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NO ONE tells you about loss of teeth

I was told I'd had 3 tmi and was likely dealing with Parkinson in 2011. My doctor prescribed the usual meds. I...

Posted by joyceeee

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0 Replies| Share this:NO ONE tells you about loss of teeth I was told I'd had 3 tmi and was likely dealing with Parkinson in 2011. My doctor prescribed the usual meds. I...

doctor/patient experience with rytary

Hi- I am a cc physician who was diagnosed 6 years ago at age 41--I have not had tremor or dyskinesia but...

Posted by ddd672608

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2 Replies| Share this:doctor/patient experience with rytary Hi- I am a cc physician who was diagnosed 6 years ago at age 41--I have not had tremor or dyskinesia but...

doctor/patient experience with rytary

Hi- I am a cc physician who was diagnosed 6 years ago at age 41--I have not had tremor or dyskinesia but...

Posted by ddd672608

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0 Replies| Share this:doctor/patient experience with rytary Hi- I am a cc physician who was diagnosed 6 years ago at age 41--I have not had tremor or dyskinesia but...

Vehicle for the Mobility Challenged

My husband has PD and was having a difficult time getting into and out of my Hyundai Elantra. Both...

Posted by luv2fishpublic

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1 Reply| Share this:Vehicle for the Mobility Challenged My husband has PD and was having a difficult time getting into and out of my Hyundai Elantra. Both...

Aware in Care Hospital Action Plan

I just wanted to let you guys know that I found the BEST thing ever to keep with papers that you take to...

Posted by lovedogs1955

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3 Replies| Share this:Aware in Care Hospital Action Plan I just wanted to let you guys know that I found the BEST thing ever to keep with papers that you take to...

Parkinson's app for iPad

I found a free app for my iPhone/iPad and it seems to be pretty good. It's called Parkinson's Central and...

Posted by lovedogs1955

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1 Reply| Share this:Parkinson's app for iPad I found a free app for my iPhone/iPad and it seems to be pretty good. It's called Parkinson's Central and...

Good book

When I was in my neurologist's office yesterday, I picked up a book in the waiting room and took it back...

Posted by lovedogs1955

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0 Replies| Share this:Good book When I was in my neurologist's office yesterday, I picked up a book in the waiting room and took it back...

Includes Expert Content

SYMPTONS OF PARKINSONS

My legs ache when standing, they feel like lead weights. Also I get severe chills. Are these symptons of...

Posted by Forrest123

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6 Replies| Share this:SYMPTONS OF PARKINSONS My legs ache when standing, they feel like lead weights. Also I get severe chills. Are these symptons of...

Email Digests Are Back!

Don't get to your favorite boards every day? We're all busy, so sometimes it is nice to have your...

Posted by Andie_WebMD_Staff

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Fussy brain, fatigue, speech deficits

Multiple postings regarding fussy brain syndrome no medical findings...keep up the medical evaluation help by...

Posted by akchari

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1 Reply| Share this:Fussy brain, fatigue, speech deficits Multiple postings regarding fussy brain syndrome no medical findings...keep up the medical evaluation help by...

Numb and Nervous

in the past week my feet got numb and today it's up to my waist and fingertips. I see my doctor tomarrow but I...

Posted by numb2010

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2 Replies| Share this:Numb and Nervous in the past week my feet got numb and today it's up to my waist and fingertips. I see my doctor tomarrow but I...

Doctors do not know what is wrong with speech and ...

About a year ago, I was in the hospital because I had facial numbness that went down the right side of my...

Posted by An_221439

About a year ago, I was in the hospital because I had facial numbness that went down the right side of my face and into my arm and leg After seeing a neurologist, he indicated it was caused by silent migraines, as I did not have a headache. I stopped complaining about it when it came and went up until recently.
In November, I was dianosed with laryngitis, which lasted for a period of 3 to 4 weeks. My voice came back. Periodically up until March, my voice would go out and they would tell me to just not talk, I sounded like minnie mouse and very breathy. I went to my doctors in March and he gave me an antibiotic as he thought I may have had strep throat farther down in my throat, but had no symptoms. A week later I was back in his office. He gave me a referral to an ENT.
The ENT said that my vocal cords had seperated and I needed speech therapy to get them back to normal. This past Tuesday (4/6) was my first session with the speech therapist, after an hour of throat manipulation we stopped. 30 minutes later I had a stutter and the numbness came back to my face the next morning. The speech therapist indicates it was not from her and sent me back to the ENT, who said my vocal cords were now perfectly fine. He indicated he thought maybe I had a stroke or lime disease. I'm 27 years old and have always been in relative good health, with the exception of a common cold here or there. He sent me to the ER at Dartmouth. The doctors were amazed, never had they had anyone with my symptoms and no diagnosis. I sound like a foreigner with a stutter, I've NEVER had a stutter before, ever.
They set me up with an MRI for this Saturday 4/10 to rule out anything in my brain. I'm set up to see a neurologist that specializes in speech next week.
I do not understand and I mean no offense to anyone with a disability, but I do not sound normal. I'm 27 and have never had a surgery or been hospitalized. I cannot work, I manage a bank and deal with people on a regular basis. The doctors told me I cannot go back to work until I can perform my job duties normally. How can I perform them normally when no one can tell me what is wrong. I have headaches, facial numbness, and stuttery speech. Does anyone out there have an idea or suggestion???

