[Susan Watkins]

I work with a Nutritionist and she recommended bitters. Slice a lemon in quarters and in about 4 ounces of water either warm or cold drink before or after meals. It increases saliva production which increases the breakdown of your food and easier to digest and pass. Also hydration and exercise is clutch, along with physical therapy and stretching.

[Susan Watkins]

Dear Bob, I started having Urniary urgency issues but I worked with PT who specializes in Pelvic Floor problems. I am not saying start there,  but with maybe a good pt. As far as the constipation I have had success working with a dietitian, the best suggestion she had and it works is to drink about 4 to 6 ounces of lemon water before each meal…works like a charm as well as not eating large meals anymore. I was diagnosed in 2019, resting hand tremor, starting with the jerky movements, blurry vision when reading and double vision watching tv..so right to the MRI to rule out all of the other nasty stuff, he put me on an MOA-B, Azilect 1.0 once daily and all of the above minus the eyes have been controlled. The eyes I learned after going for a second eye exam in 3 months that my left eye is starting to turn in because of muscle and nerve weakness, which is common in PD. I now use reading glasses and pace myself. Hope that I shed some light. Move, move, move even when it hurts, as long as it doesn’t cause more discomfort or pain

[Susan Watkins]

I was diagnosed in 2019 at the age of 57. I had a resting tremor, gait and balance issues, double/blurry vision( caused by my left eye muscles weakening which causes the eye to turn inward)all of them came in different stages over the years but I started having involuntary movements. I also had undiagnosed pain in my back and stiff painful hips that was just chalked up to degenerative spine changes. After the MRI ruled out everything else, I was put on Azilect, first month .5 dose than 1mg daily since October 2019 and almost all of my PD symptoms and PT takes care of the rest. I deal with the pain with daily exercise, manual hands on therapy at Pt, Volteran Gel for pain as well as heat/cold and tens unit. I use no pain meds but take .25 of Valium which helps with stress and muscle pain and I found it helps with general stess and the very rare adult tantrum when I get super stressed. I am on the top of my game still, my memory improved overtime, my hips are no longer stiff, as long as I continue to walk, pt and exercise. I don’t take pain meds as I have a reaction to them, I just use all of the tools my Pt and Neurologist have given me. I am blessed with insurance, have excellent PT and Neurologist who takes time to explain the disease, progression and future meds. I am still only on Azilect which still effectively manages all of my PT symptoms, except on bad days my stenosis in L3-L5. Your Neurologist is right by encouraging you not to rush on Levadopa as the meds become very challening to control dosing. Side note I was waking up in the middle of the night to go pee as well as more urgency so I started working with our new dedicated pelvic floor PT and within 3 weeks I am not waking at night and I am starting to have less urgency. Take away is exercise, pt, and self care makes PD manageable for me. My Neurologist calls me the poster child for Azilect. There are so many other medications. I recommend reading Understanding Parkinsons Disease, a self help guide. Written by 2 Neurologists, one with PD and the other treated PD patients for 20 years.

[Susan Watkins]

I was diagnosed in 2019. Resting hand tremor, jerky movements, stiff legs and hip upon resting, blurry vision watching tv, blurry vision reading which I never had an issue with my eyes except for nearsightedness. My Neurologist is amazing abd started me on Azilect.5 for one month and increased to 1mg daily since October 2019. I had various issues, muscular/skeletal along with the infamous diagnosis of fibromyalgia, which my doctor says you are developing something and until it manifests its fibromyalgia, Rheumatologist basically told me the same thing, vague symptoms of convective tissue disorder which they agree sometimes go hand in hand.
Now if I were you I would discuss an MOA-B, pr other early treatments. Tgey are like free radicals orchestrating my dopamine. He akso suggested reading the Michael J Fox books. I got the latest for Christmas and it gave me hope and inspiration. Getting back to the Azilect, my Neurologist calks me the poster child for the drug. My memory has improved significantly, no more stiff legs and hips, i can make a quick turn and not look like the town drunk stubbling to catch my balance. If anything I suggest like others exercise as being the key and in my humble opinion I think Pt is best. My balance is incredible, I am doing things in pt I would never have done before. We are also blessed to have a pt that specializes in pelvic floor exercises. I was finding that I would go to bathroom and then wothin a short period of time would need to go again. So as a preventive I started working with her in advance as incontinence is very common so if I can be proactive I will. So if you take anything anyway from this you do not have to take any medication as they will only control symptoms and maybe sometimes not, but don’t delay as meds like the MOA-B’s, which there are more than one that do not contain any levadopa. I also read Understanding PD a self help guide, written from the perspective of a Neurologist that treated a Neurologist with PD. Only stick to PD forums and the Michael J Fox foundation website. I am blessed to have a dr that takes anywhere from 30 to 50 minutes 3 x a year because I ask questions and because I do I am way ahead of the game and not worried about tomorrowor what tomorrowis going to look or feel like. Stress is also a biggy to get rid of..I know easier said then done and managing pain. I use Volteran gel, ice heat and tens unit as pain meds and PD can be tricky, plus not my bag. Best of luck in your journey and there are many therapies TO START BEFORE LEVIODPA.

