Parkinson’s Treatment

There is currently no cure for Parkinson’s but treatment is available. From medications, to therapies and exercise there are a variety of options available to self manage symptoms.

Treatments for Parkinson’s

The main aim of Parkinson’s medication is to increase the level of dopamine that reaches the brain. There are two main medications for Parkinson’s: Levodopa and Dopamine Agonists.

Dynamic heading

What’s a Rich Text element?

The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.

Static and dynamic content editing

A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!

How to customize formatting for each rich text

Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.



Levodopa

Levodopa is converted to dopamine in the body, which then replenishes the lack of dopamine in the brain of people with Parkinson's.

Levodopa is highly effective in controlling most symptoms of Parkinson’s.

It is usually recommended that levodopa is not taken with food. One of the reasons for this is that dietary protein (found in foods such as meat, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, beans, pulses and nuts or high protein drinks like Ensure or Sustagen) can interfere with the absorption of the medication.

More than 30 years after its discovery, it remains the cornerstone of Parkinson’s treatment, and a vast majority of people with Parkinson's receive levodopa therapy.

Levodopa is converted to dopamine in the body, which then replenishes the lack of dopamine in the brain of people with Parkinson's.

Levodopa is highly effective in controlling most symptoms of Parkinson’s.

It is usually recommended that levodopa is not taken with food. One of the reasons for this is that dietary protein (found in foods such as meat, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, beans, pulses and nuts or high protein drinks like Ensure or Sustagen) can interfere with the absorption of the medication.

More than 30 years after its discovery, it remains the cornerstone of Parkinson’s treatment, and a vast majority of people with Parkinson's receive levodopa therapy.



Dopamine Agonists

Dopamine agonists stimulate the natural dopamine rather than replacing it in the way that levodopa does.

Dopamine agonists mimic the signal from dopamine that is lost in people with Parkinson’s.

The drugs are usually started at a low dosage before being increased slowly to reduce any possible side effects.

Several clinical studies have shown that dopamine agonists can be effective treatments for several years when used alone.

Studies show that the likelihood of developing dyskinesias (involuntary movements) is significantly reduced when people take a dopamine agonist alone, or in combination with a low dose of Levodopa.

With any medication, it is essential to remember that everyone will react to it in different ways.

It is essential not to make any changes to your medication, or stop taking your medication without consulting your doctor.

The effectiveness of Parkinson’s medications depends greatly on the right medication being taken at the right time.

Work out with your doctor which times are best for you, and ensure that any carer’s, family members, rest-home or hospital staff are informed of the importance of taking your medication at the correct time.