I have found that after several months of "general" acupuncture and
moxibustion treatment by my acupuncturist, that my energy level has
increased and Parkinson's fatigue has decreased significantly. It also
seems to have led to a decrease in gastrointestinal disorder that was
related to Parkinson's stress. I have reduced the amount of Zantac that my
general MD prescribed for stomach upset since beginning the acupuncture
therapy.
As my Parkinson's has progressed over about 6 years (I am 46) since
its symptoms began to cause me distinct problems, I have progressed from
using Eldepryl alone (began about 4 years ago) to my current medication
levels. For about the past 8 months, I have been taking daily: Eldepryl
(2x5mg); Amantadine (2x100mg and reduced from 3x100mg since beginning
Sinemet); Parlodel (3 or 4 x2.5mg and reduced from 6x2.5mg since beginning
Sinemet); and Sinemet (2x 50/200CR began about 8 months ago).
I measure my improvement in my ability to swim and walk. Along with
T'ai Chi, these are my primary physical exercises. My abilities there have
deteriorated as PD progressed and then improved with changes in medication,
only to deteriorate again. There was a significant improvement with the
addition of
Sinemet. (For example my swimming had deteriorated to almost nothing and
then went up to 800 yards in about 40 minutes with the addition of
Sinemet.) With acupuncture my swimming went up to 900-1000 yards in 40
minutes and I can swim 3/4 mile or more if I have the time. My ability to
walk distances without leg cramping and foot curling has also improved.
I know part of the improvement is due to the better physical condition
related to Sinemet and increased exercise. However there was such a sudden
increase from 800 yards to 3/4 mile swimming after beginning acupuncture
(and an almost euphoric feeling while exercising) that I am convinced that
acupuncture and moxibustion are related to the significant improvement.
Another more subjective measure is my energy level on Saturdays. For
the past several years, working at my job Monday-Fridays has exhausted me
by evening and the weekends. With Sinemet I became "alive" again in the
evenings and started to get things done again around home on weekends. But
still by 1:00 PM or so on Saturdays, I was "wiped out." But since
beginning acupuncture therapy, I am active well into Saturday evening.
For example yesterday (Saturday), it was a hot sunny day in the
Inland NW USA. I took my son to a local police training demo (A 6 year
old's dream of SWAT team and bomb squad demos). Later well into the
evening, we were at an American Motorcycle Association 1/2 mile dirt track
race. His mom got a quiet day of her own and we had a junk food diet of
hamburgers, french fries, potato chips, soda pop (and I had 1 beer), and
ice cream. When we got home last night I felt great. I didn't go to bed
until after midnight and since my stomach felt fine, I skipped the Zantac.
This morning I woke up with the usual PD stiffness shortly after 5 AM and
could hardly get out of bed. But after taking my usual dose of Eldepryl
and Sinemet with Orange juice at 5:30 AM, I felt fine. Before beginning
the acupuncture treatment, I would have probably been sick to my stomach
and "dead to the world" even with the Sinemet.
Instead this morning, I would have wheeled my 83 BMW 800ST motorcycle
out of the garage (where it has mostly sat for the past 6 years) for a
morning ride before Church, if the battery wasn't dead. (I had to special
order a new battery, because it doesn't take the standard mc battery.) I
will add that I had given up riding the mc before Sinemet, because of
coordination and bradykinesia problems.
My experience with acupuncture therapy may be limited among other PWP,
because my Parkinson's is primarily manifested by rigidity and bradykinesia
with only a small amount of tremor. However before medication, I had great
difficulty getting up out of a chair, moved extremely slow, and could
hardly walk around the block. Also my acupuncturist has commented that I
seem to retain the benefits of therapy better than many of her other
patients, probably because I practice T'ai Chi almost daily.
Finally, I'll add one more subjective experience. Two weeks ago at
work, a person with whom I had worked closely in the past, but hadn't seen
for several months, was in. She has worked worked with me since Sinemet,
but not since acupuncture. When seeing me again, she spontaneously remarked
about how much better I looked! I know that I feel extremely better and
have much more energy.
(although the improvement with rigidity and bradykinesia came with the
Sinemet before beginning acupuncture).
