Next blog coming but check this book out in the meantime

Here is a link to a great cartoonist with Parkinson's Disease, Peter Dunlap-Shohl.  He has written a book in cartoon form about what it's like to experience and cope with having Parkinson's.  

A sample and link here

and another here

and you can order it here

My next post is taking a while.  It's on all the symptoms including links associated with or caused by Parkinson's.  I'll have to split it into two posts because as it stands today there are over 70!.

Apathy - the curse of Parkinson's

I started writing this blog as a kind of therapy for me to deal with the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease.  What I have found it most useful for, however, is a driver to get me moving and doing something... anything... other than sitting like a veg in front of the TV.
I used to be driven.  I used to have passion.  I would work on a project from sun-up till sundown and even later sometimes. It was almost like an obsession.  I couldn't wait to get started then drove myself to get as much of it done at one time as I could.
Then Parkinson's started to work its magic.  I've lost that edge, that drive and the will to accomplish, well.... anything.

I find myself frequently unmotivated. Just willing to do the bare minimum to get through the day. Projects I used to love to do, like working on my 100-year-old house, do nothing to excite me like they used to. I have to will myself off the couch just to get started and easily could be convinced to sit idle and watch reruns on TV instead.  Surprisingly, when I do manage to get going and accomplish something, I always feel better. You would think that would motivate me the next time, but sadly no.
At first I thought, along with the myriad of other symptoms of Parkinson's, I was falling into depression. Some studies suggest that 60% of people with Parkinson's experience mild to moderate depressive symptoms. I didn't feel depressed so my neurologist clarified this with a simple example.  She described meeting with a couple where the wife was concerned that the husband was depressed.  The wife stated the husband was unmotivated, didn't enjoy things anymore and basically wanted to sit on the couch all day.  The neurologist turned to the husband and asked him how he felt.  "I feel good" was the response.  Her opinion: This would most likely be apathy, not depression.  While not a clinical diagnosis, it certainly does help clarify the picture.

The best description of apathy and treatment options I've found is here.

Unfortunately, while there are many options available to treat depression, they are still trying to find the right combination that will treat apathy. And, as with most medications, you have to be careful of the potential side effects which rule out most of them for me.
While doing some research, I did stumble across yet another depressive symptom related to Parkinson's which I found interesting.  Well, interesting to me because it explains what I'm feeling (or not) better than anything else I have ever found. 

Anhedonia -  the inability to experience pleasure from activities usually found enjoyable

I have found over the years that I've been more and more of a 'what's next' kind of guy.   When something good happens to me, like winning an award or finishing a big project all I can think of "okay, that's over, what's next?"  It isn't that I'm unhappy that I accomplished something, there's just no sense of joy.  The strange part is this seems to be a bigger problem for those around me than it is to me. I guess it should bother me more, but it doesn't.  Hmm, indifference.  Strike another one up for apathy.
I've said it several times now, this is a weird disease.  At least it keeps me busy looking up new problems.

Some additional links on Apathy

Apathy vs depression here
Some non-medication tips for dealing with apathy here
Apathy and cognitive function here
Interesting study on apathy and other neuropsychiatric symptoms here
A little on anhedonia here

Is there anything good about Parkinson's? - Chocolate!

Have you ever had a craving?  I don't mean, "gee I could go for a bowl of ice cream" craving.  I mean the 10 pm it's snowing outside and I'm headed to the store because I need a piece of chocolate kind of craving.
It's a strange feeling that overtakes you and it all goes away with a little chocolate.  I don't want the whole bar, just enough to satisfy the craving. I'm not sure if any of my Parkie friends have experienced this feeling with this or any other food, but I find it strange that the craving stops with with just a square or two and I'm not driven to eat the whole bar.

How did the Mayans or whoever actually invented chocolate think ' if I just do these 12 steps these inedible bitter beans become something delicious!"  This is what I think about staring at the ceiling at 2 am, but I digress.

Chocolate contains many compounds, (nearly 380!!) that stimulate dopamine and other 'feel good' chemicals or prevent their reabsorption. Here is a short list of some of them and their effects:

• Tryptophan and serotonin: They create feelings of relaxation and well-being.
• Caffeine: creates temporary alertness.
• Xanthines: like caffeine, increases wakefulness.
• Theobromine: A stimulant and vasodilator increases blood flow.
• Phenylethylamine: stimulates the brain to release dopamine,
• Anandamide: This neurotransmitter activates pleasure receptors in the brain.
• Flavonols: Found also in foods like red wine, blueberries and green tea, these compounds boost blood flow to key areas of the brain for two to three hours after being metabolized, creating effects similar to those of a mild analgesic (painkiller) like aspirin.  reference here

 Okay, I get the attraction, but other foods produce dopamine and you don't see me driving to the store in the cold night air to pick up fava beans!  Plus, the amount of these chemicals in chocolate is incredibly low.  One study suggested it would take 25 lbs of chocolate to get that 'high' feeling.  So how could a couple of small pieces satisfy a craving?  Reading what is out there all I can suggest is the brain senses an imbalance, triggers the craving and once the craving is satisfied turns the craving back off.  I've said it before, this disease is weird.  At least, though, it was kind enough to make me crave chocolate and not something gross like... raisins...ick, I get a shiver just thinking about it.

Oh, my chocolate of choice - Hershey's Symphony bar - best chocolate you can get for under $2.  I am open to suggestions, though.

Interestingly enough, there's about the same number of studies telling you how chocolate leads to Parkinson's as there are stating how chocolate helps Parkinson's patients.  I broke some down below and will let you decide.


Bad Chocolate
Over-consumption leads to Parkinson's here
Compound inside Chocolate causes Parkinson's here
Chocolate doesn't help Parkinson's sufferers here

Good Chocolate
Study to find if chocolate reduces symptoms here and here
Benefits of Cacao here  and here

Avoid chocolate? here


Up next:  Apathy......maybe