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What Cold Medicine Can I Take With Parkinson’s

What Side Effects Are Possible With This Medication

My Parkinson’s Story: Medications

Many medications can cause side effects. A side effect is an unwanted response to a medication when it is taken in normal doses. Side effects can be mild or severe, temporary or permanent.

The side effects listed below are not experienced by everyone who takes this medication. If you are concerned about side effects, discuss the risks and benefits of this medication with your doctor.

The following side effects have been reported by at least 1% of people taking this medication. Many of these side effects can be managed, and some may go away on their own over time.

Contact your doctor if you experience these side effects and they are severe or bothersome. Your pharmacist may be able to advise you on managing side effects.

  • purplish-red blotchy spots on skin
  • trouble sleeping

Although most of the side effects listed below don’t happen very often, they could lead to serious problems if you do not seek medical attention.

Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:

  • poor muscle coordination
  • signs of heart problems

Stop taking the medication and seek immediate medical attention if any of the following occur:

  • symptoms of a severe allergic reaction
  • thoughts of suicide or attempts at suicide

Some people may experience side effects other than those listed. Check with your doctor if you notice any symptom that worries you while you are taking this medication.

What Other Drugs Will Affect Rasagiline

Using rasagiline with other drugs that make you drowsy can worsen this effect. Ask your doctor before using opioid medication, a sleeping pill, a muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety or seizures. Tell your doctor if you have taken an antidepressant during the 2-week period before you start taking rasagiline.

Many drugs can affect rasagiline, and some drugs should not be used at the same time. Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any medicine you start or stop using. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed here.

Five Frequently Asked Questions About Hospitalization For Patients With Parkinson’s Disease

Most people with Parkinson’s disease will need to be hospitalized at some time. Hospitalization can be stressful for various reasons. The neurologist who takes care of you and manages your Parkinson’s disease medications may not have privileges at the hospital where you are admitted. The hospital physicians and nursing staff may not know a lot about PD. If you undergo surgery or other invasive medical procedures, you may not be able to take any medications until the surgery or procedure is complete.

It is important for the patient and the caregiver to plan and anticipate what is likely to happen. This article will answer five of the most frequently asked questions about hospitalization for people with Parkinson’s disease.

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What Are The Most Common Medicines Used To Treat Pd

Parkinson

Sinemet®

Levodopa is the most commonly prescribed and most effective medicine for controlling the symptoms of PD, particularly bradykinesia and rigidity.

Levodopa is a chemical found naturally in our brains. When given as a medicine, it is transported to the nerve cells in the brain that produce dopamine. It is then converted into dopamine for the nerve cells to use as a neurotransmitter.

Sinemet is made up of levodopa and another drug called carbidopa. Levodopa enters the brain and is converted to dopamine while carbidopa prevents or lessens many of the side effects of levodopa, such as nausea, vomiting, and occasional heart rhythm disturbances. It is generally recommended that patients take Sinemet on an empty stomach, at least ½ hour before or one hour after meals.

There are two forms of Sinemet: controlled-release or immediate-release Sinemet. Controlled-release Sinemet and immediate-release Sinemet are equally effective in treating the symptoms of PD, but some people prefer the controlled release version. Ask your doctor which approach is best for you.

Dopamine agonists

Dopamine agonists are medicines that activate the dopamine receptor. They mimic or copy the function of dopamine in the brain.

Parlodel®, Requip®, and Mirapex® are all dopamine agonists. These medicines might be taken alone or in combination with Sinemet. Generally, dopamine agonists are prescribed first and levodopa is added if the patients symptoms cannot be controlled sufficiently.

Symmetrel®

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The Importance Of Medication Timing

Why is it important that people with Parkinsons get their medication on time, every time? If people with Parkinsons are unable to take their Parkinsons medication at the right time, the balance of chemicals in their body can be severely disrupted. This leads to their Parkinsons becoming uncontrolled increasing their care needs considerably. This will mean that staff will need to do more for the person with Parkinsons than would otherwise have been necessary. It can take someone with Parkinsons a long time to get back to normal after this. Understandably, people with Parkinsons may be very anxious about getting their drugs on time. These times will differ from person to person and may not fit in easily with drug rounds.

Parkinsons UK run a campaign called Get It On Time to highlight the importance of people with Parkinsons getting their medication on time, every time. Further information is available on the Parkinsons UK Get It On Time webpage.

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Mood And Mental Problems

  • Deal with depression. If you are feeling sad or depressed, ask a friend or family member for help. If these feelings don’t go away, or if they get worse, talk to your doctor. He or she may be able to suggest someone for you to talk to. Or your doctor may give you medicine that will help.
  • Deal with dementia. Dementia is common late in Parkinson’s disease. Symptoms may include confusion and memory loss. If you notice that you are confused a lot or have trouble thinking clearly, talk to your doctor. There are medicines that can help dementia in people with Parkinson’s disease.

