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» Medications » Medications Prescribed for Parkinson's Disease
Medications Prescribed for Parkinson's
Parkinson s disease is a chronic and progressive disorder that's found most often in people over 50 years of age, although nearly 10% of those afflicted are under 40. Nationwide, as many as 1.5 million people suffer from Parkinson s disease.
In the normal brain, certain nerve cells produce dopamine, a chemical responsible for transmitting signals within the brain to produce the smooth movement of muscles. In a patient with Parkinson s disease, 80% or more of these dopamine-producing cells are either damaged, dead, or otherwise degenerated and, as a result, the nerve cells fire wildly, leaving the person unable to control their movements.
Symptoms usually show up in one or more of these four ways:
- Tremor, or trembling in the hands, arms, legs, jaw and/or face
- Rigidity or stiffness of limbs and/or trunk
- Bradykinesia, or slowness of movement
- Impaired balance and coordination
These symptoms usually develop so gradually and subtly that people aren't usually aware of having a problem until they eventually experience significant fatigue or pronounced difficulty with coordination and balance.
At this time, there is still no definitive test for Parkinson s. Since blood tests and imaging scans (e.g., CT s or MRI s) show no abnormalities in those with the disease, diagnosis of Parkinson s relies on the patient s appearance and whether their symptoms respond to certain medications.
Most experts agree that early symptoms of Parkinson s don t necessarily require medication. Treatment usually is prescribed when the symptoms become uncomfortable, affect the person s balance, or limit their ability to work or engage in other activities.
Medications Prescribed for Parkinson's Disease include:
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