southshoreparkinson

THE BOSTON SOUTH PARKINSON'S SUPPORT GROUP PATIENT,CAREGIVER,IS A NON PROFIT GROUP, WE HAVE SOME EXCITING THINGS COMING,BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY WILL BE DONATING COMPUTERS TO OUR GROUP OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE ALL MEMBERS WITH A COMPUTER.AND ON LINE.THIS IS ONLY SOME OF THE EXCITING THINGS TO COME .IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BECOME A MEMBER PLEASE CALL LARRY HANSON AT 1-781-871-5473 TO START A GROUP FOR YOUNG ONSET AND LATE ONSET I BELIEVE WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER AND SEE HOW IT EFFECTS EACH OTHER

THE CLINICAL FEATURES OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE

1.Resting tremor on one side of the body:
2.generalized slowness of movement (bradykinesia)
3.stiffness of limbs (rigidity);
4.gait or balance problems (postual dysfunction

WHAT IS PARKINSON'S DISEASE?

Parkinson's disease(PD)is a progressive,neurological disease that mainly effects movement.Parkinson's disease results from the destruction of nerve cells in part of the brain called the basal ganglia.

Different parts of the brain work together by sending signals to each other to coordinate all of our thoughts,movements,emotions,and senses.When we want to move,a signal is sent from the basal ganglia to the thalamus and then to the cerebral cortex,all different parts of the brain.Nerve cells in the brain communicate by using chemicals.A chemical (neurotransmitter)called dopamine is produced in a group of cells called the substantia nigra and is essential for normal movement.When the cells die they can no longer produce and send dopamine so the signal to move doesn't get communicated.Another chemical in the brain,acetylcholine,is controlled by dopamine.When there is not enough dopamine,there is to much acetylcholine,sausing the tremors and muscle stiffness that many people with PD experience.

People with Parkinson's often exhibit a "shuffling"gait,tremor of the arms and legs when they are resting,muscle stiffness,and stooped posture. some individuals also have cognitive (thinking,judgment,memory)problems

BEING DIAGNOSED WITH EARLY SYMPTOMS

Prior to the diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease,a person may begin to feel a drop in energy or a loss of coordination.Several symptoms such as impaired handwriting"limp"or tremor may begin to emerge on one side of the body.Other early symptoms may include internal shakiness,difficulty getting out of a chair.a soft voice and/or depression.These symptoms evolve gradually and may even be imperceptible to the patient or family members until a physically or emotionally stressful event occurs triggering an exacerbation of these symptoms.

DISEASE PROGRESSION

Progression of Parkinson's disease is highly variable,although progression may be relatively slower in patients whose initial symptoms include tremor.Although the disease is invariably progressive,the good news is that there are now a wide variety of effective medications for the disease and surgical therapy,including "deep brain stimulation," this has been shown to provide benefits in selected patients who have lost effi medications alone.When the disease is fully expressed the major clinical features include bradykinesia (slow movement),tremor (typically at rest and extinquished with movement),rigidity (a clinical finding of resistance to movement,often associated with a jerky sensation called cogwheeling)and impaired postual reflexes(poor balance).

A VARIETY OF SYMPTOMS CAN BE ASSOCIATED
WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE.

Depression,some people have depression and it may be an early symptom of Parkinson's disease.People with Parkinson's may feel that they don't want to socialize with others and they may become afraid and insecure especially in new situations.They may have difficulty motivating them selves to do anything.Some people with Parkinson's are more irritable and are negativistic.Others become dependent on family members for many things.Drugs that treat Parkinson's may make any depression symptoms worse.Depression is treatable with antidepressants which can be prescribed by a physician.

Fatigue,Muscle Parkinson's symptoms like muscle stiffness,cramping,tremor(shaking)and initiating a movement put stress on a person's muscles.To move with these symptoms, muscle have to work very hard and often against each other.With tremor the constant shaking can quickly fatigue muscles.Antiparkinson medication can be used to treat these symptoms but they must be carefully monitored to avoid a common side effect called dyskinsia(fidgety involuntary movements),because this side-effect will also cause fatigue.

Here are some steps people with Parkinson's disease.can take on their own to avoid fatigue:
1.Getting the right food is necessary for feeling strong.
2.Participate in an exercise program with both aerobic and stretching exercises.
3.Practice good sleep habits;establish a regular bedtime,avoid frequent napping or stimulation at bedtime,and decrease caffine and alcohol intake.
4.Keep mentally active.Boredom oftens leads to fatigue.
5.Eat a lot of fiber and drink plenty of fluids to avoid constipation.
6.Do more difficult daily task when movement is easier and medications are working well.
7.Know your limitations and seek assistance when necessary.forcing too many activities into one time period will often cause fatigue.

