Exercise: It may feel counterintuitive to exercise when you're feeling sluggish, but many Parkinson's patients find that starting the day with exercise, such as a brisk walk or a yoga class, boosts energy all day.
Fatigue can be part of Parkinson's, but it also can come from the medications used to treat it. In some people, fatigue is a result of another Parkinson's symptom, such as depression or apathy. There are steps you can take to ease fatigue: Exercise regularly: Working out may be the last thing you feel like doing.
Scientists have also examined Vitamin E, Vitamin C and health foods to evaluate oxidative properties. Vitamin E can fight damage in the brain caused by free radicals and has been suggested to lower the risk of PD.
Exercise: It may feel counterintuitive to exercise when you're feeling sluggish, but many Parkinson's patients find that starting the day with exercise, such as a brisk walk or a yoga class, boosts energy all day.
The only pharmacy product proven safe and effective in helping fight fatigue and drowsiness is caffeine, found in such OTC products as Vivarin and NoDoz. Each caplet or tablet contains 200 mg of caffeine. Take one dose not more often than every 3 to 4 hours.
Fatigue is common in PD
It may appear before the onset of motor symptoms, and typically does not go away. It is not correlated with the severity of other symptoms—a person with only mild motor symptoms may have significant fatigue, and a person with significant motor symptoms may experience little fatigue.
We found that rasagiline (one study, 1176 people, high quality evidence), an anti-Parkinson drug, reduced or slowed down the progression of physical fatigue.
Clinically, we do have some patients whose fatigue can be relieved with levodopa treatment, in our personal experience.
While there is no prescription for a PD-specific diet, one that includes a variety of whole grains, vegetables, fruits and protein-rich foods can improve health. Also consider including nuts, olive oil, fish and eggs to your diet, for their beneficial fats.
A good night's sleep is critical to our health and well-being. However, for people with Parkinson's disease (PD), sleep becomes even more important as the body needs more time to restore and repair itself.
If you are feeling fatigued, eating foods rich in vitamin B12 or taking a supplement might just improve your energy levels.
Parkinson's disease (PD), like most common disorders, involves interactions between genetic make-up and environmental exposures that are unique to each individual. Caffeinated-coffee consumption may protect some people from developing PD, although not all benefit equally.
Healthy Eating and Regular Exercise: A Powerful Combo
Studies show targeted nutrition may slow Parkinson's advancement. Eating a whole-food, plant-based, Mediterranean-style diet — including fresh vegetables, fruit and berries, nuts, seeds, fish, olive and coconut oils and more — may be linked to slower PD progression.
Biking, running, Tai Chi, yoga, Pilates, dance, weight training, non-contact boxing, qi gong and more are included — all have positive effects on PD symptoms.
Vitamin B6 and B12
Vitamin B6 interacts with both carbidopa and levodopa. Current understanding is that Vitamin B6 drives the conversion of levodopa to dopamine and carbidopa irreversibly binds Vitamin B6.
Symptoms of overdose may include: severe dizziness, irregular heartbeat, mental/mood changes (such as agitation).
Since protein may interfere with the body's response to carbidopa and levodopa, high protein diets should be avoided. Intake of normal amounts of protein should be spaced equally throughout the day, or taken as directed by your doctor.