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I can relate to your concerns because your mother had Parkinson's. Mine did also and I am having eye twitching which has gone on for more than a month. It is concerning me even though I don't think it is an early sign of the disease. I think you should mention your concerns to your doc it will give you some peace. I know it is hard to do. I have an appt. with eye doc on Mon, and then a neuro in a few weeks.

Best of luck to you.

Vannie
The very earliest symptom of PD is loss of the sense of smell. I lost my sense of smell about the middle 1970's and PD started 2007. When I went to my first neuro his first question was "how is your sense of smell". The same question from my second neuro. When you do go to a neuro be sure he/she is a movement disorder specialist. They specialize in PD and other diseases that are associated with physical movement. It sounds like you need to find one soon. The sooner you start the less damage will already be done. If they want to start you with sinemet, question whether it is the best drug to start with. It's not. It will do the job, but has severe side effects. If he/she insists, find another neuro. My first said sinemet. The second said no sinemet. Try azilect. Works for me with no side effects.

Let us know how you do.

Dan

Hi V,

Sorry to hear your husband has PD on his side of the family also.

I think it does make us worry more about possibly getting the disease. My neuro told me I actually have less of a chance of getting PD because both my mother and first cousin had/have it. I am not sure I believe that but possibly statistically that is true. I think PD is sometimes connected to genes but not always. I feel like that leaves us at square one. I was awake last night imagining all sorts of scenarios. Finally got up and took an ibuprophen and went to sleep. Think I have gotten myself into a rather anxious state about this eye problem. I don't seem to have any balance or walking problems at this point. Let us know what your doc says.

Blessings,

Suzita

If you have concerns about ANY symptoms, I would encourage you to mention them to your doc - especially if family members have PD. There are some forms of PD that do run in families. It's also true that if there is PD in your family, you have a greater chance of having PD. There are people who have internal tremors. People with PD can have any combination of symptoms  - everyone is different.

 

The comment 'The sooner you start the less damage will already be done' could be misinterpreted ... and I am probably the only one who is unclear about what you mean. For the most part, there is nothing that stops/prevents the 'damage' - the death of the dopamine-producing cells. PD is an incurable, progressive disease. There are some things that may slow the progression - rigorous exercise, for example. There are some things that MAY be neuro-protective and MAY slow the progression - gene therapy, for example. There is some exciting research being done and we can only hope that it will result in something that not only slows the progression, but actually reverses it. When that happens, there will be a big dance to celebrate.

 

See you at the dance!

Hi everyone. It is easy to be absolutist about signs, symptoms, drug treatments etc. The only absolute about Parkinson's in this sense is there is no absolute. It affects us all differently as do the medications that we take. I think it is unwise to say the least to deter people from taking any particular drug because of one's own experiences and because they may have side effects for some people. Sinemet [or co-caraldopa to give it its generic name] is the standard medication used by neuros and general practitioners around the world. Yes it does have side effects but in the long run so do most of the meds for most people either short or long term. There is no norm as such.
Regarding the question about first signs and symptoms. I started with an 'invisible' tremor but as my GP told me there are other causes of this than PD [e.g. non-essential tremor] which is why it was important to get referred to a good neuro as soon as possible. It is not necessarily the case that meds should immediately be administered. This course of action is probably best dealt with by negotiation with the patient. I only started meds when the condition started to affect my work but that is me. Others may see it differently but their decision is right for them. Remember that things like the tremor only affect about half of pwp's.
In relation to 'is pd hereditary?' - the general answer is 'no'. However there is a particular gene which I believe is responsible for causing there to be clusters in a very very few families. I know of only three personally through these type of forums.
Keep an open mind about most things pd - we all deal with it in a very personal way and I for one believe that there is no right and wrong way of doing so. Stay positive that is so important but help those who cannot see it that way.
keep taking the tablets
The Bear