I've been dx. four years ago. A few years before that I was on a bike trip and kept having falls. (I'd been an avid biker). It wasn't a question of balance but more that my depth perception and space perception were just off. If I had to pass another biker I couldn't seem to judge how close/far I was to them. Same if I had to ride between a parked car on my right and cars going by me on my left. I work on balance in the gym and that really seems good. So basically I've given up biking,. My husband knows I have good balance and can't understand why I can't bike anymore (I am 75). When I try to explain the space/depth perception concerns he doesn't get it. Could this side effect been from my PD? Has anyone else ever experienced that kind of issue?
Could this be PD related?: I've been dx... - Cure Parkinson's
Could this be PD related?
Have you had a thorough eye exam recently? It sounds like visual processing can be affected
"According to a 2016 study , depth perception issues may be due to changes in visual processing during the onset of PD. Neuroimaging studies have shown that people with untreated PD and impaired depth perception have reduced gray matter volume in the parts of the brain relating to vision"
medicalnewstoday.com/articl...
thank you for that. In fact, I just had an eye exam friday of last week and all was ok. I didn't think to mention the issue to her because I didn't put together that they could be related.
maybe it’s related to the problem my hubby has when he feels enclosed. Eg if he is in walk in pantry and someone else comes in he can’t move or get out of it. Also if he has to go through a narrow space or duck under a branch he finds it very difficult. It’s not his eyes as they are ok.
LAJ12345 . I can identify with your husband's predicament. I was on a walk with my wife the other day and I was crossing the road within our complex. A car was coming down the road, slowly and was quite far away from us. I literally froze and I was so panicked and I sat down right there on the road.
It was an intense case of sudden panic and it took an hour before I could start moving again after more Levodopa and even then my wife had to go bring out our car.
This cursed disease has a lot of surprises up its sleeve.
pdpatient, and LA12345,I have had an episode like yours. Several years ago I went out for a walk to the beach, which is within a walking distance from our house. On my way back I took a different route and found myself in a cul-de-sac - there was no exit, and not even a single person in sight! I felt trapped and completely froze, I couldn't move a muscle. Just like you I sat on the pavement and it took me quite some time to recover from a very intense feeling of claustrophobia.
I consider myself a very rational person, and I'm finding it very difficult to reason with my brain when I experience a random panic attack.
The lesson we need to learn from this is that when we freeze, the best and wisest thing to do is to sit down immediately and do it as carefully as possible. It is indeed the safest way to keep oneself in one piece.
I had been reluctant to sit down even in my own bathroom when I freeze. Until one day, my wife wasn't around to come to my rescue. I was faced with the choice of yelling for help ( there were other people in the house) and be embarrassed and just sitting down on the bathroom floor (yuck) and having to reshower again. I chose the latter.
The bathroom incident prepared me for what happened the other day. When I sat down on the road in the middle of the road, I felt no shame or fear of being run over by the car. (they were going slow anyway) and I wasn't worried about my clothes. I rather prided myself for quick thinking 😂
Strangers came to my help. They were young professionals who lived in the same complex and were in their early 20s. They displayed the kind of empathy, compassion and concern that I wasn't expecting. They stayed with me till I became better and helped me hobble onto my car.
More than anything else, I am convinced that our future young generations are in a great place in their future lives. Isn't that heartwarming.
Interestingly, my freezing episodes are decreasing ever since I have been on Gocovori.
Very true (and I would say very poetic!)Perhaps you could consider becoming a writer).
I enquired about the Amantadine and was told that I'm allowed to try it under medical supervision in two weeks' time! I consider this a success given that for thee years and 50+ emails I achieved absolutely nothing.
Thank you.
D.
Hi, I now have to be really careful when reversing the car, because I have very poor spacial awareness of what's behind me. Forwards, I'm okay. This seems similar to what Faybo is experiencing.
I gave up biking when I realized I was too slow mentally to make steering adjustments. I crashed on a bike path.
The neuro referred me to a motion center. I had to walk between and around plastic cones. Like the exam, I had to touch my nose with my index finger. So PD affects depth perception. Then as I was standing on one leg they said I'm okay and don't need to be here anymore.
Yes, my husband with PD. He fell off his bike, early on, very unusual, and his parking isn't what it used to be. He started chewing nicotine gum and he said his eye sight improved, he felt more alert but calm and his fine motor movement improved. Not long lasting, kind of a rescue med....a few hours gets him to work part time and able to function. He is chewing gum on top of his regular Levadopa/Carb PD pills.
I have a similar problem while bicyciing. I get totally freaked out when cars get too close to me or if I feel too close to the edge of the road, other rider or such. My neurologist suggested it might be dopamine related and recommended that I track when it happened. She thought it might be an anxiety issue caused by a low dopamine. I started tracking my doses while riding, and turns out she was right. I now set my timers for more frequent dosage while riding. Plus, if I start feeling that anxiety again it means I need a new dose asap. I pull over and chomp a Sinemet right away! Good luck. I’ve been riding for 35 years and hope to delay hanging up my bike as long as possiblle. Or, delay getting that electric trike as long as possible, at least!
you are describing exactly my sensations! It is not a balance issue. This all happened to me before I was diagnosed but now I will discuss it with my neurologist. How much sinemet are you taking? I've never needed to take an extra dose but worth a try.
Most days, I take half a Sinemet every 2.5-3 hours daily, but a full tablet 30-60 minutes before workouts. If a workout lasts over an hour, I may need another dose during, adjusting the dosage based on intensity and time remaining. For bike rides, I burn about a pill every 1.5 to 2 hours due to higher energy expenditure. My goal is no “off” time, so I dose frequently. I am diligent about watching for early signs that I am heading off, such as anxiety. My goal is replenish energy before depletion. Good luck!
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