What is The On-Off Syndrome In Parkinson’s?

What is The On-Off Syndrome In Parkinson’s?

The On-off syndrome in Parkinson’s disease is essentially the switch between a phase of mobility and immobility which usually occurs in levodopa treated patients. This occurs during the wearing off episode of the levodopa effects while worsens the motor functions. On and off essentially implies the unpredictable motor functions.

What is The On-Off Syndrome In Parkinson's?

How Does The On-Off Syndrome In Parkinson’s Disease Feel?

In the “on” state, the patient with Parkinson’s disease may be able to move around easily and feel energetic. On the contrary, in the “off” phase the patient may become very stiff and slow. He may not be able to move at all or may have difficulty in moving for several minutes. The “off” phase occurs when the effect of the medicine wears out.

How Does The Levodopa Drug Help In Managing The Symptoms Of Parkinson’s Disease?

In levodopa drug therapy the patient is given the drug which gets synthesized into dopamine in brain. Levodopa is considered to be the most important drug for the management of Parkinson’s disease. This drug is generally given in combination with carbidopa in order to prevent nausea, caused by levodopa. It also enhances the effect of levodopa.

How to Manage Parkinson’s Disease After It Is Diagnosed?

Along with the medication so prescribed by the doctor, it is extremely important to bring some form of lifestyle changes in order to manage Parkinson’s disease. They include-

Activity: As mentioned earlier Parkinson’s disease affects the patient’s motor abilities, it is thus important to keep the body fit by indulging into exercise regularly. The patient may do any form of exercise which he may like every day to keep the body moving. This does not let the body parts to be stiff and also slows down the progression of the disease.

Additional Help: The caregivers and well-wishers should make attempts to make the environment safe for the patient with Parkinson’s disease. Modifying the environment like installing grab bars in washroom and removing obstacles which may hamper movement of the patient is important.

Diet: Having nutritious food is important for patients with Parkinson’s disease. It is seen to be beneficial to have right amount of nutrients in order to manage the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. The patient should also discuss with the doctor the food to avoid so that they do not interfere with the working of the medicines, especially levodopa.

How Does The Parkinson’s Disease Progress?

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease which is essentially progressive. The symptoms tend to worsen with time and the average rate at which the disease progress is around ten years. It is to be taken into account that various factors affect the progression rate and the actual rate varies from patient to patient.

Can the Parkinson’s Disease Kill A Patient?

Parkinson’s disease is not really fatal in nature. However, the symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease is actually life threatening that may lead to fatal accidents. Injuries are quite common in Parkinson’s disease due to inability to move around effortlessly. This is actually dangerous. Thus, efforts must be taken in order to create a safe environment for patients with Parkinson’s disease.

Does Parkinson’s Disease Impair A Patient Cognitively?

Since Parkinson’s disease is neurological in nature it does have an effect on a patient’s cognition. Although the symptoms can be seen at a later stage of progression, the cognitive symptoms can be in form of delusions and hallucinations. The patient may also have issues with remembering events and can be diagnosed with dementia.

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Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:September 25, 2018

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