Common Medicines for Parkinson's

05/07/2010

Parkinson’s Medications

Medical therapy is an important part of your care. Professionals trained to counsel you about medicines include neurologists, primary care providers, pharmacists, physician assistants and nurses. To date, medicines treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s and do not cure the disease.

Research is changing that. New information and research is investigating disease modifying treatments. Studies on neuroprotective agents (designed to protect nerve cells otherwise vulnerable to damage and death) and neurorestorative agents (designed to enhance or increase nerve cells) are underway. See articles on disease modification and neuroprotection in Use it or Lose It for more information.

Most PD medications are designed to increase or enhance the neurotransmitter dopamine that declines with nerve cell loss. Fortunately, there are many different classes of medicines that offer options for patients with mild to advanced symptoms. In addition, treatment discoveries are progressing at a rapid pace and new medicines are soon to be added to this growing list. Currently, medical treatment can be divided into categories that match the symptoms we are targeting to improve and include:

Medicines for Movement

1. Anticholinergic medication for tremor

2. Dopaminergic medication for movement

3. Future Medications- promising drugs in research phase

Medicines for NonMotor Symptoms

1. Sleep or hypnotic medication

2. Muscle relaxants and pain medicines for painful spasm

3. Mood or anti-depressant/anti-anxiety medication

4.Cognitive enhancing and antipsychotic medication

5. Bowel and bladder medication

6. Low blood pressure medication

7. Medicines for sexual dysfunction

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