Does anyone still laugh like they used to?

[olpilot]

I think I still have my sense of humour, but I don't laugh out loud like I did years ago. I don't find things as funny as I once did. At our last group one of the pwp, pretty young fellow asked the others that question, made me think of the last few years, even before dx, and I realized I didn't. I know depression can be part of the package, but I don't feel depressed, just don't find things that funny anymore, even things that made me cry I laughed so hard. For the most part my outlook is pretty good, I don't dwell on this, but I miss laughing.

[blessed4431]

Oh I agree with you Im not depressed I just dont laugh like I use to. I miss laughing. It feels forced around my family. I dont know why this is happening but im so glad to know im not alone

[Hidden]

This is why I cannot understand one of the previous blogs Re ''Laughter therapy'' (which I had not heard of) Just reading this post makes me realise I too don't seem to have had a good laugh for ages. Sometimes I titter to myself about something trivial, but a good belly laugh, No!

I dont find modern comedy funny.

I do somethimes find myself getting very angry not with other people, but with myself.

[Hidden]

I do miss laughing too. I still have a sense of humor I'm just not showing it. You know the saying -- I'm laughing on the inside. That's me!

[jillannf6]

hi i ahv epsp and tend ot laugh out loud at TV PROGS etc and i do fidn things funny

so we r all differnet1

;lol JIll

[shasha in reply to jillannf6]

have you seen my reply to this

[lotl]

I laugh out loud on a daily basis. The littlest silly things seem to amuse me and I regularly laugh till I cry. Unfortunately one of PD's other side effects often comes into play and shall we say "I laugh so much that tears run down my leg"

[shall1019 in reply to lotl]

Your blog made me laugh (but not quite on the outside)

[Pete-1]

For something to be funny, or perhaps even only mildly amusing there generally has to be a surprise or an unexpected outcome of some sort. And sadly as we get older there are fewer surprises. to be had.

We have quite simply heard them all before or most of 'em anyway.

[olpilot]

I missed the post a bout laughter therapy yesterday, funny I thought about that. I remember laughing so hard at Robin Williams stand up comedy, now, not so much. With my face stuck in kind of a sour look anyway..........what do ya do????

Thanks all

[hunnypot]

Good morning - Laughter is what attracted me to this site and it was a good belly laugh. someone who goes by KoKo - was telling some stories about things that had happened to her and i could relate. I'm hopeing i can read more of her stories - it made me remember how good it is to laugh and reminded me to find the humor in things. as my son told me find the positive. laughter is the best medicine! p.s.if i find a good laugh I'll share

[PatV]

I still laugh and have a sense of humor, sometimes inappropriate. What I miss is being touched and having tears come to my eyes. I stopped the Xanax which I was taking for abdominal pain but did not help, it just made me feel cut off from people. So I feel more emotionally "there" and happier, but also more pissed off!

[judam9 in reply to PatV]

i laughed out-loud on Christmas day, and i couldn't believe what i was hearing. it seemed to come from a strange place. my husband who has a good sense of humor said a few things. and i laughed out loud.

but when sad things have happened, i am not able to cry. no tears. even when i had to have my dog put to sleep, it seemed like an execution. it was botched in my

view of it. and i felt really bad. i did find myself wiping 1 tear away. i usually cry for that type of thing. but there were no tears. , never. is this PD? i don't understand it at all. what's up?

[olpilot in reply to judam9]

I have always cried easy, before taking antidepressants, then I didn't feel much at all. Good or bad. I'm off those, cry easy again, and feel things more, but still laughter is rare. I make my wife laugh some times to the point she has a tear running down her legs ( sucks getting old), but me not so much. I used to be a practicule joker, but just don't feel it anymore. I was an airline pilot and once hid a remote controlled "fart" machine by the passanger boarding door, those days I laughed, and I long for that feeling again, but you can't fake it.