Weakness:coming soon

Joint Pain coming soon
Internal Tremor coming soon
Anxiety:coming soon
Impaired Recent Memory:coming soon

Oily Face or Scalp,Some people who have Parkinson's disease develop very oily skin on the forehead and nose.They may also develop dandruff because of the increase oiliness of their hair.Some people develop very dry skin while others experience excessive sweating.these skin problems are a result of the nervous system not working properly.These problems are helped by Parkinson's medication.

Restless Legs,is a disorder characterized by unpleasant,bothersome sensation in the legs.The unpleasant sensations occur while the patient is resting--with the legs muscles relaxed and not moving.the unpleasant sensations result in a spontaneous and irresistible urge to move the legs.Restless legs may occur in Parkinson disease both in untreated and levodopa treated patients.Rarely,restless legs may be an early symptom of Parkinson disease.Its estimated that(2.7 million Americans.) Treatment for people with restless legs, unassociated with other conditions,consist of benzodiazepines including Klonopin,Restoril,and Valium.consult a doctor if you think you have restless legs

Drooling:coming soon

Freezing,coming soon

Lack of arm swing,on the affected side;

Small cramped hand writing,comming soon

Facial masking,A person with Parkinson's disease sometimes will have a mask face with no expression.Facial masking does respond to medication treatment.
Dont be afraid to tell people to listen to what you are saying and not what your face is saying.
Speech therapist can develop a program of exercises to help keep the muscles of the face active and flexible.

Here are some exercises that might help:
1.Practice opening and closing your mouth as wide as you can.This will help stretch the muscles of your face.
2.Smile alot. Try to make the biggest smile you can,this stretches another set of muscles.
3.Stick your tongue straight out.Your tongue needs exercise too. Move your tongue from side toi side in your mouth as though you have a piece of food stuck.
4.Pucker up.Puckering up or kissing exercise a different set of muscles.
5.Practice making faces in front of a mirror. Exaggerate your facial expression when talking with others.

Constipation,Can be a problem because the muscles of the intestinal tract do not work as well as they once did.It can result from poor diet,decreased intake of fluids,or lack of activity,This can be a serious problem and should be discussed with the patient's doctor.

Bladder Urgency comming soon
Soft Hoarse Speech,comming soon
Sleep Disturbances,comming soon
Restless Legs,comming soon

THE DIFFERENT STAGES OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE

Stage 1:Symptoms are only on one side of the body
Stage 2:Symptoms are on both sides of the body
Stage 3:Balance is impaired
Stage 4:assistance is required to walk and other Symptoms are more severe
Stage 5:Wheelchair bound
it is important to know that all Parkinson's patients will not experience all these stages

MEDICATIONS FOR THE TREATMENT OF
PARKINSON'S DISEASE
COMMING SOON,

Levodopa:Carbidopa/Levodopa25/100.Sinemet CR 50/200.Sinemet CR 25/100 Bromocriptine:,The chemical precursor of dopamine(the neurotransmitter which is converted to dopamine when it reaches the brain.

Parlodel 2.5mg and 5mg
Pergolide:(Permax),An anti-Parkinson drug

Pramipexole:(Mirapex),Ropinirole(Requip)Two new dopamine agonist,Have shown great promise in extensive clinical trials.Both have lower side-effect profiles than others available in the U.S.

lolcopone:Tasmer,
Entecapone:(Comtan),The first in a new class of drugs called COMT inhibitors for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. TASMAR is used as an ajjunct to standard levodopa/carbidopa therapy,and was developed and marketed by Hoffmann-La Roche.

Amantadine:Symmetryl;
Trihexyphenidyl:Artane
Benztropine:Cogentin

Selegiline;Eldepryl,A monoamine-inhibitor used to treat Parkinson's disease.It blocks the enzyme monoamine oxidase B,which normally breaks down dopamine.

SPONSORS PAGE COMING SOON

A POEM BY A PARKINSON'S PATIENT

sometimes it feels like im glued to my seat
and really must struggle to get to my feet.

for my body is often out of sync,
every movement i have to think

so i won't topple over like a red wood tree
or lose my balance and skin my knee.

they call it "tremors" when i stiffen and
shake reminding me of a small earthquake.

this is when the battle begins
with buttons,zippers,ties and pins.

I want independence,you understand,
but sometimes i need a helping hand.

the added lift will help me along at
times when I'm wobbly and not very strong

finally when the pills kick
In i am my old self again.