Hi.
I’m 52 and was diagnosed 2 years ago. I am currently unmedicated.
My main symptoms are: slowing down of movements, quiet and fast speech, unable to write, sleep problems, stiffening of neck if in one position for too long (this can be intensely painful) tingling in right foot and leg in certain positions making driving difficult, discomfort in arms if inactive and a kind of RSI in my wrists when I use any laptop/phone etc., - I can’t use a mouse at all.
I don’t have any obvious tremor although my left leg has developed a bit of a wobble when standing and my balance is very slightly off.
My question is this: will medication offer any significant help. None of these symptoms actually stop me from doing anything but they do make life difficult. I can cope with all of these most of the time but do find it upsetting/frustrating when all I want to do is sit and watch some telly in the evening and am constantly trying to get my arms and legs into a comfortable position.
Any advice?
Thank you.
The short answer is yes. Almost certainly. As you probably already know, there is tremendous variation in PD, and some find medication more helpful than others.
Apart from sleep problems, I don’t share any of your symptoms, but if I were experiencing such a variety of discomforts, as you, then I’d want to discuss medication with a neurologist.
Hi Jane
Thank you, I’m waiting for an appointment with my neurologist but it’s taking some time to come through.
B
I would say most definitely start medication, it may take time for it to start working but I could not cope without it. A tremor is probably the last of your problems but a lot of the non motor systems can be a lot worse.
Thank you. Have been weighing up the pros and cons and I think I have now decided to start medication.
Hi you should definitely talk to your neurologist about medication. It should be an individual decision based on personal circumstances. Sometimes starting medication early can be the best option but sometimes delaying it. You have to talk to your consultant , also about long term side effects and plans. The other thing you should definitely try to do is to start moving and exercising more. Make sure it is safe first but it should be as intense as safely possible, ths earlier you start exercising the better, do not wait for any significant problems to develop, see GP or physiotherapist trained to work with PD patients. You should also discuss referral to speech and language therapist if you want to train your voice ( ask for “LSVT Lound” therapist)
Michal