Kirk

Your inability to raise your arms over your head sounds like frozen shoulder, a condition my wife (not a PwP) had which was resolved through surgery and lots of physical therapy.  You likely have more than one thing going on.  PD is not the source of all our ailments.

Hi C Morts –

If I were you, I’d go back to my doctor and ask what else they have. There are other drugs out there besides C/L and its sibling Rytary that are used to treat PD. They may work better for you.

Kirk

Ron –

From the MJFF website, the page titled “Ask the MD: Myths about Levodopa”, the bullet point “Levodopa loses effectiveness over time”:

“After taking levodopa for some time, it certainly may feel like the drug is less effective. Often, higher and/or more frequent doses are required to control symptoms. However, this is mostly due to gradual…[Read more]

Hi Ron –

You might want to try searching on google for “myths about levodopa”, paying particular attention to credible sites such as universities, research hospitals, and foundations such as the Michael J Fox Foundation, the APDA, and the like.

I was diagnosed last year at age 63 and my neurologist advised me to start on carbidopa/levadopa,…[Read more]

You may want to look into compression stockings, either prescription or over the counter. Two members of my immediate family (neither with Parkinson’s) have reported major relief from nighttime leg cramps after wearing the stockings during the day.