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I have become an addict

As regular readers are aware, I have some issues with tremors and the other symptoms of Parkinson's.

Since I'm not a complete dullard, my response to the challenges this represents was to do some research and try to come up with strategies for not only managing those symptoms but to perhaps address the root cause of the underlying conditions.

I have lost count of the number of medical papers, studies, meta-studies and reports that I've now read on the subject. I've also investigated many of the anecdotal remedies such as keto diets and such.

The bottom line is that I think I've done pretty well in my goal of slowing the progression of symptoms and managing those that I have to live with.

Here's what I've found so far.

There are some things that I can't change.

The affects of this condition on sleep seem to be pretty much immutable.

During REM sleep, my brain does not disconnect from my muscles so when I dream that I'm running, kicking or jumping -- I really am doing that -- albeit whilst under the covers. I don't have to ask my wife about the bruises that she sometimes displays, it was me, thrashing about in the night.

From time to time it gets so bad that I wake up on the floor, having exited the bed in the middle of a dream whilst fighting, running or jumping.

Of course this all assumes that I can get to sleep and stay there.

Sleep patterns are highly unpredictable. I might have four or five nights where I get as little as four hours of sleep and then I might end up having a great night where I get 12 hours straight. It's weird.

So far I've found no way to address the sleep problems so I live with them.

Interestingly, my tremors have not progressed much at all and in fact my "good days" are better than they used to be, while my bad days are about as bad as they ever were.

The thing that seemd to improve my tremors and the other symptoms most of all was the decision to get serious about exercise.

Now I've always been pretty active... running rather than walking and walking rather than driving, however there has been no actual program or imperative to improve fitness in the past.

For the past three years however, I've been regularly lifting weights and getting in an hours very brisk walking each day. That has paid huge dividends in many areas.

Now I actually have muscles. Around my biceps I measure 15 inches (15.5 if I'm "pumped") and my calves are over 17 inches. According to the interwebs, "Having 15 inch biceps flexed is fairly impressive" so I'm chuffed.

When I started all this exercise I also started taking creatine monohydrate as a supplement. This was for two specific reasons.

Firstly, some studies had shown a cognitive improvement associated with this substance in laboratory tests and secondly it allows for more effective exercising by increasing the body's stores of a substance known as ATP. ATP is used by muscles and the brain as an energy store so I figured it might be doubly useful.

I don't know if it's the exercise or the supplement but my cognitive abilities showed a definite jump in the first few months of adopting the exercise and supplementation program.

Was that just the placebo effect?

Could be. However, I did spot this on the science-wires today. This points to a definite link between exercise and dopamine production and since Parkinson's sufferers have a dopamine shortage, maybe this explains why exercise has been so beneficial to my own condition.

I have also read a who lot of other studies that increasingly point to exercise being the best first-line treatment for Parkinson's.

The interesting thing is that when I was first diagnosed, I asked the medical professionals whether exercise would have any effect and they said "no". I did it anyway and now it seems that there has been a change of opinion within the medical profession to say "yes" -- and a raft of studies to support that position.

There I go again... simply doing the research, joining the dots and coming up with the answers that others discover later on :-)

Of course not every day is sunshine and roses. One of the downsides of having much bigger and stronger muscles is that the cramps (referred to as dystonia) which are a symptom of the affliction can be horrendously painful. If you've only got geek-sized muscles then cramp is an inconvenience; when you've got Popeye-sized muscles they can cripple you, not only for the duration of the cramp but for days afterwards due to the damage that it seems to cause.

Also, although my tremors have not increased in magnitude or frequency, I do have another kind of weird symptom. Most of my muscles are constantly moving. The fibres of the muscles do not contract in unison -- just in small areas. The result is that it looks as if there is some kind of alien creature moving around under my skin. This happens 24/7 and so I'm now totally used to it but it does freak out people who see it happening for the first time.

Another downside is that the dopamine produced by regular exercise seems to create a kind of dependency. If I go for more than a couple of days without a good walk and workout I start to feel really bad. My mood alters and I notice increased tremors.

Oh no, I've become a dopamine junkie!

Still, all things considered, I think I'm doing very well and am still functioning well ahead of where I expected to be, three years on from my original diagnosis.

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