As part of the Parkinson’s Foundation's Educational Book Series, Psychosis discusses just that: the causes, symptoms and treatments for hallucinations and delusions, as well as tips for caregivers of someone experiencing psychosis.

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If managing your Parkinson’s has become more challenging than it used to be, the book Managing Parkinson’s Mid-Stride: A Treatment Guide to Parkinson’s is for you. This audiobook explains why symptoms may get better and worse throughout the day and how to treat and cope with them. Find answers and learn tips and stories that can help.

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About 75 percent of people with PD experience changes in speech and voice at some time during the course of the disease. These changes usually come on gradually and can vary from mild to severe.

Problems communicating can lead to feelings of frustration, depression and withdrawal. Learning how PD affects communication and what you can do about it can help you better cope with problems that you might experience.

Many of these problem areas can be improved with PD-specific exercise programs, devices that help communication and strategies/techniques that can help you and your conversation partners to communicate more effectively and efficiently.

This book is only available digitally to view, download or print. It is also available in Kindle and audiobook formats.

Consider this your practical guide for achieving good sleep health. This book addresses healthy sleep, sleep changes due to aging and sleep problems due to Parkinson’s, as well as diagnosis, treatment and coping strategies.

This book is only available digitally to view, download or print. It is also available in Kindle and audiobook formats.

As part of the Parkinson’s Foundation's Educational Book Series, Psychosis discusses just that: the causes, symptoms and treatments for hallucinations and delusions, as well as tips for caregivers of someone experiencing psychosis.

This book is only available digitally to view, download or print. It is also available in Kindle and audiobook formats.

There are many myths and misconceptions about Parkinson’s disease (PD) and its treatment. Knowing what is fact or fiction can help optimize your care and quality of life.

Misconception: Parkinson’s ONLY affects movement, or motor symptoms like tremor, stiffness and slowness.

• Reality: Many symptoms of PD are unrelated to movement. Non-motor symptoms are quite common and include impaired sleep, constipation, bladder symptoms, fatigue, pain, tingling, lightheadedness, cognitive difficulty, anxiety and depression.
• Fact: Many motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s are highly treatable.

Misconception: You can judge how severe a person’s Parkinson’s is based on a single observation.

• Reality: Many Parkinson’s symptoms can fluctuate and not all symptoms are visible.
• Fact: Many people with Parkinson’s can experience ON times (when they feel well and medications are working) and OFF times (when symptoms are problematic and medications are not working). Keeping track of your symptoms in relation to your medication times and dosages can help your provider optimize your medication schedule.

Misconception: Levodopa stops working after a couple of years, so you should wait to start taking it.

• Reality: Levodopa works for decades, treating many, but not all symptoms of PD.
• Fact: Levodopa is an effective treatment for Parkinson’s and noticeably improves quality of life.

Misconception: Your doctor can predict your future and prognosis.

• Reality: No person experiences the same Parkinson’s progression, symptoms or reaction to treatments, so even the best doctors cannot tell you exactly what lies ahead.
• Fact: You can help change your future! Improve your disease at every stage by ensuring you stay fit and receive adequate sleep and nutrition. Exercise can improve mobility, stamina, mood and quality of life. People living with PD who seek expert care from a comprehensive team have better outcomes. Their complication risks are lower, and they enjoy better quality and longer lives. In fact, neurologist care saves about 4,600 lives each year in the U.S. alone.

Misconception: People experience Parkinson’s “flare-ups.”

• Reality: Parkinson’s symptoms do not often suddenly worsen over days or weeks, if they do, it is critical to find the underlying cause with your healthcare team. Medication changes, infection, dehydration, sleep deprivation, stress, grief and other medical conditions can greatly impact and worsen PD symptoms.
• Fact: Certain medications (prochloroperazine, metaclopramide, valproic acid and others) can worsen PD symptoms. Often, when infection and underlying medical or psychological issues are treated, PD symptoms improve.

Still have questions? Call the Parkinson’s Foundation Helpline at 1-800-4PD-INFO (473- 4636), to speak to a PD Information Specialist.

November 2, 2022

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is often thought of as a disease that only involves movement. Yet many people with Parkinson’s experience slowness in thinking, loss of memory, decreased attention span and difficulty finding words. Dementia refers to advanced problems in memory and thinking that interfere with daily activities and quality of life. This webinar will review the various types of dementia, their clinical features as well as ways to manage dementia in Parkinson’s.

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Presenter

James Leverenz, MD
Director, Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health

Sexuality and intimacy can greatly add to quality of life at all adult ages. Sexuality is much more than just physical sexual functioning. It encompasses self-image, attraction to others, and a broad spectrum of emotional components. Certain complex problems may arise for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD), including motor and non-motor symptoms, sexual functioning, diminished pleasure, and changes in relationship dynamics because of PD symptoms or drugs used to treat it. Problems such as under-sexuality or over-sexuality may also occur with PD. These problems need to be recognized and evaluated clinically by someone on the Parkinson’s care team, which may be a neurologist, nurse, physical or occupational therapist, social worker or a sex therapist who is familiar with the disease.

