Quote:
Originally Posted by harley
ok.. the pain from the muscle cramping finally got hard enough that i am headed to a pain clinic. it has been suggested by a fellow parkie that i may have dystonia. i know nothing about this condition and i am looking for some insight.
questions:
is it a condition seperate or a part of pd? It can be both. Sometimes it precedes the diagnosis (especially in the Young Onset community), other times it's part of the progression.
if seperate, is it created by having pd?As said above, for some people it's part of the progression. For others, they never get to experience it.
is it progressive?Depends on the type of dystonia that is ultimately diagnosed. Many different variations.
how is it treated? i have heard by steroids, botox?Typically with increased medications, like Sinemet. Also with Botox or Apokyn.
do these treatments harbor bad side effects?All drugs have side effects. Depends on the individual and treatment course.
could the symptoms thought to be pd actually been dystonia?My understanding is, if you've had dystonia from the beginning, then a misdiagnosis could occur. But if you've been diagnosed with PD for some time, then dystonia arises, probably either part of the progression, or a medication side effect in some people.
how do they dxd dystonia?Clinical observation, similar to how they diagnose PD.
any words of wisdom would be helpful, or tips of what i can do to control or lessen the pain. thanks in advance.
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Harley, hope my answers above helped. I had dystonia in my neck and upper shoulder (right side) well before I was diagnosed with PD. Some Young Onset get diagnosed with frozen shoulder, before it's finally figured out that they have PD instead. Other people with PD get severe dystonia in their feet, which appears to be the most common form, especially in the Young Onset community. There are some that get dystonia as a result of taking dopamine, but those numbers seem small.
How do you help it? Lots of stretching when you're not dealing with dystonia. Diet changes to insure your body is getting the proper nutrients it needs. (A simple blood workup can help with this.) Adjust medications, muscle relaxers work for some, or if really severe, Apokyn or botox. Sadly, everyone is different in what works and what doesn't. Good luck!
Quote:
Originally Posted by lindylanka
Harley,
there is a specific condition called dopa-responsive dystonia, which can look a bit like PD, is treated with l-dopa but is not progressive. It can, I believe, occur from quite an early age.
In pd the whole thing of dystonia/dyskinesia is confusing....
Lindy
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Actually, dystonia and dyskinesia are fairly simple. From the NPF site:
Dystonia - involuntary spasms of muscle contraction, which cause abnormal movements and postures.
Dyskinesia - abnormal, involuntary body movements that can appear as jerking, fidgeting, twisting, and turning movements; frequently induced by medications taken by Parkinson patients. Dystonia, athetosis, and chorea are forms of dyskinesias.
My take:
Dystonia is essentially a severe muscle cramp as either a precursor to PD (especially in the Young Onset community), or part of the progression, and sometimes a result of medication, but that percentage is small.
Dyskinesia is essentially involuntary movements, like you see in MJF, which is caused typically by the medications, not the disease itself.
Hope this helped!