Alex D asked:


Recently my face has been twitching a lot. Like on my cheeks and jaw and neck it’ll will just spasm or wiggle or jerk around for a second. I feel like I don’t have control over my face right now, though I may be exaggerating a little there. I’m really freaked out and I’ve convinced myself I have parkinsons disease and I’m really depressed. I think I’m too afraid to goto the doctor cause I know it will be bad!!!!! THE only thing I can think of is that 2 days ago I had 2 fillings put on 2 teeth and they had to inject me with that numbing stuff which made my face numb for 4 hours or so. COULD THAT BE IT? PLEASEE HELP I feel like my life is over and im depressed

Danielle v asked:


Both my hands twitch. The twitching starts right below my pinky on both hands and the strange thing I also noticed was the twitching only seems to be during the night, if its during the day i dont notice it. My grandfather on my dads side of the family had parkinsons disease as does my dad, but when I showed him my hand, he was sure it wasnt parkinsons. I cant go to the doctor because I dont have medical insurance at the moment, but if its something serious then I will go. I was just wondering if anyone else has/had the same problem and could help me out with what it might be. Thanks

Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. Parkinson’s disease occurs when nerve cells, or neurons, in an area of the brain known as the substantia nigra die or become impaired. Normally, these neurons produce an important brain chemical known as dopamine. At least 500,000 people in the United States currently have PD. Parkinson’s disease belongs to a group of conditions called movement disorders. Parkinson’s disease is progressive, meaning the signs and symptoms become worse over time. But although Parkinson’s disease may eventually be disabling, the disease often progresses gradually. Parkinson disease affects movement (motor symptoms). Typical other symptoms include disorders of mood, behavior, thinking, and sensation (non-motor symptoms). Individual patients’ symptoms may be quite dissimilar and progression of the disease is also distinctly individual. Parkinson’s usually begins around age 60. It is more common in men than in women. Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease often start on one side of the body first and then affect both sides.

There are many secondary symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease patients may notice that they are weaker or more tired. Symptoms include disorders of mood, behavior, thinking, and sensation. Poor balance is due to the impairment or loss of the reflexes that adjust posture in order to maintain balance. Falls are common in people with Parkinson’s. Shaking (muscle tremor). This is one of the first symptoms in three-quarters of people, and affects most people with Parkinson’s disease. Bradykinesia is the phenomenon of a person experiencing slow movements. In addition to slow movements, a person with bradykinesia will probably also have incomplete movement, difficulty initiating movements and sudden stopping of ongoing movement. The progressive loss of voluntary and involuntary muscle control produces a number of secondary symptoms associated with Parkinson’s. Postural instability, or impaired balance and coordination, causes patients to develop a forward or backward lean and to fall easily.

Parkinson’s disease requires broad-based management including patient and family education, support group services, general wellness maintenance, exercise, and nutrition. Medications can help manage problems with walking, movement and tremor by increasing the brain’s supply of dopamine. Amantadine may also be added to carbidopa-levodopa therapy for people in the latter stages of Parkinson’s disease. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitors drugs prolong the effect of carbidopa-levodopa therapy by blocking an enzyme that breaks down dopamine. Tolcapone (Tasmar) is a potent COMT inhibitor that easily crosses the blood-brain barrier. A medicine called levodopa is often given to people who have Parkinson’s disease. Called “L-dopa,” this medicine increases the amount of dopamine in the body and has been shown to improve a person’s ability to walk and move around. Thalamotomy involves the destruction of small amounts of tissue in the thalamus — a major brain center for relaying messages and transmitting sensations.

Parkinson’s Disease for Treatment Tips

1. Carbidopa and benserazide are dopa decarboxylase inhibitors.

2. Tolcapone inhibits the COMT enzyme, thereby prolonging the effects of L-dopa, and so has been used to complement L-dopa.

3. Selegiline and rasagiline reduce the symptoms by inhibiting monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B).

4. An antiviral drug, amantadine, can help reduce symptoms of PD and levodopa-induced dyskinesia.

5. COMT (catechol O-methyl transferase) inhibitors are a new class of drugs that stop the breakdown of dopamine.

6. Other therapies that are important for managing and coping with Parkinson’s disease include physiotherapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy.

7. Amantadine acts like a dopamine replacement drug but works on different sites in the brain

By: Juliet Cohen

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Debbie asked:


I have, within the last few months been suffering with what may be RLS. I fall asleep then wake up with my legs wanting to run a marathon. The feeling I have is creepy. I discribed it to my doctor as it felt like the nerve ends were very sensitive. My poor cat cant go to sleep cause I’m constantly kicking an wanting to move. Its more than just jerking. One time I had that feeling so bad it was also in my arms across my mid-back. I cant take a nap in the afternoon because of it and sometimes it bothers me when I am sitting in a meeting or at church. I start figeting in my chair and start swinging my legs. I have not been diagnosed with it as of yet. My doctor wanted to have me do a sleep study and see a specialist. He stated that how they usually treat it is put you on a drug that is used to treat parkinsons disease. Does anyone else suffer from it at any other time besides when you try to go to bed?

Josh asked:


http://blog.ted.com/2008/12/the_coming_neur.php

Not necessarily talking about Alzheimers or Parkinsons disease, but any other mental disorder caused by medical trends, in turn, reducing natural selection. When natural selection is cut off, mental disorders can breed at a rapid rate causing those with them to breed with the masses. Chances are if youre reading this, you too have a mental disorder. 1/3 of the known population has a mental disorder. Does this alarm anybody else or is it just me?

*CiSsA* asked:


Ok….so I am 18 and about the last few months i have been worried about virtually everything. I had a possible urinary tract infection recently and i went to my doctor and he prescribed some antibiotics..but the problems seemed to persist….so i have been nearly 24/7 have been researching every known disease…and it seemed like my symptoms are similar to many of them..one week i think i have diabetes then i think i have a rare cancer then i think i have parkinsons disease…its driving me mad…! and i cant leave it alone.

ive been to doctors like 20x in the last few months…had bloodtests, glucose sample..ultrasound…chest x ray…all are clear…
im now beginning to think the doctors are all lying.

someone please help me..im open to.all suggestions

darth E asked:


Like right now, My legs aren’t shaking but I was reading around, and I was reading about parkinsons disease, I know I have GAD, so I started freaking out, but one thing i read was that tremors was a big sympton for parkinsons, and I know i twitch when due to my anxiety but sometimes for example when I am on the computer, I move my legs back and forth, I don’t consider it uncontrollable, for example right now, Im not doing it, but I am seriously freaked out right now, Can anyone help me out? Should I really worry? Should I consult a doctor? I thought the involuntary movement was always normal, i know some people do it randomly, but if anyone can help me or give me some insight on this sort of topic, i would greatly appreciate it, thanks!

*CiSsA* asked:


Ok….so I am 18 and about the last few months i have been worried about virtually everything. I had a possible urinary tract infection recently and i went to my doctor and he prescribed some antibiotics..but the problems seemed to persist….so i have been nearly 24/7 have been researching every known disease…and it seemed like my symptoms are similar to many of them..one week i think i have diabetes then i think i have a rare cancer then i think i have parkinsons disease…its driving me mad…! and i cant leave it alone.

ive been to doctors like 20x in the last few months…had bloodtests, glucose sample..ultrasound…chest x ray…all are clear…
im now beginning to think the doctors are all lying.

someone please help me..im open to.all suggestions

put it into polls surveys cos everyones there.