Quick Question : How does Exercise or increase in activities affect your response to Levodopa?

[pdpatient]

I can never tell the difference between tremors and dyskynesia and I end up in pretty bad spots because the medication goes out of whack.

I find that increase in activities results in tremoring furiously and most importantly without warning. I can't put my finger to it. I have to calm down with a Klonopin.

What has been your experience if any? Please share.

RKM

[Kevin51]

Tremor and dyskinesia usually respond to LDopa meds in opposite directions. Raising meds should help reduce tremor but unfortunately will likely increase dyskinesia. Reducing meds will likely lead to less well controlled tremor but reduce dyskinesia. Both tremor and dyskinesia respond badly to stress so that clouds the picture. I wait till meds have kicked in before exercising but I still shake badly when doing weights (the limbs that I am not using) - much less of a problem on the rowing machine since everything is in use :-). But I am far better off with exercising than not!

[laglag]

I have both, but the dyskinesia has calmed down since I lowered my dose of C/L. I have told my husband I would rather have dyskinesia than tremor, I rather not have either. My tremor is worse right before I'm due for meds. It's more of a shaking. It has gotten worse through the years. C/L has always helped it. My head & sometimes my lips quiver and my left hand tremors and I have an overall shaking of my body if it gets really bad, like in stressful times. Stressful can even be even when I'm trying to communicate with someone. Sometimes I feel like I'm shaking inside too. I basically don't have a tremor when I'm "on". Some PwP's have a tremor all the time. I asked my Neuro, do you think I really have PD, and she said yes, you definitely do. When I'm "on", I move around alot. I describe dyskinesia as "writhing". Here is the description I looked up.....".make continual twisting, squirming movements or contortions of the body". It's not a shaking feeling, it's more of a writhing. Once in awhile I'm sitting in a chair & my leg will kick up. When I'm standing I tend to sway back & forth. The dyskinesia happens during my "on" time. It's usually there most of my "on" time, but not all the time. If I think about it, I can kind of control it for a few minutes or when I'm active. It gets worse when I'm stressed, talking, or for some odd reason when I'm eating? It's worse in a restaurant, which I haven't done for a year because of Covid. I know, that one sounds pretty strange to me? The reason I would rather have dyskinesia is because I feel happier when I have dyskinesia and when I have tremors I'm usually in my "off" period and I feel kind of grouchy and when I was "normal" years ago, I hardly ever was grouchy. Hope this gives you an idea of the differences, but remember, every PwP is different.

Keep fighting!!

[pdpatient in reply to laglag]

@laglag, thank you for sharing your experience. As regards to Covid-19, me neither 😢

RKM

[laglag in reply to pdpatient]

You're welcome. I noticed I didn't answer part of your question. I do not shake during or right after exercising, but I know a few people in my boxing class do. So I believe it's normal for PD.

[pdpatient in reply to laglag]

This part is really helpful. Thanks again.

RKM