Natural Meds
 

I am looking at some natural meds, so I am asking for any comments. One is called L-tyrosine, and I am considering taking it for the shaking. My Drs at the VA do not know very much about natural medicine. Please, any comments will help me. Stephen

Take a look at Mucuna Pruriens.

Although L-tyrosine can work it tends to be problematic since you need to take quite a lot and it can cause kidney stones. It is possible to take some other additional supplements to help avoid the stones but Mucuna is better.

splibsplab

This information about L-tyrosine might help you. Note that it cautions against taking L-tyrosine at the same time as levodopa.

Tyrosine: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Dosage, and Warning

mucuna threads
 

Search "mucuna" on this forum and you will find a lot of information about it. Aunt Bean grows her own fava beans to get it, but you can order it in bulk powder and I think even a liquid.

Mucuna was the only "supplement" we've used that had a discernible effect, for us. Everyone is different. Good luck:)

There seems to be a lot of conflicting information on the net. I have read so much on PD that I am overwhelmed by it all. I take 500mg 3 times a day, and it does help with the tremors. I just want to make sure I am not hurting myself with L-tyrosine. I have TOS, RSD and now PD. The VA treats me for all my health needs, but they do not know about natural meds. Any help would be appreciated, and thanks for reading my post. Stephen

fwiw, one of 2 active ingredients in generic sinemet is a naturally occurring amino acid l-dopa, it might be synthetically produced but it has been the gold standard for 50years. i''d at least give it a try if you haven't to see what kind of relief you get. if your're worried about long term affects for which there is no substantial evidence imho, i could be wrong, then do some research and estimate how soon there will be a "cure", if you think there might be some disease halting, reversing treatment in the next 5 years then i'd get the best treatment i could get and maximize my quality of life.

the mantra now a days is exercise is the best treatment for pd, it might slow down progression. so if you believe that then one needs to take whatever works best to maximize exercise and for me that means drugs, not supplements.

keep in mind that the cells tightly regulate the production of dopamine, that's why we can eat a 24oz steak without producing huge amounts of dopamine or develop pd symptoms when we fast and don't eat amino acids. so unless you are starving, the extra tyrosine, which is a precursor to dopamine, isn't going to get converted into a lot more dopamine even in a non-pd'er.

keep in mind that before SINEMET was made available years ago, researchers tried everything under the sun, both natural and synthetic, to treat pd. if any of those treatments were very effective we'd be using them now, pd'ers try everything to try to halt progression and treat pd. i've tried a lot of alt-treatments - chleation, iv glutathione, low dose naltrexone, many of the supplements mentioned on the internet, saunas, and nothing really helped. only exercise made me feel better. just my opinion, i'm not an expert.

Thank You for your reply. I am new to PD, and it makes Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy and Thorasic Outlet Syndrome seem easier to deal with. I have had bi-lateral rib resections with full scalenectomy on both sides of my neck. I bring this up because the L-tyrosine has reduced the never ending pain I live with. I get relief from shaking by taking 1 500 mg capsule 3 times a day. I forgot to take one, and my symptoms came back strong. I am very motivated to take it on time. I will do some research on the material you provided. My wife and I have a long history of walking. Thanks again. Stephen