How to Calm a Parkinson's Patient

Parkinson's disease, or PD, is a condition marked by muscle tremors combined with slow, disjointed movements and rigidity. Scientists believe it is caused by a lack of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that controls movement, in the brain. It strikes about 1 percent of the population and 6 percent of the elderly. Males with PD outnumber females two to one. Typical onset of the disease begins after 50, although some can develop the disease in their 30s or 40s. It is a degenerative disease, making the symptoms increasingly difficult to treat over time. It is incurable, but the symptoms can be manageable. There are several different methods for calming the tremors of PD patients.

Instructions

• 1

  Use prescription dopamine replacements like Levodopa or Levodopa/Carbidopa to restore nearly normal function to those in the early stages of the disease. It does not stop the progression of the disease, so eventually the drug will cease to work effectively. Doses will have to be increased over time until a different class of drugs will need to be used to manage symptoms.

• 2

  Extend the period of effectiveness of Levodopa by adding MAO-inhibitors or COMT-inhibitors. They raise your body's ability to use the Levodopa, giving it a boost that allows you to use a lower dose of Levodopa and still be effective.

• 3

  Switch to dopamine agonists like Mirapex and Requip after dopamine replacements and enhancers no longer work to calm symptoms. They duplicate the effect dopamine had on the brain by supplementing functions performed by dopamine. They carry some heavy side effects, which scientists have been working on reducing in newer formulations.

• 4

  Supplement dopamine replacements and dopamine agonists with amantadine to treat some of the symptoms that are not treated by the other drugs, such as fatigue and drooling.

• 5

  Talk to your doctor about surgical options such as DBS, or deep brain stimulation, if you have severe PD symptoms that are not treatable by drugs. It does not "cure" the disease, it only treats the symptoms by using a tiny electrode embedded in your brain to stimulate the areas that are affected by PD.

• 6

  Look into Gyro-Kinetics, a system of movement inspired by dance and martial arts developed over 20 years ago in Israel by Alex Kerten. It has helped some patients reduce their reliance on drugs, keeping their symptoms at bay with lower doses. This helps therapies like dopamine replacement continue to be effective for a longer period.