[judam9 in reply to olpilot]

maybe the anti-depressants just take that re-action away from you.

if you don't feel depressed, then you simply don't feel. which is kind of taking the good feelings away also.

you're right getting old does suck, but maybe it is making us stronger. by taking everything in it's stride. it could be a natural response. thanks judi

[doodles4 in reply to PatV]

what did you,or do you have for abdominal pain? How does it feel and is it constant? Any dx? I am asking because I've had abdominal or stomach pain for what seems like forever,was wondering if it was the same....

[PatV in reply to doodles4]

Everything in the book and then some! Still a work in progress. It started during prep for a colonoscopy. 7 years now. Sometimes triggered by something I eat, sometimes by a b.m. Going to a physical therapist for pelvic pain, we discovered that I would get dystonia in the pelvic floor. Only going to sleep with meds and not aggravating it then I wake up and it's gone. But the battle with constipation goes on. I joined the IBS group on this site and have now I'm trying the FODMAPs diet. Having tried everything!

p.s. pelvic floor sort of rules out stomach pain which I don't get thank goodness. I'll be happy to let you know If I get any relief .

[doodles4 in reply to PatV]

a friend of mine had a problem during a colonoscopy and can not sit without a lot of pain..she can stand or lie down...seeing a specialist...i saw a movement disorder specialist thank goodness and he tried me on amantadine....it worked wonders for me but i had a different problem than you it seems....but i was in agony for ever it seems and this has been a godsend for me.....i laugh more now...as long as i am sitting! can't walk far or stand up straight...how did we get here?!!

[PatV in reply to doodles4]

How do we get outta here?!?

[doodles4 in reply to PatV]

don't follow me...I took the wrong road somewhere along the way!

[PatV in reply to doodles4]

[doodles4 in reply to PatV]

and as far as laughing I try to catch "Ellen" and"Doc Martin"...they both give me a good laugh.....or two,...and my kids keep me laughing when they are here if i can stay awake that is......and looks like there are some people with a sense of humor here...lets stick together!

[Hikoi in reply to PatV]

Pat, sorry to be serious cause laughter is much more fun. Just want to say I get stomach pain and i think its this, gastroparesis. I havent been diagnosed with it, just from reading and talking to others etc.

sdigestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddi...

[PatV in reply to Hikoi]

Thanks! checking it out! another gift of PD is our expanded vocabulary

[PatV in reply to Hikoi]

Thanks, read it. Although it's something I have to be aware of (to avoid bezoars--there's a word for you!) my real problem is lower down. But I do take lemon water, apple cider water, coffee, etc with food to help move it along. Yesterday I had a paralysis in my lower ab and meds did not kick in all day--shuffle, shuffle. Better today!

[Hikoi in reply to PatV]

Bezoars is a new word on me too!

Because the whole gut is slow that includes the bowel. My meds are not working so well, they are good first thing but as the day goes on they are less effective. I think it might be because of my slow gut and food.

There is a Parkinson gastroenterologist in London I hear so maybe I could try for a referral.

There is an explanation of gastroparesis below for anybody reading who wonders what I'm talking about.

Gastroparesis, also called delayed gastric emptying, is a medical condition consisting of a paresis (partial paralysis) of the stomach, resulting in food remaining in the stomach for a longer time than normal. Normally, the stomach contracts to move food down into the small intestine for digestion. The vagus nerve controls these contractions. Gastroparesis may occur when the vagus nerve is damaged and the muscles of the stomach and intestines do not work normally. Food then moves slowly or stops moving through the digestive tract.

Gastroparesis has also been associated with neurological conditions, such as Parkinson's disease.

[shall1019]

It helps if you hang out with funny people, which I do.

[sunlady]

No I don't laugh like I used to. I used to hang around with my exercise ladies, but since my lifestyle has changed I hardly see them anymore. I miss laughing with them. We would laugh till we cried.

[finlander]

Yes, I have noticed that things just aren't as amusing to me as they used to be......but what has really grabbed my attention is that I become tearful much more easily. Seem like i have to fight off the urge to cry at the drop of a hat now.

