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Dear Olga, You will be very welcome here, and you are to be congratulated for seeking advice from others, it's the best way to deal with Parkinson's. > My name is Oga Maria, I'm writing you from Hungary, Europe. I mainly have symptoms (tremor and rigidity) on my right side and a little on my face, too. I have problems with writing, going upstairs and downstairs, doing my work at home, and there are days when I even am unable for example to cut a slice of bread, I cannot speak for longer time and my voice has changed, ma! > ny times I am not able to eat or drink normally, etc. Olga, in the USA doctors often refer people with PD to a speech-language pathologist when they describe such symptoms as you have. The SLP may be able to help with changes in speaking and swallowing. > I often have extraordinary strong pain in my neck, shoulders, spinale column and limbs, hardly I can sleep over a night, I dream nightmares. I do also have almost all of the secondary symptoms. > I am on Amantadine 4 times/day, Mirapexin and Rivotril also 4 times/day (only under normal conditions, this means that if there is a party at us, or I go to theatre or to the Opera, or I must do the shopping, so if something special happens, I have to take more meds) Zoloft 1/day, Concor 5 (because of the frequent extrasystoles in my heart), a special med 3/day for urine problems, and four kinds of the California Fitness products (Green Care, Acidophilus, multivitamins: New Life, and Citrimax & Chromium). > I wonder if it would be possible for your doctor to change your medications to better control your symptoms? Although you were diagnosed only two years ago, your symptoms appeard ten years ago, perhaps different medications would help, such as Madopar or Sinemet. Or a different agonist, such as Requip. > Any information and practical advice on life style, what to eat, eating and meds and vitamins or others - mainly their relation and effect on my PD and on my body functions, would be highly appreciated. > With regard to nutrition, I can recommend supplements of vitamin E, 100-400 IUs daily, preferably the natural form, d-alpha-tocopherol, and vitamin C 30-100 mg daily. This is because PD is very stressful, and stress creates free radicals. Antioxidants such as Vitamins E and C can fight free radical damage. If you have constipation, be sure that you are getting plenty of fiber and fluids daily. High fiber foods are whole-grain breads and crackers and cereals; vegetables and fruits; dried beans; figs and pears. These foods not only help alleviate constipation, they also protect the colon against damage and cancer. > I am going to travel to Austria on Saturday and return on next Saturday. I will answer your message after coming home. We will look forward to your return. Are you a member of a Parkinson Support Group, such as: Austrian Parkinson Patients Association MarzstraBe 49 A-1150 Wien ph. (43) 1/9837383 - Fax (43) 1/9837383 If not, that could be a ready source of more information. Best regards, Kathrynne -- Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD "Ask the Parkinson Dietitian" http://www.parkinson.org/ Author: "Eat well, stay well with Parkinson's disease" "Guidelines for Medical Nutrition Therapy for Parkinson's disease" http://www.nutritionucanlivewith.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn