When I experience extreme stress I always suffer from lesions in my mouth diagnosed as Lichen Planus. These lesions heal when the stress stops. If stress or lack of it can switch on and off this disease, could my Parkinson's also have been triggered by stress.
Hi mgsp
I havn`t heard anything about stress causing pd that`s a new one on me. I was told by my consultant nothing has been proved as the cause yet, but i have read that excessive alcohol use or contact with chemicals can cause it? not sure about this but i used to be a hairdresser & came into contact with lots of chemicals for over 10 years! Mind you i also have had stress in my life and like the odd drink or two so who knows, a combination of all three can`t have helped!!
Maybe one day we will get the answer!
Big C
I havn`t heard anything about stress causing pd that`s a new one on me. I was told by my consultant nothing has been proved as the cause yet, but i have read that excessive alcohol use or contact with chemicals can cause it? not sure about this but i used to be a hairdresser & came into contact with lots of chemicals for over 10 years! Mind you i also have had stress in my life and like the odd drink or two so who knows, a combination of all three can`t have helped!!
Maybe one day we will get the answer!
Big C
In my opinion stress will certainly speed it up. 
I agree with B. I believe that the progression of the disease is not always linear but can increase for a while due to stress or infections. But I don't think stress alone could cause it.
ps I think that none of us, or very few, will ever be really sure what caused it in our own case, but does that really matter? What is more important is the continuing process as described on the home page regarding alpha-synuclien and lewy bodies and how that can be stopped or slowed down.
Hello Big C
I have just come across you query about the causes of pd, I can only say that being involved with pd for the last 30yrs as my husband has had it that long most people in the early onset group that we have met have worked with some chemicals or another. My husband worked for the gpo now bt and he used to soak all the teleprinters in a mixture of cleaning agents in fact the research are looking into this at the moment.One of our friends was a hair dresser and most of the people we met at the conferences back in the late eighties and nineties had worked with one chemical or another although sometimes not obvious ones.
My thoughts are that people may have a disposition to it and if they come in contact with certain chemicals it triggers it off, that's just my thoughts.I know that years ago it was thought of an elderly condition but lets not forget that people were lucky to live much after 45yrs then. We have met people that worked in labs in the factory situation doctors at university and a couple of navy personnel.I think the younger people have a different disease than the older as most older may be affected because of the natural deterioration of cells. Whereas with younger people it seems to be contact with something. I will be very interested to see what the research comes up with. Perhaps others have some ideas.
best wishes
vivian
I have just come across you query about the causes of pd, I can only say that being involved with pd for the last 30yrs as my husband has had it that long most people in the early onset group that we have met have worked with some chemicals or another. My husband worked for the gpo now bt and he used to soak all the teleprinters in a mixture of cleaning agents in fact the research are looking into this at the moment.One of our friends was a hair dresser and most of the people we met at the conferences back in the late eighties and nineties had worked with one chemical or another although sometimes not obvious ones.
My thoughts are that people may have a disposition to it and if they come in contact with certain chemicals it triggers it off, that's just my thoughts.I know that years ago it was thought of an elderly condition but lets not forget that people were lucky to live much after 45yrs then. We have met people that worked in labs in the factory situation doctors at university and a couple of navy personnel.I think the younger people have a different disease than the older as most older may be affected because of the natural deterioration of cells. Whereas with younger people it seems to be contact with something. I will be very interested to see what the research comes up with. Perhaps others have some ideas.
best wishes
vivian
Hi Vivian, I'll just offer my tuppence worth on this subject. I worked as a laboratory technician for an agricultural research council, testing pesticides, when I was younger. I have often wondered if this has contributed to my dx of Parkinson's. It certainly fits in with your theory. Butterfly.
Hi vivian thank you for your reply i find it quite fasinating how many pd sufferers have worked with chemicals. If a connection is found then perhaps a cure may well follow....lets all make a wish for that!!
Big C
Big C
Hi.
I'm 61 and was dx at age 50. However with hindsight I can see the symptoms increasing from the age of 20. The progress of these symptoms almost always followed some major stressful event, such as a death in the family or redundancy.
However my career never brought me into contact with any kind of chemicals; I was always in an ordinary office, or out on the road.
Incidentally, Mett on here was diagnosed at the age of 8, and is now in his 40s and still working. I'd guess THAT wasn't stress related.
Ray.
I'm 61 and was dx at age 50. However with hindsight I can see the symptoms increasing from the age of 20. The progress of these symptoms almost always followed some major stressful event, such as a death in the family or redundancy.
However my career never brought me into contact with any kind of chemicals; I was always in an ordinary office, or out on the road.
Incidentally, Mett on here was diagnosed at the age of 8, and is now in his 40s and still working. I'd guess THAT wasn't stress related.
Ray.
I'v spent quite a chunk of my life in air conditioned environments.
I wonder if there's any connection?
I wonder if there's any connection?
Good morning all,
Thank you for your replies it all helps to exchange what has happened to pwp's in their lives, you don't have to have worked with these chemicals as you probably have them in your garage if you read the tins and check the contents they are likely to be there somewhere. I met a lorry driver at a meeting many years ago and when I asked him what else he had done before, he said he had worked in dismantling fridges?, and someone else worked for a company that makes fence staining products. I think there are many causes but there are many people who have been in contact with these chemicals and I am really pleased that they are now researching this.
When we first went to what was called Yappers conferences we asked a lot of consultants about diet, pain and many others subjects affecting us and we were told these were not to do with PD but now there are fact sheets on these so you see how important it is for you all to keep challenging and asking questions that's where progress will come from and giving the information to the researchers they can hopefully improve the drugs for everyone.
My husband lost his mum when he was 9yrs old he also played rugby and football when they used really hard balls so knocks on the head is also a ? He also had several bouts of flu a couple of years before he was diagnosed and not had any since, just another couple of reasons he may have got it but I really think that the chemicals have the answer in his case as he inhaled the fumes all the time and used to complain about it a lot.
good luck to you all you are all very brave coping with this difficult and unpredictable condition which affects all the family.
best wishes
vivian
Thank you for your replies it all helps to exchange what has happened to pwp's in their lives, you don't have to have worked with these chemicals as you probably have them in your garage if you read the tins and check the contents they are likely to be there somewhere. I met a lorry driver at a meeting many years ago and when I asked him what else he had done before, he said he had worked in dismantling fridges?, and someone else worked for a company that makes fence staining products. I think there are many causes but there are many people who have been in contact with these chemicals and I am really pleased that they are now researching this.
When we first went to what was called Yappers conferences we asked a lot of consultants about diet, pain and many others subjects affecting us and we were told these were not to do with PD but now there are fact sheets on these so you see how important it is for you all to keep challenging and asking questions that's where progress will come from and giving the information to the researchers they can hopefully improve the drugs for everyone.
My husband lost his mum when he was 9yrs old he also played rugby and football when they used really hard balls so knocks on the head is also a ? He also had several bouts of flu a couple of years before he was diagnosed and not had any since, just another couple of reasons he may have got it but I really think that the chemicals have the answer in his case as he inhaled the fumes all the time and used to complain about it a lot.
good luck to you all you are all very brave coping with this difficult and unpredictable condition which affects all the family.
best wishes
vivian