When considering any type of alternative treatment for Parkinson’s disease, one very important point needs to be kept in mind – there is as yet no cure for Parkinson’s disease. The various treatment options available can only help to treat the symptoms of the disease and provide some degree of relief.

Treatment by means other than conventional Western medicine (allopathic medicine) falls under the banner of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). These are considered as natural therapies. Many natural forms of treatment are based on ancient systems of healing as were practiced in India, China, Africa, Tibet, and the Americas.

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Parkinson’s disease medicines can be  expensive and the financial impact can be devastating in the long term, especially if health insurance is an issue. It is not uncommon for any chronic disease sufferer to seek alternate sources, especially if the more expensive branded medicine may be available at a cheaper rate.

However, the possibility should be kept in mind that the drug obtained from such sources is cheaper because it is a counterfeit or fake. This could mean that it may not have all the necessary ingredients, the proportions may be wrong, or it may contain harmful substances. In spite of taking the drugs as prescribed by the doctor, the patient may have slow or no improvement at all or may even deteriorate drastically.

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Parkinson’s disease patients, like any other patient, may take an overdose of their prescribed medicines either accidentally or intentionally. A drug dose that is high enough to cause harmful effects on the body is considered as an overdose.

Taking more than his prescribed dose of any medicine can affect each individual differently and the effect will also depend upon the type of medicine ingested as well as the quantity. Varying effects may be seen when the medicine is combined with other drugs, alcohol, or if it is taken along with food or on an empty stomach.
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Parkinson’s disease is a long term disease where the patient needs to take medicines on a regular basis for relief of the symptoms> It is important for both the Parkinson’s patient and care givers to realize that these medicines might have various types of interactions with other drugs. Some of these drug interactions can be quite severe, therefore additional medicines should be taken only after consulting a doctor.

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Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disease of the brain where there is progressive depletion of dopamine producing neurons in the substantia nigra, located in the brain. Stem cell therapy may possibly offer a solution as it aims at treating this disease by growing new cells to replace the older degenerated ones.

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Hypersalivation or excessive secretion of saliva is a symptom which can be very distressing for a person, and more so in a patient suffering from Parkinson’s disease, who already has to cope with so many other problems caused by the disease. Hypersalivation, leading to drooling, can be a manifestation of the condition or it can be due to drug therapy in Parkinson’s disease. There are various other causes for excessive salivation which may be superimposed in a person already suffering from Parkinson’s disease.

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Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disease of the brain where there is decreased production of the chemical transmitter known as dopamine. The classical symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia (slowing of movement) and loss of postural reflexes. Drugs are the mainstay of treatment in Parkinson’s disease and while there is no definite cure, drug therapy is used to help control the symptoms.

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Classifying different stages of Parkinson’s disease is essential for monitoring the progression of the condition as well as identifying any headway made with certain treatment options. There are generally five stages of Parkinson’s disease and due to the slow progression of Parkinson’s, it may be difficult at times to clearly categorize individual cases into specific stages. The intensity of symptoms of Parkinson’s disease may vary, sometimes even on a daily basis, and certain cases may even skip some of the early stages of Parkinson’s disease.

Stage 1 of Parkinson’s Disease (Mild)

• Symptoms are mild and may only affect one side.
• Daily functioning is not impaired although tremors create difficulty.
• Slightly evident changes in balance, posture, movement and facial expression.

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