Thank you.View Thread

Posted byAn_221439

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1 Reply| Share this:Doctors do not know what is wrong with speech and facial numbness. About a year ago, I was in the hospital because I had facial numbness that went down the right side of my...

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Sensory symptoms in Parkinson's Disease

Sensory complaints in PD are not uncommon, and include visual changes, loss of sense of smell,...

Posted by Mark A Stacy, MD

Sensory complaints in PD are not uncommon, and include visual changes, loss of sense of smell, restless legs syndrome (RLS), and pain. Changes in vision may result from alteration in visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, color discrimination, motion perception, peripheral visual field sensitivity and visual processing speed. Visual acuity can be improved with corrective glasses. Contrast sensitivity and color discrimination is important - especially if you are having trouble with freezing. To help with this problem, try increasing the light in the room, and consider using brighter patterns - sorry I cannot write a prescription to pay for redecorating… Slower visual processing speed also leads to decline in visual perception, particularly for rapidly changing visual activity - birds flying or rapid action on TV. Unfortunately, there is little treatment for these symptoms, but a thorough vision examination will make sure that other eye diseases are not a problem.

Loss of sense of smell has been considered by some to be the earliest symptom of PD, and is seen in up to 90% of PD patients, and this increases as the disease advances. There is no treatment for this symptom.

Restless legs symptoms are commonly reported in PD, usually at the end of a dosing interval - "wearing off." Distinguishing between true RLS and wearing-off limb discomfort and restlessness can be difficult. Nonetheless, the first treatment would be trying to take your PD medication at regular intervals - and dosing prior to the onset of the uncomfortable symptoms. If this is not helpful, medications like clonazepam may be helpful.

Shoulder pain is known to be an early, sometimes initial symptom of PD. Other pain symptoms can be a common complaint in PD, however it is important to differentiate between dystonic (muscle cramping) versus non-dystonic pain. Pain associated with dystonia is likely related to low blood levodopa levels, and responds to levodopa therapy. Non-dystonic pain (numbness, tingling, burning, aching, coldness, heat and pain) in PD is poorly understood and difficult to treat. Sometimes this also responds to treatment with PD medications, and may simply be treated with over the counter drugs like tylenol or ibuprofen. If these do not work, discuss the symptoms with your doctor.View Thread

Posted by Mark A Stacy, MD

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9 Replies| Share this:Sensory symptoms in Parkinson's Disease Sensory complaints in PD are not uncommon, and include visual changes, loss of sense of smell,...

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What would you like to know?

Over the last month the PD Exchange has addressed topics concerning diagnosis, medications, managing...

Posted by Mark A Stacy, MD

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20 Replies| Share this:What would you like to know? Over the last month the PD Exchange has addressed topics concerning diagnosis, medications, managing...

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When should I take my PD medications?

PD medication regimens may be as varied as the number of people with parkinson's. There are several...

Posted by Mark A Stacy, MD

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2 Replies| Share this:When should I take my PD medications? PD medication regimens may be as varied as the number of people with parkinson's. There are several...

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Confirmation of the diagnosis of Parkinson's Disea...

At this time, there is no confirmatory test for PD. The best testing we have is functional brain...

Posted by Mark A Stacy, MD

At this time, there is no confirmatory test for PD. The best testing we have is functional brain imaging to assess dopamine concentration in the "basal ganglia" or "striatum." This area of the brain demonstrates a decrease in dopamine concentrations with PD, and may be imaged using a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan or a SIngle Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) scan. PET scanners with dopamine-type imaging are not widely available, and dopamine scanning with SPECT is not available in the United States at this time. However, a SPECT imaging molecule may be approved in 2010, and there are others in development for use in the US.

