What is PD?
Parkinson's disease is a disorder of the brain that affects body movement and emotions. Named after Dr. James Parkinson, a London physician who first described the disease in 1817, Parkinson's disease is a chronic, progressive disorder of the central nervous system. Once you get PD, it does not go away and the symptoms get worse over time. In general, tremor is followed by stiffness, slowness of movement (bradykinesia), and in the later stages, lack of balance. Emotional symptoms such as depression and anxiety are also characteristic of Parkinson's disease.
PD patients also have fewer dopamine-producing neurons.
Although the exact cause of PD is unknown, many of the symptoms occur when certain brain cells, called neurons, die or become damaged. Neurons produce a chemical substance called dopamine that is important in the control of movement. Over time, the dopamine level in the brain decreases and a chemical imbalance is caused that makes movement more difficult and less fluid. By the time characteristics of Parkinson's disease like tremor and stiffness are visible, the normal level of dopamine has been greatly reduced.
Diagnosis
Detecting PD in its early stages can be difficult, but most skilled practitioners can usually diagnose PD accurately. If you think you might have Parkinson's disease, or if your doctor suspects that you may, he will perform an assessment to detect Parkinson's disease that consists of:
Taking your medical history
Questions about things you do at home on a regular basis such as dressing, showering, bathing, walking, and eating
A special exam by a neurologist
More sophisticated tests are available if a diagnosis is uncertain, but these are generally not used due to their cost and the overall strength of the standard exam.
If you receive a positive diagnosis
At first, patients will probably have a lot of questions. Is this certain? Is it a good idea to get another opinion? Is medication right, or another form of therapy? What does the future look like? Doctors will be able to answer most of these questions. It is important that patients and their doctors decide on the best treatment as soon as possible. The checklists on Zelapar.com will help patients talk to their doctors about important things like medication, lifestyle changes, feelings or other concerns. Often, doctors choose to treat Parkinson's disease with levodopa/carbidopa, the mainstay of drug therapy for PD. In addition to levodopa/carbidopa treatment, doctors often prescribe other medications like Zelapar®.
Zelapar® is the newest Parkinson's disease treatment option. People should know about this new therapy because it provides more active hours for Parkinson's patients- time that is precious for both the patient and caregiver.
What people often don't realize is that many patients with Parkinson's disease experience several hours a day during which their treatment wears off. Zelapar®, helps to address this issue as it's taken just once a day and provides more active time each day. The unique formulation of Zelapar allows the tablet to dissolve in the mouth within seconds.
Patients and caregivers can to go to the Zelapar.com website to learn more about this new treatment option's benefits and potential side effects. Of course, you should always speak to your doctor about which treatment options are right for you or the patient you care for.
In clinical trials, Zelapar was well tolerated. Approximately 5% of patients discontinue due to adverse events. The most common adverse events in clinical trials were dizziness, nausea, pain, headache and insomnia. Click Here for Full Prescribing Information
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Continue on to Living with Parkinson's Disease
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