There are many subtle ways that our bodies tell us that something is not right. The body is a perfect organism always in balance. Have you suddenly had a craving for something sweet, sour or salty? I have – and is not just pregnant women that have cravings. Funny thing when I was pregnant I had only cravings for fruits. Then when I began to have cramps and pain, oh boy was I craving sour and salty things. All my pickles were dry in the refrigerator and even margaritas sounded delicious because of the ice, salt and lemon. Once my cramps got treated I had no more need for dill pickles at the movie theater.
One must learn to listen to our bodies and take note of the subtleties because they can be screaming at the top of their lungs for us to take heed and correct what is gone amiss.
When one lives with Parkinson’s disease, not only are we not immune to other illness, as I mentioned before according to a study only about 22% of patients with Parkinson’s have that as their only illness, Plus, Parkinson’s is a systemic disease which affects almost every major organ system. Thus, we need to be Elle to recognize silent or subtle symptoms to avoid further heartache.
We know that the gi system is one of the most commonly involved in Parkinson’s disease. Common symptoms can vary from constipation, paralysis or parestesis of the gut including reflux caused by both medications and disease itself. One of the common signs of having reflux is frequent coughing, unexplained wheezing and sometimes chocking a few minutes after finishing a meal or eating snacks. Sometimes only symptom of gi symptoms and severe reflux is not heartburn or pain but foul mouth smell/taste (halitosis) or wearing out of enamel of back of mouth. Untreated reflux can not only lead to tooth decay, motor fluctuations of Parkinson’s as well as esophageal cancer. Remember of the causes is H. Pylori
As I said previously one of the most common causes of pain and cramping in people with Parkinson’s is due to electrolyte imbalance brought on by repeated laxative use to relieve chronic constipation. Signs that you have electrolyte imbalances is what I mentioned earlier cravings for sour and salty things – a good fix is a spoonful of mustard and going to see doctor about electrolyte imbalance, potassium, magnesium and calcium.
Some of us who have LRRk2 gene as a cause of our Parkinson’s, are also at risk of developing another autoimmune or inflammatory diseases. One of the common autoimmune diseases who are a frequent comorbidity with PD is inflammatory bowel disease (both ulcerative colitis and Chron’s disease). One of the subtle ways a recurrence of Chron’s disease is the presence of pseudo -hemorrhoids. Of course you may think we’ll I have chronic constipation so it’s not surprising. You should always should check with your doctor and visit a gi specialists. Chron’s can affect the anal area in the form of fleshy growths which may mimic hemorrhoids. This type of Chron’s is extremely painful and Has a worse prognosis especially if left untreated causing bowel obstruction, anal fissures, and even cancer of the colon. So make sure that one of your team players in the fight against PD includes a gi doctor whom I recommend seeing at least twice a year or more frequently if having other problems. And especially if already have a history of inflammatory bowel disease.
Another frequent not so subtle problem that indicates something might be wrong is change in bladder habit. In men with Parkinson’s especially those who take or have taken Stalevo for while are at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer. So if your stream changes or are making more frequent trips to the ‘john’ don’t assume is just age or PD; get in checked out. Another common cause of increase frequency and urgency is Diabetes which usually results in increase trips as well as increase amounts of urine (frothy) due to body’s attempt to rid of excess sugar. A big sign is increased thirst which sometimes can be confused by the fact that so many PD meds also cause dry mouth but we must look out for changes especially when no new meds are added into the mix. another sign could be increase frequency at night, although it could be that you need a booster dose at bedtime or even a sign that we are simply getting older- if you experience this as a new or worsening symptom consider talking to your doctor ASAP. The best way to check is to get a HgA1C which measures your blood sugar levels over a period of 3 months. this is extremely important because there is some evidence as I posted before that excess dopamine can lead to insulin resistant condition and hence diabetes. Finally, I can’t discard the increase risk of urinary infection triggered by both bladder malfunction and medication effect. Two good meds which help with symptoms of urgency and frequency are phenazopyridine and UTA. The former turns urine dark yellow and the latter turns it slightly bluish hue.
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