Parkinson's Disease

Is there an Effective Parkinson’s Disease Drug?

If you suffer from Parkinson’s disease, then you already know that there is not currently a Parkinson’s disease drug that will cure your condition. That being said, many drugs can help you live with the symptoms of your condition so that you can have a fulfilling life. The majority of drugs used to treat Parkinson’s are designed to keep the symptoms at bay and increase the quality of life for the patient.

Some Parkinson’s patients do not need drugs to deal with their condition. If the symptoms are mild and daily life is not affected, doctors will usually avoid prescribing drugs due to the possibility of side effects. However, when the symptoms of Parkinson’s begin to interfere with daily life, drug therapy is usually the first course of action. Severe Parkinson’s requires surgery, but this is a last resort.

The most common drug to be prescribed for this condition is Levodopa. This drug helps improve cognition and mobility for the Parkinson’s patient. Since the disease progresses with time, the dosage of Levodopa will be consistently increased. The newest Parkinson’s disease drug option is a line of drugs called COMT inhibitors. These are medications that help optimize the effects of other drugs used in treating Parkinson’s. They are prescribed when other drugs stop working.

If the only symptoms of the condition are tremors, the doctor will usually prescribe anticholinergic medicines. These medicines do not help cognition, but they do lessen the tremors. This line of medication can also be used alongside other treatments.

All Parkinson’s treatments do have potential side effects, so it is important to only take them with the support and oversight of a licensed physician. However, most Parkinson’s sufferers feel that the mild side effects they experience are worth it for the overall quality of life they receive as a result of taking medicine for their condition.

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