I voted today. As part of the identification process, I had to sign my name in front of an election judge. Despite my best efforts to keep calm, my "signature" was almost completely illegible. After voting, I went out to my car and signed the back of a dirty envelope. It isn't perfect, but it looks pretty much the same as my signature for the past 30 years (see photo). I'm continually reminded of the role of stress with this disease. While stressed and afraid, I can barely write. In the quiet comfort of my own car, there's nothing wrong with me. My degree of stress regarding symptoms becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.
Micrographia and Anxiety : I voted today... - Cure Parkinson's
Micrographia and Anxiety
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jimcaster
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Get a stamp made of your signature.
I have one, but (1) I'm too stubborn and proud to use it and (2) I don't think I can use a stamp for voting.
For everything else such as tax forms, subscriptions etc. that you might sign at home or at your desk or in private. Besides, for in-person, you show your driver license or state govt ID with its picture and signature and (in some states) a thumbprint or iris-scanner anyway, I don't recall for voting being allowed to get away without a photo ID anyway. For actual ink signing, you don't care if it looks like you did it with your elbow, it's an anachronism today.
When dopamine is low, there is some effect on the body. IMO given the lack of dopamine production, any chemical imbalance affects the body. I think any expert in brain chemistry can explain dynamics better than I do.
Hi Jim,
I was just wondering if you have experimented with L-theanine or others like it?
Art
jimcaster• in reply to
I haven't, but I'll give you one guess as to what I am about to "Google". Thanks for the tip!
• in reply tojimcaster
Here is an interesting article about it:
psychologytoday.com/us/blog...
Art
enjoysalud• in reply to
Silvestrov often recommended L-theanine for anxiety.
When my son was still functional (about three years into PSP) I would give him the L-theanine. It helped him considerably.
glenandgerry• in reply to
Very interesting article Art.....you have a formidable filing system to be able to find all these articles so quickly - how do you do it?!
• in reply toglenandgerry
Hi Gerry,
Thank you for saying so! I think I am so used to reading on the internet that it is just second nature for me to find what I need fairly quickly. It doesn't always work, but I am better at it with so much practice!
Art
Anxiety,a major non-motor symptom of PD,leads to a vicious cycle.Because of anxiety,pwp gets stressed in other to carry out simple tasks we normaly do without PD.Then comes stress,and when we get stressed,then comes anxiety.What a disease? Are you on any anxiety medication?
I'm not on any medication of any kind and anxiety isn't an issue for me -- except when I have to write or sign in front of someone. Micrographia is THE only symptom which bothers me. If not for that and poor sense of smell, I'd swear I'm healthier than ever...
Have you cleared up some other symptoms which were used to determine a P diagnosis?
Poor arm swing and very slight gait issues have largely disappeared, but I still have slight bradykinesia on my right side. The first neurologist I saw said I had warning signs, but was reluctant to diagnose Parkinson's, but a Movement Disorders specialist at Mayo Clinic made the diagnosis two months later. I have never had resting tremors. Sometimes I question the diagnosis, but between slight gait issue, poor sense of smell, micrographia, and bradykinesia, I think it's Parkinsonism, albeit mild so far.
We should talk.
I'll send you a private message.
no medication, very impressive!
Well, I was only diagnosed last May. I immediately found this site and learned about high dose thiamine and I also learned of a study which found that drug naive Parkinson's patients who exercised intensely (80 % of max heart rate) for 30 minutes, 3 times per week saw NO PROGRESSION in their symptoms. I've been exercising accordingly ever since...no progression yet so no need for medication.
Chillin is the answer, "big deal" is the answer to stress situations, "who cares" is how I go about it. Our illustrious president's signature looks like he's had PD for thirty years, and he's extremely proud that it does. Look around at various published signatures on the web, of people who are so important and illustrious, it looks like it's gone to their heads, compared to the person's name they often look like the signatures were done with a pen sticking out of their butt.
I call my brain HAL ( 2001 
It wants to wreak havoc at my slightest thought, pleasurable, or not.
That's happening to me, too.
some definition before putting in "stress and anxiety" anything that is without a definite cause like toothache.
Definition of Anxiety
2,medical : an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physical signs (such as tension, sweating, and increased pulse rate), by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one's capacity to cope with it.
Definition of stress from the Oxford Dictionary -
2.A state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances.
en.oxforddictionaries.com/d....
merriam-webster.com/diction...
Yup, both definitions seem to match my feelings as the judge watched me sign. But those feelings were totally gone when I signed my name while alone in my car.
if you notice both the definitions refer to an objective cause that you have readily identified. So much so, IMHO if you had the whole capacity to produce dopamine you would have passed the episode without any problem as before the pd.
I agree, but I still don't understand it. I think I had the same amount of dopamine in the car 3 minutes after voting than I did while signing in front of the judge, but the outcomes were very different.