Short of functional brain imaging, Neurologists look for signs and symptoms associated with PD to lead to diagnosis. Early symptoms include: resting tremor, difficulty with handwriting, dressing, cutting food, and other fine motor tasks. It is also helpful to see if one side of the body is more affected than the other.

Early signs are termed "cardinal characteristics," and include resting tremor, bradykinesia (slowness of movement), and rigidity (stiffness of the limbs, when moved through a range of motion by the examiner). If two of three of these signs are present, there is a 70% chance that the condition is PD.

The next step is to treat with medication, and if a significant benefit is seen, the chance that it is PD increases to 90%. Before initiating therapy, it is important to define these expectations, and remember, if you barely show signs of PD, you may not show a dramatic or significant improvement. In addition, the medications suggested in early PD, differ significantly from the medications used in more symptomatic PD. I prefer to start drugs that may slow disease progression in many patients, particularly in very mild cases, and use more potent therapies later.

If there is no symptomatic benefit, you should discuss other possibilities with your doctor. I would consider brain imaging in some instances. Symptoms that lead to other diagnostic concerns include: frequent falling as a first sign or early in the disease, double vision (particularly when reading), frequent crying or laughing at minor things, a hand that seems to have a "mind of its own" or that will not move the way a patient wants it to move, urinary incontinence, or significant memory disturbances. In addition, a highly symmetric presentation (both sides affected equally), or lack of tremor will push me to consider other diagnoses.View Thread

Posted by Mark A Stacy, MD

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3 Replies| Share this:Confirmation of the diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease (PD) At this time, there is no confirmatory test for PD. The best testing we have is functional brain...

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How to prepare for a visit with your PD doctor

Communication is the key to any successful visit with the doctor. As a patient, even though I am a...

Posted by Mark A Stacy, MD

Communication is the key to any successful visit with the doctor. As a patient, even though I am a doctor in other settings, I have experienced leaving a doctor visit, thinking - I did not get my question asked, or even worse, I did not remember what the doctor told me...

As a doctor, here are some tips that may be helpful to all.

First is to be prepared. Make a list of questions or concerns about any symptom. Then prioritize them, and review (or maybe even rehearse) them with a friend or loved one.

Second: give the doctor an out as you begin to ask your questions. For example if you say, "Doctor, I know we do not have much time, and I have 10 questions. If there is nothing to do about one of my concerns, just say pass, and we will move on to the next," it let's me off the hook about things not related to your PD. More importantly, it let's me try to help you on a symptom that I may be able to do something about. Remember, at the core Doctors are service providers, and we do like to think we have made a difference.

Third: Have a list - typed! - of your medicines with the dosage, number of tablets and times of day you take them, and whether you need refills of your prescriptions. A doctor can often be writing these while listening to your concerns, and then will not save time at the end of a visit to write them - that will give you more "real time" in the meeting.

Fourth: Take someone with you to listen. If your companion can be your advocate - and not take over your visit - educate him or her to reasons you are asking a question, in order to ask a follow-up. You may be trapped in the polite listening mode, and not be able to do so.

Fifth: do not take all the time with questions. The doctor does need to examine you, and may have other issues that he or she would like to address.View Thread

Posted by Mark A Stacy, MD

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2 Replies| Share this:How to prepare for a visit with your PD doctor Communication is the key to any successful visit with the doctor. As a patient, even though I am a...

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Do you have foot cramping in the morning?

If you have PD and notice foot cramping in the morning, you may be having wearing off from your previous...

Posted by Mark Stacy, MD

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Do you have vivid dreams?

Vivid dreams in Parkinson's Disease are quite common. They may be accompanied by yelling or thrashing...

Posted by Mark Stacy, MD

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3 Replies| Share this:Do you have vivid dreams? Vivid dreams in Parkinson's Disease are quite common. They may be accompanied by yelling or thrashing...

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Are you tired or dizzy at the end of the day?

If the answer is yes, check your blood pressure sitting and standing. If the top number is dropping more...

Posted by Mark Stacy, MD

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0 Replies| Share this:Are you tired or dizzy at the end of the day? If the answer is yes, check your blood pressure sitting and standing. If the top number is dropping more...

How to more easily read discussions

Exchanges provide a more dynamic way to keep up with ongoing discussions. But If you're finding...

Posted by Caprice_WebMD_Staff

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0 Replies| Share this:How to more easily read discussions Exchanges provide a more dynamic way to keep up with ongoing discussions. But If you're finding...

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Parkinson's app for iPad

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