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Real members of MyParkinsonsTeam have posted questions and answers that support our community guidelines, and should not be taken as medical advice. Looking for the latest medically reviewed content by doctors and experts? Visit our resource section.

Drug Induced PD?

A MyParkinsonsTeam Member asked a question 💭
Mesa, AZ

I have been on various psych meds for a long time, how do I know if my PD was drug-induced?

🦉?

August 3, 2023
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A MyParkinsonsTeam Member

Drug-induced parkinsonism (DIP) usually affects both sides of the body equally, whereas idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) is almost always asymmetric, affecting one side of the body more than the other. In my case, I have PD with a resting tremors on my left side. It remained left side only for about seven years after my diagnosis. In the last year or so, I have noticed a random tremor in my right side, but the left is still the predominant side. My symptoms initially responded well to carbidopa levodopa.
Many forms of Parkinson's and parkinsonism's can be extremely difficult to diagnose, simply because they share so many symptoms making them virtually indistinguishable in the early stages.
The diagnosis of drug-induced parkinsonism syndrome is extremely important to recognize, especially in the initial diagnosis, as the syndrome is often reversible when the offending medication is removed.
The initial examination performed by both your primary care physician and your Neurologist should start off with a thorough investigation into all your medical and medication history to determine if your symptoms could be a reaction to any of your medications or the result of past medical issue. They have an extensive database listing all medications with all their known interactions at hand. So they should approach the initial diagnosis by adjusting medications to rule out any drug induced issues.
If you go to a doctor who doesn't start with checking medication interactions, reviewing your medical history, ruling out other diseases, etc. and simply runs you through the antiquated walk to the end of the hall, gets behind you and pulls backwards to see your reaction, had you tap your fingers, draw this squiggly line, etc testing. Your at the wrong doctor!

August 4, 2023
A MyParkinsonsTeam Member

The neurologist should be able to go over your drug history and determine that, plus he might do a Datscan.

August 3, 2023
A MyParkinsonsTeam Member

Drug-induced parkinsonism is a type of parkinsonism caused by certain medications. It is characterized by symptoms such as slowed movements, tremors, loss of balance, and stiffness. This condition is part of a broader syndrome known as parkinsonism, which includes various types of movement disorders.

 This AI-generated response comes from MyParkinsonsTeam and other selected sources. It is not a substitute for medical advice. Always ask your doctor about specific health concerns.

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July 28
A MyParkinsonsTeam Member

I agree but had to do that on my own. Have two siblings that are MDs that helped me eliminate medications that could be problematic.

February 1
A MyParkinsonsTeam Member

I would ask my doctor first. I hope there is a way to figure that out for you.

August 3, 2023

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