I don't know but I think it has to do also with the balancing of other chemical substances opposed to dopamine, some other ... amines that only God and a chemist knows. I'm not, and frankly the subject bores me to death. What I understood that the body produces substantially two types of substances: exciting and calming ,if something goes wrong in the balance are trouble. But I'm not a chemist.
My husband had terrible anxiety to the point of being suicidal and having to go to the psych unit at the hospital. None of the antidepressants etc were working. He started taking Hardy’s daily essential nutrients and Hardy’s inositol and greens and probiotics and within three days his anxiety was completely gone and that was 2 months ago and nothing seems to faze him now. He laughs and jokes and I haven’t seen him like that for years. It was pretty miraculous. He does take other things too (see my profile) but the anxiety definitely stopped with the Hardy’s products. It could be worth a try for you.
hardynutritionals.com/produ...
• in reply toLAJ12345
Does your husband have Parkinson's
LAJ12345• in reply to
Yes, diagnosed a year ago.
• in reply toLAJ12345
I checked out the site. The supplement is so expensive!
LAJ12345• in reply to
Yes but look at the ingredients in it. It has all the vitamins and minerals but also a lot of other things in the proprietary mix that he had already tried so we were able to swap this one product for many other bottles so when you consider that it is not so bad. And we were deperate as he had already contemplated suicide a few times and got close to carrying it out so it is a small price to pay for me and the kids to have him back as a functioning member of the family! There is no other product or pharmaceutical he has tried over the past year ( and he has tried most of the suggestions on this site) that have had such a dramatic effect on his anxiety, and by removing his anxiety it has relieved many of the other symptoms.
Hello LAJ. Is your husband on Sinemet, and if so, what dose? Thank you.
We had our initial consultation with Dr. Mischley today. Although my husband has also been diagnosed with PD last March, she wants my husband to start Sinemet at a low dose for a month, just to confirm the diagnosis. I expressed my concern about meds but she was very reassuring that that would improve his quality of life. She also assured me that there will be no dyskinesia as she will give us her protocol to prevent that. She also said that PwP have a smoother ride with Mucuna. We mentioned to her that we have been experimenting with MP but still working on strength. She said that my husband should have felt better even on MP. I know that he is moving a lot better when he is "on" but he can't just tell the difference. We also mentioned to her about HDT but she didn't offer any advice, just nodding her head. She approved my husband's diet but she did mention to avoid beef even if it's grass fed. Our consultation lasted for an hour and a half, but I didn't have the opportunity to talk to her about Hardy's protocol. She was behind schedule and we started 30 minutes later than our appointment. It was the last appointment of the day. . . Anyway, I am thinking about calling Hardy's company and get their opinion.
Hi Despe, in consideration of your husband's visit with esteemed Dr. Mischley, let me ask you some questions. What impression did you get from the visit? How much Sinemet did you recommend per day? She told you that with his protocol there will be no dyskinesias in the future. Could you describe the protocol for the benefit of the community? Has Dr. Mischeley advised you to associate Mucuna with Sinemet? Did she tell you how much Mucuna to take? Thank you so much for your patience.
Unfortunately, until she confirms herself of his diagnosis, she will not recommend any protocol. Told us we have to wait for a month and see how my husband does on Sinemet. A little disappointed that she prescribed meds as we thought she would try to work with us on MP and supplements. Still hesitating to have my husband start on meds. . .still thinking about it. . . She recommended half a pill (25/100) X 3 a day. Anyway, overall she is very knowledgeable and very approachable doctor.
Hi, yes, he has been prescribed sinemet but he is only taking one in the morning at the moment. He doesn’t think it makes much difference . He tried 3 times per day but went back to one. He was told to take 2 3x per day but as his symptoms aren’t too bad now the anxiety is under control he decided there wasn’t much point until it is needed. He tried MP before the sinemet but that was before he was on the Hardy’s and it didn’t make any difference either but it may not have been strong enough. Did she have any new advice?
Yes, call them, it’s free to ask. You can always buy one bottle and just start on one a day and build up slowly and see if you get any improvement. Just make sure that you reduce any other minerals you are on as you increase the Hardy’s so you aren’t overdoing anything.
LAJ,
Funny, back in 2016 our FD prescribed Sinemet, one a day, then increased it gradually 3 X day. Of course, at that time our FD didn't discuss with us anything about Parkinson's, he just told my husband that Sinemet is for tremors. I had no idea what Parkinson's was at that time, neither did my husband. As usual, there is no time during a 15 min appointment to discuss anything in detail. He took notes, prescribed meds and rushed out to see his next patient. 
• in reply toLAJ12345
Does your husband take the recommended 12 capsules a day? That's a lot of capsules! At $130 / 30= $4.33 per day. Definitely not cheap as supplements go, but if it works, it seems worth it!