[Susan Watkins]

No I have not but I have had all symptoms controlled by 1 mg of Azilect a day since starting in fall 2019 after being diagnosed at 57. I had a mild resting tremor, moderate balance issues especially when turning, short term memory, double and blurry vision. The vision issues are due to my left eye turning in, so I just wear reading glasses which help with the blurry vision and I wear my prescription glasses now when watching tv to prevent eye fatigue. Everything else was addtessed within 3 months of starting Azilect. Just saw my Neurologist and he he is impressed with my continued success on the treatment alone for now. So I am keeping myself as stress-free as possible and trying to find the right balance in life.

[Susan Watkins]

2 times a week I go to pt. I have an exercise bike, treadmill and almost everyother piece of equipment needed. I had very bad balance issues and within a year I was doing single leg squats on the balance board. I notice when I am inactive I have more pain in my groan and legs. I also try to walk the dog everyday. I also picked up my guitar and started playing again which is very soothing to me as I don’t sweat messing up, it is just another activity that uses finer motor skills. Diet is going to improve this year thats for sure but not vegan just more fish and vegetables.

[Susan Watkins]

I live in Penllyn Pa about 20 minutes west of Philadelphia. I was diagnosed early stage in August of 2019 but have been living with it for about 10 years prior now that I have learned more about early symptoms via this forum. I even sent a link to my husband and I encourage him to read the articles as sometimes I cannot articulate my physical and mental being as well as I did before.

[Susan Watkins]

I started playing guitar to help with the fine motor skills and once the Azilect calmed my mild resting tremor. Most of my PD involves muscle and tendon issues which pt helps tremendously. Seek a pt that specializes in sports medicine as I found that they arecmore inept to push you and focuses on balance issues ti eliminate falls.

[Susan Watkins]

I found drinking 2 6 to 8 ounce glasses of tonic water a day as I am only on Azilecy at this time.

[Susan Watkins]

I have a Unspecified Connective Disorder which I take Plaquenil for when active and Raynauds disease as well as which I use Nitrobid ointment

[Susan Watkins]

With an “Ileus”

[Susan Watkins]

After being hospitalized for with an Illeys and spen 5 days in the hospital until U could pass the stool and have an MRI to rule out other things, tumor, etc. I has yet been diagnosed with PD but connected with a nutritionist who suggested bitters or to drink 2 small 4 to 6 ounces of warm water and 1/3 to 1/2 of lemon at least once a day and I stretch before I get up as well as message my belly with rotatiting circles. My nutritionist said when you rely on stool softeners or Miralax type meds and your intestines will become dependent rather than letting nature take its course. I suggest a nutritional consult as most insurances cover up to 6 visits a year.

[Susan Watkins]

Hey John, I had a similar experience right before I was officially diagnosed with Parkinsons disease. I woke as usual in the morning, went to use the bathroom and all went well there. I came out of the bathroom to take my morning meds and boom the worse pain ever in the stomach area. It took me almost 14 minutes to yell loud enough for my husband to hear me as it was so bad I couldn’t move. After tests and 5 days in the hospital I was diagnosed with an Ileus which sounds very similar to what you had. Until the bowel moved and an MRI was done to assure there wasn’t anything there that shouldn’t be and to vonfitm the diagnosis. I have had digestional issues with motility issues with swallowing bit was ignored as GERD. I went to a nutritionalist and she has me drink warm lemon water twice a day or bitters that help create more saliva which helps breaks down your digestion and has stopped my constipation issue. STRESS is my number on issue that will put me in a tailspin and tantrums so I take a .25 twice a day of Valium to help control them .

[Susan Watkins]

Good day John,
I had leg cramping and my Neurologist recommeneded a glass of tonic water about an hour or 2 before bed. Works most nights for me. I have degenerative changes in my sciatica and the beginning of stenosis in the l3-l4 area.