Parkinson's Disease Support Group
Parkinson's disease is a movement disorder often characterized by muscle rigidity, tremor, a slowing of physical movement, and in extreme cases, a loss of physical movement. The primary symptoms of Parkinsons are due to excessive muscle contraction, normally caused by the insufficient formation and action of dopamine, which is produced in the dopaminergic neurons of the...
Hi..Looking back, what were your most early symptoms? I'm not talking about a shuffle when walking or tremor of the finger...I'm talking about symptoms you had years before the diagnosis that you now know or suspect were the very early beginnings of Parkinson's. Loss or difficulty in smelling, for example. A decrease/drop in blood pressure, for example. An increase in anxiety and/or depression. Some balance problems, for example.
I thank you for your help.
Namaste,
Celie
peace
BT
Too long of story to go into but for the last 2.5 years I've been going to dr after dr to find out what's wrong with me.
It all started rather acutely. I had a physical problem and needed a hysterectomy. Was also under a huge, huge amount of stress at time. One day my balance was fine and over a three week period of increasing dizziness I was literally falling into walls.
This falling into walls has stopped, but my balance is definitely changed. Can't put on pants without sitting down or I will fall, this rocking feeling on the inside which I Despise, and ever so often I find myself actually falling backward if standing for a while.
Much depression and anxiety. SSRIs only seem to make me worse causing me to abandon them after a few days--more anxiety and depression and this incredible, INCREDIBLE, sleepiness, especially a sleepiness during the day. Can literally sleep the day away.I have noticed with a couple of SSRIs which I have taken (only for a few days...I always jump ship because they make the depression so much worse, and it scares me) that I would chatter my teeth when getting up in the morning. Not until I sit up. And when trying to get up my muscles feel so week and sometimes I fall back on the bed. My BP will go down.
Speaking of BP, I failed the table tilt test. BP dropped when the table stood me upright and I fainted. Was ok as soon as I was put in a sitting position.
It's this inner rocking, of feeling unbalanced that bothers me the most. For example, if while walking and I simultaneously turn my head, I start to stumble. Also, if I walk fast or run I feel ok.
And the sleepiness during the day, it's as if my circadian rhythm is all messed up.
Feel ok on Wellbutrin in that I'm not sleepy but become irritable and antsy after a few days.
Should I have an L-Dopa challenge test? I'm at my wits end trying to figure this all out. Drs haven't been helpful. I'm thinking that if I do have Parkinsons I'm at an extremely early stage. It seems that most all drs can't give a diagnosis unless one exhibits the classic signs of Parkinson's...festination, freezing, shuffle, pill rolling. But Parkinson's doesn't have its beginnings in those classic symptoms. It started in the majority of cases out with much more mild, under the drs radar, symptoms.
Oh, I do have some tremor but not at rest. Hands will shake and stress only makes it worse. Take about 10-20 mg to control this tremor. Feel shaky as soon as I sit up...muscles shaky, and weak too (my glucose level, btw, is normal).
Recently I did take some thiamine (bentafoamine). Took it only because my friend who takes a lot of supplements had some extra and thiamine is good for you...so I took it not thinking it would have any effect on my shaking. It did. Big effect. Gingko also seems to help me...helps with the shaking and weak muscles. Curious, I googled both and found some medical research on high dose loading of thiamine in those with early Parkinson's....positive results. Then found some anecdotal research about gingko also helping Parkinson's.
One neuro said I do have some very idiopathic peripheral neuropathy. I hadn't noticed anything in that regard but apparently I couldn't feel the cold temp of his instrument on my toes.
Long story, I know. I know. Thanks for your input and for reading this,
Celie PS...Digestive system goes from constipation to diarrhea. I get dehydrated easily--have very low normal serum sodium. One NP at a neuro did say I have dysautonomia. She did Epstein Barr virus titer (past exposure) on me...had EB when I was 18 (am now 58). I was 600. Max is about 11.