One of the first things your neurologist may discuss with you after a Parkinson’s diagnosis is medications, and how they can combat or reduce your symptoms.

While medications cannot cure Parkinson’s they are important tools in managing symptoms, alongside other supportive therapies.

What medications and dosages are right for you will be determined by your medical team. Regardless of what medications you are on, there are things to know to help keep them working as best as possible.

The Fight Parkinson’s healthcare team have the following advice for managing your medications.

Consistency is key

For medications to have their intended effects, they should always be taken consistently. That’s both across a period of time and at the same time of day.

Working your medication into your daily routine is the best way to ensure you take them on time, every time. Make your medication convenient for you. Speak with your prescribing doctor about what timing best suits your lifestyle.

There are many techniques that can be helpful in taking your medication consistently:

• Set alarms for the time of day you need to take your medication. There are applications for mobile phones and smart watches designed to assist with letting you know when to take medication
• Use sticky notes or other visual reminders throughout your house

• Ask your pharmacy to put your medication into blister packs divided by day and time. These are known as Webster-paks and help you know if you have missed a dose

• Consider medication timer devices, such as pill box timers and alarms

By making your medication part of your daily routine you are less likely to forget to take it. This could involve timing dosage around your morning wake-up time or in line with a show you watch each day.

Sometimes life gets busy, and you might miss a dose of your medication. You should always take your dose as close to its intended timing as possible. If you take a dose late, you should still wait the prescribed time period before your next dose.

For example, if you usually take your medication at 9am and 1pm, if you take your first dose at 10am, you should take the next one at 2pm.

Watch out for side effects and interactions 

All medications come with a risk of side effects. It is important to keep track of any side effects your medication is causing and discuss them with your medical team.

Nausea is a common symptom for many people living with Parkinson’s. Nausea is treatable so make sure you have a conversation with your doctor who will be able to prescribe the best anti-nausea medication. By telling your doctor when you think you’re experiencing side effects, they can assist in combatting them.

This may involve taking additional medications, however that should not deter you from seeking help. If side effects of your medications are impacting your quality of life, they’re not serving you well.

It is also important to keep track of what medications don’t interact well with the ones you are on. By returning to a single pharmacist for all your medications, they are more likely to flag any potential concerns than if you regularly change pharmacies.

Some common over-the-counter medications such as, anti-nausea medication, cold and flu medications, and some vitamins and herbal supplements may interact with common Parkinson’s treatments.

If you are unsure if your daily medications will have negative interactions with something you wish to take, seek advice from your pharmacist or GP, or ring the Fight Parkinson’s Information Line to speak to a Parkinson’s nurse.

Protein and levodopa medications 

Dietary protein can affect the uptake of levodopa. While this is a minor consideration when you are recently diagnosed, balancing when you consume protein becomes more important as your journey continues.

Protein is found mostly in meat, fish, eggs, cheese, beans, and legumes, so it is ideal to avoid having too much protein before you take your medication. However, it is important to remember that protein is an important part of a healthy diet, so you shouldn’t cut it out entirely. Most people find that taking medication half an hour before you eat or 45-60 minutes after you eat is sufficient to reduce the impact that dietary protein has on medication uptake.

If you need support to plan the timing of your protein intake with your medication you can speak to your GP or call the Fight Parkinson’s Information Line on (03) 8809 0400 to speak to one of our Parkinson’s nurses.

Understand your medications 

Many people living with Parkinson’s will take numerous medications. While they are an important component of your care, it is important to always exercise caution when adding to or removing doses.

Every medication available in Australia has a consumer medication information summary. This is available online on the Therapeutic Goods Administration website and through your pharmacist. Some medications may already have this fact sheet in the box it comes in.

Fight Parkinson’s also has a medication fact sheet available on our website with information on commonly prescribed Parkinson’s medications.

Support for you

Call the Fight Parkinson’s Health Team on 1800 931 031

Email info@fightparkinsons.org.au

Speak to your doctor, health nurse or specialist.

Each Parkinson’s diagnosis is uniquely individual and each person will received tailored medication plans. Do not change or stop taking your medications unless you have spoken to your neurologist or GP.