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Why Is It Important To Take Medications Regularly

Medications should be taken regularly to make sure that you have an effective amount of drug in your body at all times. When medications are not taken regularly, the level of drug in the blood can become too low to effectively stop the virus from multiplying. This gives the virus a chance to mutate and become resistant to the effects of the drug.

Taking medications regularly means:

Taking your medications at the proper intervals during the day. Try to divide up your dosing times as evenly as possible throughout the day: for example, every 12 hours for a drug that needs to be taken twice a day, or every 8 hours for a drug that needs to be taken three times a day. Make up a schedule that fits into your daily routine, and try to take your medications within 1 hour of each scheduled time.

Taking all of your doses each day. It is virtually impossible for anyone to remember to take each and every medication dose properly. Missing an occasional dose is probably less of a concern than frequently missing doses or taking incorrect doses. If you forget a dose, take it as soon as you remember. However, if it is close to the time of your next dose, skip the dose and resume your schedule. Do not double your next dose because this could cause side effects.

Also Check: Parkinsons Disease Specialist In Florida

Editorial Sources And Fact

Medications for Parkinson’s Disease – 2017 UF Parkinson’s Disease Symposium
  • Parkinsons Disease: Diagnosis & Treatment. Mayo Clinic. December 8, 2020.
  • Pringsheim T, Day GS, Smith DB, et al. Dopaminergic Therapy for Motor Symptoms in Early Parkinson Disease Practice Guideline Summary: A Report of the AAN Guideline Subcommittee. Neurology. November 15, 2021.
  • Levodopa and Carbidopa. MedlinePlus. June 15, 2018.

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A Common Cough Syrup Drug Just Passed Another Trial As Parkinsons Treatment

A drug first discovered over 50 years ago and long used as a medicine for coughs and respiratory illnesses appears to show promise in treating a very different kind of sickness: Parkinsons disease.

Ambroxol, an active ingredient in cough mixtures since the 1970s, has been investigated in recent years for its apparent potential to halt the progression of Parkinsons, and already this year, the drug has passed two important milestones that may bring us closer to a much-hoped-for treatment.

Last month, a multi-institutional team of researchers led by University College London reported the results of a small Phase II clinical trial suggesting that ambroxol was safe and well-tolerated in human patients with Parkinsons disease, while hinting at possible neuroprotective effects that need to be examined further in subsequent trials.

Based on these outcomes, last week funding was announced to continue the next steps in evaluating ambroxol in a much larger cohort of people with Parkinsons, while also seeking to learn more about how individual patient genotypes may contribute to the disease.

The ambroxol study is important because there are no treatments available for Parkinsons that slow, stop, or reverse says Simon Stott, deputy director of research at The Cure Parkinsons Trust, one of the bodies funding the research program.

All of the current medications only deal with the symptoms of the condition they do nothing to delay the progression of Parkinsons.

How Is Parkinson’s Disease Diagnosed

Your doctor will ask questions about your symptoms and your past health and will do a neurological examination. This examination includes questions and tests that show how well your nerves are working. For example, your doctor will watch how you move, check your muscle strength and reflexes, and check your vision.

Your doctor will also ask questions about your mood.

In some cases, your doctor may have you try a medicine. How this medicine works may help your doctor know if you have Parkinson’s disease.

There are no lab or blood tests that can help your doctor know whether you have Parkinson’s. But you may have tests to help your doctor rule out other diseases that could be causing your symptoms. For example, you might have an MRI to look for signs of a stroke or brain tumour.

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Side Effects Talk To Your Doctor Or Pharmacist

Like any medicines, Parkinson’s medicines can give you side effects. If you get side effects from your Parkinson’s medicines, tell your doctor or pharmacist. Common side effects include nausea , light-headedness, leg swelling and sleep problems. Also let them know if you think your medicines are causing confusion, hallucinations or involuntary movements. Some people have an unusual desire to gamble or engage in other obsessive behaviours. Tell your doctor if you experience any side effects, they may adjust the amount of medicine you take or you may be given another type. It is important that you don’t stop taking your Parkinsons medicines until you are advised to do so.

Taking Medicine With Food

Zandu Zandopa For Parkinson

Early in the disease, it might be helpful to take pills with food to help with nausea, which may be caused by some of the medicines for Parkinson’s disease.

Later in the disease, taking the medicines at least 1 hour before meals may help them work best.

Some medicines for Parkinson’s disease don’t work as well if you take them at the same time you eat food with protein in it, such as meat or cheese. The protein can block the medicine and keep it from working as well as it should.

