Anxiety and Parkinson’s

Hello @doorman

Yes! I'd be glad to comment. Many of us who have been diagnosed with PD have experienced many of the symptoms you named in your post. These symptoms are often referred to as non-motor symptoms of PD. Here is a link to several more non-motor symptoms that are listed on the Parkinson's Foundation website. Just click on this link for the entire list.

https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/information-and-support/non-motor-symptoms-parkinsons. Are any of these other symptoms familiar to you?

I would also like to invite, @bvoelschow, @shar1438, @telios, and @ggopher to join you in this discussion.
You may also find information from an upcoming webinar about Men with Parkinson's. Here is the link to register for this webinar,
http://dpf.convio.net/site/MessageViewer?em_id=5301.0&dlv_id=9821&pgwrap=n
If you care to share more, @doorman, how long ago were you diagnosed with PD? Are you now taking meds to treat the PD?

Thanks for responding! I have had a DatScan of my brain in January, which was suggestive of Parkinson’s. I’m not on any meds for PD because my motor symptoms are simply a thumb and hand tremor. I suppose it’s only a matter of time before I’m on something. It’s been a jarring experience to say the least. Take care.

My husband had all of these symptoms. He started out with REM sleep disorder at the age of 20. He died with Parkinson's at the age of 80. Rytary helped him a lot and medication for hallucinations.

I'm no expert yet, having just been diagnosed with PD this year, but I have the tremor dominant form and my symptoms are nothing like yours, except that I did lose my sense of smell years ago. It seems that PD is like cancer in that it may not be a single disorder but several different diseases that share certain characteristics? This would obviously complicate the ongoing search for treatments and a cure. So far I have been advised to only do a daily exercise program, stay on my former med for essential tremor, and delay the seeming only treatment for PD which is Levodopa to forestall its long term side effects. In my case too, I think Deep Brain Stimulation, although the idea of brain surgery is daunting, may relieve my symptoms and get me pretty much back to normal. I don't know, it's a strange disease. Good luck to you.

Parkinson’s and essential tremor are entirely different disorders, and are treated with entirely different medications. For exercise, I do Rock Steady boxing 3 days a week, and lift weights the other two. Vigorous exercise is essential to slow down the progress of this disease.

By the way, deep brain stimulation is a last gasp procedure. Only when PD is severe, and meds no longer work. I hope to never be in that situation.

I started out with loss of smell and anxiety, the jiggly legs all the time. The stuttering depends on the stress level. If you are not exercising ALOT I find it is my best defense and keeps me sane. If I am depressed I walk. I do some weights. I am looking for a gym. I have been reading recently exercise may be much more important than we have imagined. I think I had some signs years ago but I have been walking (5 K a day is my mantra) for years. You have nothing to lose by extra exercise. Also I swim laps. I don't know about the boxing, I live in the far east and we have gyms but no boxing.

Dear Doorman, I'm not sure the basis of your comment about DBS, or how current your information is, but DBS is not something new, it has been done for decades and I have encountered a number of patients who spoke most positively about their outcomes, one was my primary care doc himself.

A newer alternative surgical intervention is focused ultrasound which in less invasive but unlike DBS is not reversible should unwanted side effects occur. I think if you have tremor dominant PD, as I do, you should have another talk with your medical team about the current state of DBS as drug therapy is less effective and can have its own array of side effects. Good luck to you.

Good luck to you!

Yep, I'm in the same boat. I had hip replacement surgery, then hip replacement revision surgery a couples of months later. I blamed weakness, unsteadiness, tremors,. sleep pattern changes, etc on nerve damage. My doctor checked me for stroke by CT scan and MRI but results were negative. He changed to PD treatment and that seems to help some.
i think back and believe my first symptom was inability to throw a ball or darts wiith much accuracy. I can't even hit a dartboard from 10' now. It sucks big time for me with different symptoms, depression, anxiety, etc.
Not sure what's next. Hopefully Neurologist can help me. I've about had mu fill of it!!!!!