What treatments are available to control the symptoms of Parkinsons disease?
All patients with Parkinson’s disease will eventually require levodopa for control of their symptoms. It really is the gold standard for treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Older patients are more likely to start with levodopa, and younger patients are more likely to start with the dopamine agonists. The most common dopamine agonists used in this country include Mirapex (pramipexole) and Requip (ropinirole). Starting an early-onset patient on these medications is associated with a lower incidence of motor complications. Older patients have a difficulty tolerating the side effects associated with a dopamine agonist, which can include nausea and vomiting. Hallucinations and obsessive behavior such as gambling are rare, but may also occur. Dopamine agonists can also cause lightheadedness and hallucinations. Dyskinesias are extra movements that affect the head, neck, trunk and limbs, and are a long-term side effect of levodopa treatment. People who have early-onset Parkinson’s disease tend t
