet

3. MAO-B inhibiter e.g. Selegiline

4. Another type of inhibiter that I can't recall just now, e.g. Entacopone (very expensive in USA).

I will come back to this later if no one else has only I can feel my drugs just begining to take effect and want to spend that time getting a job or 2 done before the effect wears off.. TTFN

[PatV in reply to Pete-1]

If I had to do over I would do Azilect first, then go to sinimet or combo there of. Work as long as you can. ADA requires accommodations. Good luck

[rch21]

Applying for SSD with Parkinson's is not always easy. You will need to show that you can not take another job, not just your current type of work. You will also be asked to supply medical documentation for why you cannot work. Using a lawyer who specializes in this area can be a huge help.

As for medication, not everyone progresses at the same rate or with the same symptoms with PD. As a result, different progression rates, plus differences in metabolisms, biochemistry, etc, result in different resposiiveness to meds. I do find that carbidopa-levidopa helps me. in addition, I believe that the relatively heavy aerobic exercise I do (25 to 30 miles per week of race walking and running) slows the progress of this illness down. Good luck!

[jimbo112 in reply to rch21]

may i ask how old you are and at what age were you diagnosed, are you sill working and what type of job. what side effects do you have

[rch21 in reply to jimbo112]

I am 60, was diagnosed 3 years ago, but it took a year and one half to diagnose me. My symptoms first started 10 years ago or so. I am not working for a variety of reasons - I could no longer keep the kind of schedules I used to keep, I cannot absorb information as quickly as necessary for what I did, etc. I need to nap a couple times each day and I can not stay in one position for more than a short time. I do run and race walk, as I said earlier, and I do coach cross country and track (technically paid, but the stipend is far less than minimum wage), but that is only for 1.5-2 hours and I can keep moving, shifting, etc. and take a nap when done.

As for the carbidopa-levidopa, I take 2.5 tabs of 25/100 4 times a day and 2 tabs of extended release 50/200 before bed. The only side effect has been a rash when I briefly increased to 12 tabs in the day time.

[HealthSeeker7]

My husband was diagnosed in 2004 and we decided to delay him taking the PD meds because we'd read their effectiveness wears off after 5 or 10 years. However, here we are 10 years later and his meds are not only still effective, he is still working (at age 66) and he seems to be getting better! So I'm not sure we gained anything by delaying them.

We have always enjoyed going on walks. Before he started taking PD medication his movement became so bad he was stooped over and could only shuffle a half mile up our lane and back. The day he took his first PD meds he suddenly started walking normally again and then he took off skipping! It seemed miraculous. However, side effects of the drugs caused him so much pain eventually that it made his life a misery. We were fortunate to find a brilliant neurologist who sorted that out and got him on a collection of medications that work for him and still do, after a tweak or two. He is now able to go on very long walks and do workouts with kettle bell weights. He is even learning Karate now and has already earned his 4th belt.

I believe exercise is a massive factor in his good health (all things considered) and what he eats is also extremely important. His medication works most effectively when he sticks to a vegan diet. He was already a vegetarian when he was diagnosed, but we finally discovered the protein in dairy products usually interfered with the absorption of his meds, causing long 'off' periods. I would recommend anyone with PD try to avoid animal foods and eat a plant based diet. There are so many health benefits, for those without PD too. The fibre-rich plant food diet is wonderful for digestive health too.

We've read that the PD medication Michael J Fox takes is still effective for him, and he was diagnosed with PD in 1991. (Have you seen MJF playing ice hockey?!) So the 5-10 year rule can be ignored. We have chosen to think positively and expect my husband's medication to stay effective too. There is great power in positive thinking.

I would suggest you start taking some PD medication to see if work becomes easier for you. If it doesn't, or if the medication causes any painful side effects, don't hesitate to try to find the meds (and the neurologist) that work best for you. We have discovered a better life and far more hope than our earliest research suggested we would.

[Park4me in reply to HealthSeeker7]

May I ask what meds helped him most?

[Balderdash]

Parkinsons Disease is a fluctuating illness.

This adds to the dilemma and frustration.

Its difficult enough too accept as the person with the illness when your trying to understand something you have no control over.

Awareness is understanding, but an employers awareness is that you cant do the job you were employed to do.

The expectation of others that if you can do the task at all,lends no reason to them why sometimes you just cant.

The fact of the matter is that you are able to work at certain times but the crux is that you cannot do so RELIABLY REPEATEDLY AND SAFELY AND WITHIN A SET TIME FRAME.

Its a shame that you have waited until now to consider medication,but theres no doubt that its what you need,it may help you to continue working, but whatever you certainly need it. Exercise yes I agree, but medication is your first priority.Its there to be used ,and give you some quality of life dont be afraid to use it.

[DRLH]

My boyfriend was diagnoised 8 1/2 years ago and he is a union auto mechanic and is still working. He is on medication. Maybe you can start the meds you need to keep your job

[pedserv]

I agree with taking meds as soon after diagnosis as possible. I was diagnosed via DAT Scan in 2011, but had been taking meds 9 months prior to scan. Take Azilect (1mg/day), Amantadine (200mg/day), Requip (8mg/day) and follow the paleo diet with coconut oil (2 TBSPs/day). Also walking as often as time allows. No progression (still have tremor in right arm)

[TwitchingAlong]

So far, I have been unable to find anyone else with PD who shares exactly identical symptoms with me. This fact alone makes it the more puzzling and confusing for sufferers of PD, let alone non-sufferers who are trying to understand, help and want to find a way to make us more comfortable by cutting down or eliminating the off periods we have to go through (often at irregular intervals!)

Unless you have the Disease, it is seemingly impossible for non-sufferers to totally understand just what we have to endure!

[quirkyme in reply to TwitchingAlong]

The roster of symptoms one person has may differ completely from another's, a baffling, frustrating disease. Exercise is the only thing that is said to be 'neuro-protective', that is helps prevent disease progression and improve mood -- and can give a sense of wellness.

One man I know in the PD group I lead, just got on disability the second try. He had to hire a lawyer and it seems everyone around here has to do that. We were lucky since my husband was retirement age. The benefit and challenge of being on disability is that now you can put a program in place to improve and maintain functioning (get in some kind of physical therapy group and continue on with that). Walking is excellent, too. My husband was walking slow but his first PT proved he could walk at a fast pace. He just had to find a 'work around' so the nerve impulses got through to his legs. A metronome provides the cuing he needs.

[Parkie1955]

Before you consider disability you need to try medication, exercise etc. It is your health record that gets you disability. As others have stated you may find the meds allow you to keep on working. I have other issues that put me on disability before I was even diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. I take Levadopa and Requip. If meds do not help then you can look into SSDI. If you do make sure you get a lawyer that is fee only if you win. I used a firm from the beginning and I got my disability in 55 days.

[biggiemo]

Jimbo I also live in NJ and go to a Movement Specialist in New Brunswick. He is affiliated with RWJ/Rutgers. If you go to You tube you can see how brilliant he is. His name is Lawrence Golbe, great lectures! He is so knowledgeable and current with drugs that are best based on your history and needs.

[Pappy214]

exercise ,diet and meds will keep you working ie: yoga tia chi pilates