How long did it take for you to receive a... - Cure Parkinson's

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How long did it take for you to receive a diagnosis of Parkinson's?

CPT_Helen profile imageCPT_HelenPartner137 Voters
41
6 months
41
more than two years
23
6 months to one year
20
18 months to 2 years
12
one year to 18 months
18 Replies
inkyorion profile image
inkyorion

Took 6 months from date of referral because it got lost in the system. I followed up and was given an appointment within 2 weeks. Diagnosis was confirmed at first appointment. Symptoms, the most noticeable of which was tremor had been present for 6 yrs prior to this.

Blondir profile image
Blondir

2 years of debate with my GP ending in a row and a demand for the name of a neurologist - who confirmed it in 5 mins and verified it with a scan about 2 months later - next time I saw GP he offered an apology

ddmagee1 profile image
ddmagee1 in reply to Blondir

I went through a similar experience. I told my doctor I was telling my hand to close smoothly, instead it jerked when I closed it and I have a pill rolling resting tremor.

Blondir profile image
Blondir

I recon I had been progressively showing symptoms as much as 10 years prior to diagnosis - so I could have been being affected by the beast for 15 or 16 years

JohnPepper profile image
JohnPepper

My first symptom, which was a loss of muscle coordination, happened 29 years before I was diagnosed. That may have had something to do with the amount of exercise In was doing for all those years.

John

DianeJ profile image
DianeJ

Orthpedists kept doing MRIs looking for reason for right hip pain,after two years pain began in right shoulder. Another orthopedist noticed tremor in right hand, I needed to ask primary care doc for referral to neuro, who diagnosed Pd immediately. Seems to be confined to right side for now.

racerCP profile image
racerCP in reply to DianeJ

Have you ever wondered why PD symptoms so often display on right side??? Is it only in right-hand dominant people? Is it because it attacks the left brain?

michaela13 profile image
michaela13 in reply to racerCP

I am right dominant and symptoms are in my left side.

Eleven years. most of that time my GP had told me it was all in the mind. I got scared of going in the end.

Eventually in 2010 I saw a neurologist, The one who I had seen in 1999 and originally who said it was all in the mind too.

He diagnosed PD, now I have another Neurologist, he is arranging for me to go in for a Dopamine Transport test, because he thinks it may be something else.

One can only live in hopes!

Lisl profile image
Lisl in reply to

My experience mirrors yours almost exactly. After ten years I was really scared as I had become very disabled - sometimes unable to walk. I moved cities and lost my career in order to obtain a proper diagnosis and treatment. The blame the patient approach is unacceptable, but why is so common among neurologists? Is it more frequent for young onset PD?

ddmagee1 profile image
ddmagee1 in reply to

I hate it when the docs give the patient the viewpoint, that it's all in one's mind.

scottyt profile image
scottyt

Thinking back it seems most Dr's are not to quick on the upswing and so the patient suffers pain and ignorance until finally what seems a painful eternity is finally diagnosed when all other diagnosis are exhausted.

racerCP profile image
racerCP

Visit with first neuro ... probably classic symptoms though early stage.

biggiemo profile image
biggiemo

I was initially suspected to have PD by my pain management MD so she suggested I see a neuro, so I made an appt that was several weeks later. He told me when he had seen me in the waiting room he suspected I had PD. After a good physical exam he was sure

Melodysam1890 profile image
Melodysam1890

A stroke in 2008 left a huge deficit of energy & forced short-term disability for 6 weeks .. I returned to work after 6 weeks & became so fatigued & weak that climbing stairs was almost impossible & there was no strength in arms to carry folders or packages around the campus. Fatigue & trembling increased. My family doctor sent me to neurologist in 2010 who diagnosed me with Parkonsons' the first visit.

rQQzy profile image
rQQzy

My husband's Parkinsons was misdiagnosed as firstly the after effects of shoulder surgery, then as an essential tremor. From the first visit to the doctor stating our concerns, to an actual diagnoses by the specialist took approximately 8 years and 4 different doctors.

Anthonyian profile image
Anthonyian

..

I had been seeing my GP for 2 years with no diagnosis and fell and broke my hip was in hospital for 5 weeks and it was while i was in hospital that I was diagnosed with parkinsons.

ddmagee1 profile image
ddmagee1

Showing the doctor cogwheel rigidness finally got him to realize that there was something to my resting tremor-hands. Now, all limbs are affected.