[AndyC]

I was stung by a bee yesterday.............£25 for a jar of honey!!!!..... Disgraceful

I was attacked by a man with a bottle of milk and a lump of cheese....I thought "how dairy!!"

[AndyC]

Laughter is the best medicine!...........well 8mg of Requip a day does help too!! lol

[olpilot]

This is why coming here is so good for a grumpy ol man. 8)

[doodles4]

sounds too familiar....am sick of being sick....it's always there. Say something funny...we need a good joke.....

[shasha]

well i laugh until i cant breathe - over the daftest things too - i have heard or read that pw PSP are prone to finding things v funny but also cry very easily too - which i do too - so i guess there are some good things about these diseases -

but i also find that the sound of my laughter has changed too - it used to be a higher pitch but now is very low and growly almost !!!

[jillannf6]

Hi sha

But keep laughing

Whe n u can

Ii still,crying muchn2 easily

Loll Jill

[4809cats]

Well when you think about the drugs that we're on, they're all sedatives to slow our bodies down and calm the tremors. It's no wonder we don't laugh as hard. I feel like I'm on a 3 second delay. Someone will tell a joke and it takes a little longer for me to get it! So, avoid sad movies and sad people!! But seriously, it's hard to accept "one more thing" that PD has taken, hang in there.

[Carrigan]

I do recognise this in my husband he does not or cannot laugh from the belly type laugh, he still retains a good sense of humour and occassionally shows this with a beam but this is not always recognisable apart from in his eyes. He is unable to clap either which upsets him if we got to theatre etc.

[3willy]

My Dads had PD for 3 years & gradually getting worse,hes on Sinemet 3 times a day & Citalapram for depression.He used to be a real joker & never lost for words,if you were feeling down he would soon pick you up with one his funny stories usually from when he was in Korea! (NS).Nowadays its hard to get 2 words out of him & i long to hear those stories again even if ive heard them a thousand times & know them word for word!

[fishinggirl]

Check out YumaBev.com or YumaBev on Facebook, she'll make you laugh and laugh with her videos. She also has a book. check them out for a good laugh.

[Joealt]

Shecky went to his bird cage and found his canary dead. Unable to acept this misfortune he carefully picked up the canary and brought it to the doctor.

The doctor took one look at the canary and said "this bird is dead!"

Shecky said "can't I get a second opinion?'

The doctor went into the other room and came back with a dog. The dog looked at the canary and shook its head. No doubt about it: The canary was dead.

Still not convinced Shecky pleaded for another opinion. So the doctor went into the other room and came back with a kitten. The kitten looked at the canary and shook its head. The canary was indeed dead.

Shecky was forced to accept fate as it was. "How much do I owe you Doc?"

"$400 dollars"

"Isn't that alot for doing nothing?" Shecky sputtered.

The doctor took off his glasses and wiped them with a tissue. "not really. The bill was only $20 before the lab report and cat scan!"

[olpilot in reply to Joealt]

Good one.............8)

[zama]

Very little laughing and less crying. But feel pretty good o/w. I do miss it though.

[froggatt55]

Sorry to be so late in posting.

I went to a Laughter Therapy session last year where, essentially, you force yourself to have a belly laugh at someone or something (someone is better because they can join in) and it is amazing how that forced laughter can end up as genuine laughter

On the bowel problem, Laxido or Movicol sachets three times a day taken with water (it "thickens" the water so I can drink it down in one go without choking) and two Senna tablets at bed time works marvelously - I have had constipation trouble for 50 years predating my Parkinson's dx by 40 years so the relief is magical

I have just "Googled" Bezoars and wish I hadn't

Has anyone tried colonic irrigation?

[olpilot]

One thing this proves is pwp may not have the big belly laughs we once may have had, but we still have a wonderful sense of humour. Just wait and ser what comes in the next few days, great stories annd jokes, my little time travel into the future........8)