“ASK THE DOCTOR” WITH DR. REBECCA GILBERT
Q: I was recently told that carbidopa/ levodopa doesn’t help tremor. Is that true?
A: No. Carbidopa/levodopa often helps tremor. However, in a certain percentage of people, tremors don’t respond well as other symptoms of PD such as slowness and stiffness. Movement disorder physicians measure whether medication doses are successful by monitoring slowness and stiffness of movement, symptoms of PD which are quite responsive to medication, as opposed to tremor, because that is less predictable.
Q: Does Parkinson’s disease cause foot and calf cramps?
A: PD can cause dystonia, which is an involuntary twisting movement of a part of the body. It can often include the foot and leg and can be painful. It is also possible that dystonia is a feature of a dose of PD medication wearing off. Changing doses or timing of Parkinson’s medications may be helpful. Sometimes, botulinum toxin injections may be warranted to help dystonia.
Q: If my husband is due for a dose when he is not fully awake, I am afraid that he won’t be able to swallow the medication properly. What do I do in this situation?
A: I would talk with your husband’s doctor about this problem. In general, I would not give a person medication when it doesn’t look like he or she will be able to swallow it. However, the best approach would be to try to figure out why he is often lethargic. Could his nighttime sleep be improved? Is he on a medication that is making him sleepy? If that is corrected, then he may be able to take his medication on time more often.
Dr. Rebecca Gilbert is the Chief Mission Officer at APDA. She oversees APDA’s research portfolio in conjunction with APDA’s Scientific Advisory Board. She also provides medical and clinical expertise to support APDA programming as well as print and web content.