Decades of clinical experience in movement disorders clinics as well as published research has led to practical approaches to these problems. Based on the longstanding relationship with their patients over the course of the disease, clinicians are in a good position to establish rapport with patients and care partners to educate them about potential sexual problems and help them directly or refer them as needs arise. In this podcast, Gila Bronner, director of sex therapy services at the Sheba Medical Center in Israel and a Certified sex therapist and researcher at the Movement Disorders Institute at the medical center, talks about some of the sexual problems one may encounter with PD and offers practical advice for dealing with them and enhancing intimacy.

Released: September 10, 2019

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Everyone experiences changes in mood over the course of any given day, week, month and year. But “mood changes” is a broad term that can mean different things to different people. This guide explains what mood changes can happen in Parkinson’s disease (PD), why people with Parkinson’s might experience these changes and how to treat and cope with them.

Not everyone develops every symptom of Parkinson’s disease, but if you’re affected, non-motor symptoms including depression, anxiety, anger and irritability can have a huge impact on your quality of life and those around you. The information, tips and stories included here will provide answers, help you organize thoughts and questions for your medical team and remind you that you are not alone on this Parkinson’s journey.

This book is only available digitally to view, download or print. It is also available in Kindle and audiobook formats.

It is not uncommon for the stresses of daily life — feeling overwhelmed, under prepared and over stimulated — to cause anxiety and unrest. These psychological issues can impact your health and even exacerbate the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). That is why it is important to assess what may be causing stress and learn how to deal with the situations that give rise to anxiety. Meditation, yoga or Tai Chi and deep breathing can help restore a sense of calm. Whether you are living with Parkinson’s or caring for someone with PD, finding balance can help you cope with the daily stresses of life. This may mean limiting your exposure to environmental stressors or using complementary therapies. Such approaches are wonderful ways to lower anxiety, lower blood pressure and improve your all-around health.

Managing Stress

Identify stress triggers along with ways to help control your emotions and release anger in a safe way. Try writing in a journal or going for a walk when tension reaches a breaking point. Physical outlets, such as hitting a pillow, can help you vent frustration. If stress triggers are unavoidable, you need reliable ways to reduce and manage them. No method is too silly if it works.

Yoga or Tai Chi

Tai Chi is a moving meditation based on the circulation of “chi,” life’s energy force, believed by the ancient Chinese to be blocked in the presence of disease. It is comprised of continuous, flowing movements. Yoga, which originated in ancient India, can include holding stationary poses or moving into a flowing series of poses and aims to integrate the mind, body and spirit. Both can help with relaxation, which can help with PD symptoms. Additional benefits include:

• Increased awareness of movement and actions
• Better awareness of proper body alignment/ posture and enhanced flexibility
• Improved balance and core strength, which help to reduce fall risk
• Improved breath support and control

Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises offer a simple and effective way to relax in moments of stress or anxiety. When you are stressed your body goes into a high state of physical arousal. You may notice muscle tension, a faster heart beat or shallow breathing.

3-minute Relaxation Routine

• Select a key word such as relax, calm or peace
• Concentrate on relaxing using your key word. Pay attention to your breathing. Take in one deep breath and hold it.
• While holding your breath, tense up a group of muscles, such as the muscles in your face, arms or legs.
• As you breathe out, relax the tense muscles and let go. Continue using your key word as you drop your shoulders.
• Repeat, alternating to different muscle groups, for 3 minutes.

Consider Massage Therapy

Many people with PD recognize the benefits of massage. Massages are available in a variety of settings, including many local malls. Specific benefits may include:

• reduction in rigidity and tremor
• improvement in sleep
• increase in daily stamina
• reduction in anxiety
• increased feeling of relaxation

In finding a massage therapist, it is important to find someone trained by an accredited school of massage therapy. Tell your medical team, family or friends that you are considering getting a massage. They may be able to provide you with a referral. You can also find a massage therapist by calling toll free 1-888-843-2682 or visiting the American Massage Therapy Association website: www.amtamassage.org/findamassage/.

Distinguishing Between Stress and Anxiety or Depression

Feeling stressed or worried is understandable when managing a chronic illness. It is important to remember that depression and anxiety play a key role in PD and its effect on quality of life. If constant worry or nervousness go beyond what is manageable, a person may be experiencing anxiety, which is more serious.

Remember, anxiety and depression often go together.

Symptoms of anxiety can include:

• feelings of panic
• fear and restlessness
• sleep disturbance
• poor concentration
• palpitations
• shortness of breath
• irritability
• dizziness.

Symptoms of depression can include:

• excessive worrying
• persistent sadness
• crying
• loss of interest in usual activities and hobbies
• increased fatigue and lack of energy
• feelings of guilt
• loss of motivation
• complaints of aches and pains
• feelings of being a burden to loved ones

If you think your stress may be a symptom of depression or anxiety, do not feel embarrassed to seek professional help or counseling. A social worker, psychologist or psychiatrist can help you pinpoint the causes of your distress and provide constructive ways to cope with the situation.

You may find Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a non-drug approach to developing the skills and actions that change patterns of thought and behavior related to depression, to be a helpful tool.

Your mood is a critical aspect of living with PD that you can control. Talk to your friends, family and doctor about your feelings of stress, anxiety or depression.

For more resources on managing stress, anxiety or depression, call the Parkinson’s Foundation Helpline at 1-800-4PD-INFO (473-4636).