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This is so confusing. Long COVID? Parkinson's?
Post-COVID Recovery & COVID-19 | Last Active: Aug 2 2:52pm | Replies (19)Comment receiving replies
I know Carbidopa/Levodopa is pretty standard for Parkinson's. My husband is being evaluated for that but he's also wondered if he has Long Covid which can cause his symptoms too.In researching Long Covid I found that a reduction in dopamine-releasing neurons is seen in the brains of people with long COVID.Some of the meds mentioned were things I'd never heard of:Promote dopamine neuron survival with neurotrophic factors such as GDNF (glial cell line derived neurotrophic factor) or BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor)MAO-B inhibitors (for example selegiline) or COMT inhibitors ( like entacapone) to prolong dopamine availability.Dopamine agonists (e.g. pramipexole) to stimulate postsynaptic receptors.
Replies to "I know Carbidopa/Levodopa is pretty standard for Parkinson's. My husband is being evaluated for that but..."
My husband takes Carbidopa since 2 years, but noticing increased spasms in mouth and face.Other parts of body are fine.Any recommendations ?
@sjde53 my wife has been on levodopa and caridopa since 2012 and hasn't experienced any long COVID-19 symptoms. She's tried Opicapone a COMT inhibitor and seligine, but is very sensitive to medications. Her biggest challenge has been between her autonomic dysfunction due to advanced parkinson's disease. Also she's suffered two lacunar strokes. One in the left basal ganglia and another in the left external capsule. She's also been diagnosed with a severe stenosis in the right vertebral artery of her brain which controls blood flow to the back of her brain. The reason I am including this is the levodopa and caridopa can significantly drop blood pressure and it can affect symptoms in your body that can that mimic long COVID19.
Some background from Google.
Orthostatic hypotension (OH) in Parkinson's disease can mimic some of the hallmark symptoms of Long COVID-19.
Both conditions cause dysfunction in the autonomic nervous system, leading to similar symptoms when standing, such as dizziness, lightheadedness, fatigue, brain fog, and fainting.
While medication (such as levodopa) and the underlying Parkinson's pathology itself frequently cause OH, Long COVID frequently triggers a related autonomic issue known as Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). Because the symptoms overlap significantly, diagnosing the exact cause of dizziness or fatigue requires clinical testing (such as a standing blood pressure/heart rate test).
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Dopamine agonist was the first drug I took before levodopa, and I took it along with levodopa for a number of years but currently don't take it. The reason I don't is becasue it doesn't interact well welll with COMT inhibitors, which enhance the impact of levodopa and is what I also take now. Additionally, I take a MAO-B inhibitor, which I find very effective for relieving stiffness. My neurologist has been very good in prescribing an effective combuination of drugs to treat my PD. Not always perfect but generally effective.