D - Dystonia, Drugs, Dyskinesia, Diet

🚶🏻‍♀️Dystonia is a sustained or repetitive muscle twisting, spasm or cramp that can occur at different times of day and in different stages of Parkinson's disease (PD). Dystonia is a common early symptom of young-onset Parkinson's, but it can appear during any stage of Parkinson's. It can happen to different body parts and can occur either when dopamine levels are high, typically at the peak of a dose, or when they are falling rapidly as the medication wears off. For me it affects my left foot when my meds are low. Especially when walking, my left foot twists pointing the ankle to the floor making it very difficult to walk. And sometimes my toes decide to stick up which can also be a bit annoying to put it lightly 😬

💊💊Drugs

In the video below I share my thoughts on PD meds. For me, they work well (when they work) with very little side effects. But it’s complicated. I keep having to increase my dose as my disease is progressing. And at this pace it is not sustainable. For many, the drugs cause 🕺🏼Dyskinesias - involuntary, erratic, writhing movements of the face, arms, legs or trunk. They are often fluid and dance-like, but they may also cause rapid jerking or slow and extended muscle spasms. They can be very painful, and exhausting. I haven’t experienced them yet, and I hope I don’t have to for a while.

So what else can you do - when the drugs at some point cause you more harm than good, and you are already exercising your ass off?

🥒🥕🥬🥑Well, a lot of people are experimenting with changes in their diet and reporting improvements. I find this intriguing and I have done some research on the subject and I definitely feel like it is something I should try. But it is a lot of work and can feel overwhelming, and I haven’t felt I have the energy just yet and I don’t really know where to start...

So that’s it for the letter D...