Take levodopa one hour before, or two hours after meals containing protein. Levodopa and proteins are absorbed in the first part of your small intestine and if consumed together may compete to get into the bloodstream like passengers trying to get through a turnstile before a train leaves. If you eat a cheeseburger for example, and take levodopa at the same time, you may not absorb your medication. And, the problem does not stop there. Proteins are broken down into amino acids that will compete with levodopa to get through the blood brain barrier, a two-hit problem. If you have to eat something when you take levodopa, have crackers or a piece of fruit.
Many people with PD will have hyposmia (loss of sense of smell), constipation, and/R.E.M. sleep behavior disorder (RBD) for years before motor symptoms of tremor, stiffness, and slowness develop.
A third of all PD patients don’t have tremor. The most important diagnostic sign of PD is actually bradykinesia, or slowness of movement.
Work on balance daily, even if it is not yet a problem. Balance will almost certainly be a problem later on, and the more you do now, the better off you are likely to be.
Melanoma is a little more common among PD patients than the general population and regular skin exams with a doctor should take place, along with heightened concern for any new unusual lesions.
