A Graph of Your Daily Level of Exogenous Levodopa

"The greatest achievement is to outperform yourself." Denis Waitley "Sometimes, carrying on, just carrying on, is the superhuman achievement." Albert Camus Introduction: Have you been taking carbidopa/levodopa to treat your Parkinson's? Are you experiencing any off-on periods? Do you have any dyskinesia? Do you think it's time to change your dosing pattern or the timing …

Journey with Parkinson’s: “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town”

"A little smile, a word of cheer, A bit of love from someone near, A little gift from one held dear, Best wishes for the coming year. These make a merry christmas!" John Greenleaf Whittier "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." Winston Churchill The …

The Complex Role of Neurotransmitters in Parkinson’s

"Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it's less good than the one you had before." Elizabeth Edwards "Health is wholeness and balance, an inner resilience that allows you to meet the demands of living without being overwhelmed." Andrew Weil Introduction: The goal is to review the role(s) played by dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine (also …

Parkinson’s: Trouble in Mind

"Your brain is your greatest weapon. Connect it to your heart, and you can go anywhere." Angelique Kidjo "Don't believe everything you hear - even in your own mind." Daniel Amen Précis: A big fear for anyone with Parkinson's is the development of dementia. It is predicted that a large percentage of those with Parkinson's …

Six Pillars of Parkinson’s

"In all human affairs there are efforts, and there are results, and the strength of the effort is the measure of the result." James Allen "Storms make trees take deeper roots." Dolly Parton Introduction: In the presence of Parkinson's, each person encounters a different invader that can progress very slowly or evolves quickly. Symptoms expressed are …

Rehabilitation Therapy in Parkinson’s

"What you do today can improve all your tomorrows." Ralph Marston "One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity." Albert Schweitzer Introduction: In 2015, I wrote a blog post entitled "Physicians in the Constellation of Care" (click here to read it). The topic was about the importance of …

Effect of Posture and Motility on Drug Availability in the Human Stomach

"The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it." Neil deGrasse Tyson "Imagination is more important than knowledge." Albert Einstein Introduction:  Taking something by mouth is a common and relatively easy way to administer a drug. By contrast, when you carefully consider the route, it is a more complex …

The Attitude of Gratitude in the Presence of Parkinson’s

"The only thing you should feel entitled to is gratitude," J.S. Mason “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” Epictetus Introduction: The blog post's title is not meant to suggest one needs to be grateful for having a neurodegenerative …

Living Better with Parkinson’s

"Life is a journey, not a destination. Happiness is not "there" but here, not "tomorrow" but today." Sidney Greenberg "The moment in between what you once were, and who you are now becoming, is where the dance of life really takes place." Barbara De Angelis Précis: This post reminds the Person (People)-with-Parkinson's disease (PwP) that …

Sudden Unexpected Death in Parkinson’s (SUDPAR)

"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." Anais Nin "The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible." Oscar Wilde Introduction: I have been reading and learning about the "normal heart" in Parkinson's, ultimately trying to better understand the autonomic nervous system. While reading, I ran …