Art
LAJ12345• in reply to
Yes, he started with 1 each meal the first day, then 2, then 3 then 4. But as I say it replaced all the separate things so that is less capsules than before, except he does take extra b1, and a small amount of extra b3 as his genetic tests said he has a huge need for b1, 3, and 6. Hardy’s say extra water soluble vitamins are fine but don’t take extra minerals.
I have also got my teenage son on 6 per day as he has always shown similar personality traits to my husband and I am slightly concerned they may be pre pre Parkinsonism type behaviour and I think it has leveled out his moods. I do wonder whether I should also spike the whole family’s food with a dose of thiamine too as a preemptive thing!
My friends son has adhd and the difference to him is amazing. He has been on 12 a day since he was 7 and for about 5 years. He participated in the Julia Rutlidge trial in Canterbury. That’s why I tried it in the first place as I knew how well it worked on that child who was a nightmare. ( he was adopted and his birth dad had a drug problem). I resisted for months because of the price and tried to imitate the formula buying each of the individual ingredients which was cheaper but when my hubbies hair analyse came back with significant levels of mercury and arsenic I started worrying about what was in the other supplements . Hardy’s are Canadian made and quality controlled so they felt like a safer option. Call their free number and ask to talk to a product specialist. They have a free advice service that goes with the capsules so can advise based on any symptoms whether to increase or decrease or supplement with extra amino acids etc.
• in reply toLAJ12345
I'm not thinking that sneaking extra B-1 into the food is a good idea. I think it can cause problems for a person who has no need for extra. Since I talk about B-1 often on this forum , I have experimented with up to 4 grams per day and as little as 100 mg per day just so I would know what would happen to me at those doses which forum members use. Any amount for a long enough period of time gave me problems that resolved within days of stopping.
Your husband and family are very fortunate to have you as a person who will be so proactive on their behalf when it comes to their health! We should all be so lucky!
Art
LAJ12345• in reply to
Good point. I think also the Hardy’s have over 15 years worked out the correct ratios of the various components so it is probably better to just give them each one or 2 of these a day for a small top up.
My husband has settled on 2x 500 mg extra on top of the 12 multi. Any more than that makes him need to pee all the time. Most of his symptoms have gone except dexterity of his hands is not great, but that has been a problem for a long time. He was never good at craft, drawing, holding his pen correctly or writing very fast etc even as a child so perhaps it is because he never built up those brain pathways when he was developing as a baby.
• in reply toLAJ12345
I would agree, it is clearly one of the most comprehensive supplements I have ever seen in one jar and more importantly, it is working wonders for your husband!
Art
Same here... yesterday I had to bring home forms for my husband to do for me.
Once was a time I could do it all.
Any new appointments will require intake forms. I’ll need to remember to ask for those forms to be emailed , or mailed, to me in advance.
Be well
C!
Ps: I do have a long & hyphenated name
So a few yrs ago on my drivers license
I changed it to just.... Cheryl !
For me it's speaking. My brain goes haywire when I'm under stress.
Sometimes my writing is just like it was 20 years ago, sometimes I can't read it, medication doesn't seem to be the issue. If I am not sitting down though I really have a tough time, every time. When you are voting you are usually standing up. This disease just doesn't have rules and patterns. It is so frustrating. Just when I think I have a symptom figured out, next day that theory is out the window. And yes, stress is a major factor.
The good thing is that it really doesn't matter on a signature. So many people's are not legible. The bad thing is having to fill out forms for doctors etc.
Yes, I see that too, infact they're removing cursive writing from most US schools, which brings up a whole bunch of issues...Funny, I can print much easier than using cursive now.
Hi Jim. You have hit the nail right on the head. STRESS is the elephant in the room. I know that if I go very carefully and VERY slowly I can write quite well, but when I am really stressed, even that does not work. While typing, even when I am not stressed, like NOW, every third or fourth stroke is either missing, out of order or repeated. Here again, if I go a lot slower, it comes right, but without thinking I gallop on and OOPS!
I can't give up, I just have to laugh at myself and soldier on.
Have a GOOD ONE!
Jim do you experience tightness and pain in your forearm/arm when writing? Just curious because this is one of my primary symptoms and it comes and goes. Writing can be shaky (especially under the watchful eyes of others) but other times just fine. Very unpredictable
I don't have tightness or pain when writing, but the quality of my handwriting is very unpredictable, except that it's almost always better when I am relaxed and alone.
thanks for your response Jim. I certainly experience problems with writing that is exaggerated when people are standing over me. Not so much shaking, but shaky due to the death grip I have on my pen. I do not normally experience external tremors. I do respond to LD, but because of the pain and tightness in my arm I have sometimes suspected dystonia/writers cramp. Maybe a co-morbidity. Time will tell.... best to you!
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