Also Check: Parkinson’s Disease And Cough Medicine

Are There Any Other Precautions Or Warnings For This Medication

Before you begin using a medication, be sure to inform your doctor of any medical conditions or allergies you may have, any medications you are taking, whether you are pregnant or breast-feeding, and any other significant facts about your health. These factors may affect how you should use this medication.

Behaviour changes and suicidal thoughts: There have been reports of behaviour changes and thoughts of suicide or wanting to harm others in people who have taken amantadine. If you experience these symptoms or any other behaviour changes while taking this medication, contact your doctor immediately. Family members or caregivers of people who are taking this medication should contact your doctor immediately if they notice unusual behaviour changes.

Congestive heart failure: Amantadine can cause side effects that contribute to heart failure. If you have a history of congestive heart failure or fluid retention, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed.

Dental problems: Amantadine may cause a decrease in saliva flow and increase the risk of cavities, periodontal disease, oral candidiasis , and discomfort. Your doctor, dentist, or pharmacist may be able to suggest ways to reduce these effects.

Definition Of Demographics And Confounders

We defined age, sex, residential region, and household income in reference to the index date. We also defined the presence of comorbidities according to previous diagnoses up to two years before the index date. The defined comorbidities included diabetes mellitus, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, congestive heart failure, cancer, tuberculosis, peripheral arterial disease, atrial fibrillation, chronic kidney disease, dyslipidemia, cerebrovascular disease, dementia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and seizure disorder,. Information on medications, including anticoagulants, antihypertensive agents, oral hypoglycemic agents, insulin, benzodiazepines, and antipsychotics was collected from the prescription records within two years from the index date. The list of co-medications is provided in Supplementary Table . Modified Charlson comorbidity index scores were calculated from the previous diagnosis within a year before the index date. These diagnoses include diagnoses of myocardial infection, congestive heart failure, peripheral vascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, dementia, chronic pulmonary disease, rheumatologic disease, peptic ulcer disease, diabetes without chronic complications, diabetes with chronic complications, hemiplegia, renal disease, any malignancy including leukemia and lymphoma, mild liver disease, moderate or severe liver disease, metastatic solid tumor, and AIDS.

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In Case Of Accidents Or If You Need To Go To Hospital

  • Keep a record of all the medications you take both for Parkinsons and other conditions. Carry it with you in your purse or wallet in case of emergency. Make sure you take this record with you if you go into hospital. If your medication is complicated you could make a chart to track what you take each day.
  • Wear a medical alert bracelet or necklace if you want a medical team to know immediately what medications you take in case of an emergency.
  • If you stay in hospital make sure staff are aware of the medications you take and the importance of having them on time every time.

Parkinson’s Europe’s Parkinson’s Passport enables you to complete an information booklet about your medications and treatment and then carry it when you are out and about or travelling abroad.

What Are The Symptoms

Pharmacology – DRUGS FOR PARKINSON’S DISEASE (MADE EASY)

The four main symptoms of Parkinson’s are:

  • Tremor, which means shaking or trembling. Tremor may affect your hands, arms, or legs.
  • Problems with balance or walking.

Tremor may be the first symptom you notice. It’s one of the most common signs of the disease, although not everyone has it.

More importantly, not everyone with a tremor has Parkinson’s disease.

Tremor often starts in just one arm or leg or on only one side of the body. It may be worse when you are awake but not moving the affected arm or leg. It may get better when you move the limb or you are asleep.

In time, Parkinson’s affects muscles all through your body, so it can lead to problems like trouble swallowing or constipation.

In the later stages of the disease, a person with Parkinson’s may have a fixed or blank expression, trouble speaking, and other problems. Some people also lose mental skills .

People usually start to have symptoms between the ages of 50 and 60. But sometimes symptoms start earlier.

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Is Mucinex Compatible With Parkinson Disease

Question posted by pjbaum on 22 Jan 2017

topcat1957

Mucinex is the brand name for guaifenesin which is an expectorant, that is it “loosens” up the phlegm in your nose and upper respiratory system.It is considered safe for patients with Parkinson’s disease. It can be combined with most other cold medicines as well. You should avoid combining it with any other medications which also contain guaifenesin however.

+0pjbaum

On the box it says it is not compatible with Parkinson disease. Why would they say that?

topcat1957

As a pharmacist I cannot think of any parkinsons medications it will interact with. I found a Parkinson’s Resource Center website which agrees with me. But there may be another consideration.

It may be that with Parkinson’s disease, in some cases a patient’s cough reflex may be affected. In that case having loose phlegm might be a problem. If a patient cannot cough it up effectively there could be a risk of aspirating it back into the lungs.

This is why it is best to consult your physician always as he is aware of your particular condition, the severity of your disease. So follow his recommendations always.

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