Hi all. Happy new year to everyone.
I am starting to notice something peculiar, but positive about the effects of travel on my Parkinson’s symptoms. Every time I go to a totally new place, I see substantially noticeable positive improvement in the severity of my symptoms.
I see the difference the day after and it lasts for a couple of days after I return home. I require less medication (I am on Sinemet), and sometimes I even feel so good that I even miss a dose or two.
Any one else notice this?
No, usually the opposite. Enjoy & keep traveling! 😄
My experience is similar to yours, laglag. I am generally worse the day of and day after travel, from stress, and time zone and/or altitude adjustments. I read somewhere Michael J Fox reported no symptoms at high altitude; I travel to Colorado and surrounding states at least once a year, and find altitude another stressor my body has to adjust to, i.e., worsened symptoms until it does.
Lucky you, malayappan.
I live in Colorado at 10,000 feet. Traveling to lower altitudes sometimes helps, but the adjusting back to my home altitude can be nothing short of awful.
The same happens to me, too. It is not only when I travel to new places, but also when I do activities that do break the daily routine.
Thanks for sharing. I will proactively try that.
Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
Yes me too although my travel is country to town either one of the smallest Ruffin NC one laundromat run by the guy next door. And larger " city" GSO NC where my doctors are & where I graduated from high school in 1972. Just getting away from the house with all its growing repair list replace garage foundation and roof. PaInt interior. Replace all carpet and probably need help of a cleaning pro like disaster one! To get rid of cat urine accidents. 2 litter mates left ages 20 +. I feel so overwhelmed that I agree Stress increases Off Time and With that increases Brain Fog. Best time for me today active house cleaning 10 pm to 3 PM with a hop skip gait singing all the songs I know as quietly as I can...good early am wishes for a Better Year ahead. And might mention I went to bed 7 PM until 10 PM because my legs didn't move well like " feet stuck in a swamp"' is my brother's comment. We are siblings with PD. I may have one of the "uglies" Parkinsonisms. That was my initial diagnosis. My brother's neurologist a brilliant "do the math" MD and Mom joined Guilford Neurologic in GSO. And I asked to be her patient. In 2015 she prescribed Rytary C/l with Neupro patch. My Neupro beginning dosage 2 mg increased to 6 mg. Her diagnosis right-sided PD. I could use my hands legs and the dizziness gone. And I could travel to the beach with my sister the eldest of 4 (I am the youngest age 65) She worked as a Science writer for TIME. And is invaluable as a source when I send questions her way. Well that is my history. Have you flown to travel destinations,? Do you find it difficult to manage prescriptions on the road? Interesting conversation I find often sends me in a time warp. New Year's Day a neighbor came to visit We chatted for 4 hours. I had skipped my 2pm 3 Rytary blue and white (95mg each) capsules without slowing down or stiffening neck back legs all those parts of me especially knee and hip joints! Ouch. I ALSO TAKE B1Thiamine and also L-Theanine which improves mood and good around upbeat & helps me focus. Bladder infection was mentioned somewhere 8n your post. I am currently undergoing first 2 weeks Cipro twice daily and 6 more weeks once daily Trimethoprim 100 mg.Ciao!
Would like to say yes but I just arrived on Kauai on the 1st from the West Coast. I recently switched back to C/L 50/200 from Ritary. Also take Azilect. 2 days ago my wife and I went for a 4 mile walk along the beach. Flat, paved trail/bike path. Beautiful! My meds quit half way, 2 hours after my last C/L. I take them on 3 hour intervals. Shuffled home.
Yesterday I went golfing. Meds gave up 1 hour into round. I had taken 1 C/L at the first tee. So, 1 hour.
Been taking it easy today.
Sound familiar to anyone?
Yes, my husband with PD almost felt normal on recent trips to Japan. We told his neurologist about it and he said vacations were good because it engages your mind to learn new things, particularly if it's a place you enjoy (I guess as opposed to visiting relatives during stressful holiday visits in the middle of winter.). In fact, when we asked if there was anything more we could do to add to his exercise and medicinal regiment, he said, "Yes, take more vacations, they're good for you." So, enjoy yourself when you can for as long as you can!
People are generally more active when traveling. as opposed to sitting still at their computer or watching TV. Activity is exercise and exercise is fundamentally the BEST medication for Parkinson's! Travel to new places also stimulates the brain and that helps too. Since being diagnosed I have gotten into white water rafting and ocean kayaking, and always feel largely better immediately before, during and after.
PS I have recently gotten into high rep recumbent biking exercise with some of the same benefits.
Nice demonstration of residual intrinsic dopamine. Tru to find something equally gratifying When you’re not traveling.
I just travelled to Paris for a week and was very worried because I have difficulty and pain with walking. I do about a mile a day at home. In Paris we walked 2 to 5 miles a day and I did great! I used my walking pole and had no trouble. We used Uber for longer distances. I was very surprised and happy. However when I got home I really crashed and I’m back to one mile. My conclusion is I need to walk more to feel better. I also often forgot meds at times during the trip. It was an amazing trip and I learned something really important.
Something amazing about Paris. It was in Paris that I noticed my Parkinson's symptoms literally vanish for the duration of our stay! This disease is so confusing😔
Perhaps we should live in Paris 😍
Maybe that's not such a far fetched idea. I will go back and see if I experience it again. But I have generally found my symptoms improve when I travel to a brand new place.
Yes I notice when we travel less tremor and I feel over all better. My balance is much improved too. I am not on medication yet my neurologist wants me too take medication but I am concerned about side effects a d how they will impact on my life quality . Especially when travelling.
