“The ‘off’ state can kick in when levodopa is eliminated from our body – and people begin to express motor symptoms that are related to the low amount of dopamine going to the brain.”
Other types include partial ‘on’ or dose failure: “Sometimes, a dose of medication may provide incomplete relief of symptoms or fail to provide any symptom relief at all,” Lazzaro explains.
Meanwhile, unpredictable ‘off’ episodes are the moments when people transition suddenly from ‘on’ to ‘off’ with no obvious link to medicine dosage timings. “These are often the most difficult to manage,” says Lazzaro, “as they are not easily corrected by adjusting the medication schedule.”
Another type is “delayed ‘on’ – which is when it takes longer for someone’s medications to kick in”, says Brian.
Lazzaro adds that ‘off’ periods are complex and can impact a wide range of symptoms, including “tremor and stiffness, as well as non-motor symptoms such as panic attacks and depression”.
I'm curious how breastfeeding can impact later development of PD.
