In early October, as I wrote last week, my right-hand tremor became noticeably more frequent. The Apple Watch app I use to track it confirmed my perception: over the course of ten days, shaking time gradually increased from a pretty steady average of 22 minutes a day to 43 minutes.
It seemed as if after more than a year of stability, my progressive disease had begun to progress.
By coincidence, the every-six-month checkup with my neurologist was coming, so I decided to put her detective skills to the test. What was going on?
She questioned me about my other symptoms, put me through a variety of physical tests, and then asked me if there’d been any changes in my life recently. As it happened, there’d been two:
1. I’d added a strength and conditioning class two days a week at the beginning of October.
2. At about the same time, I’d started weekly ping pong lessons, with a couple of practice sessions each week.
The doc told me she saw no other signs of changes to my symptoms.
Her theory: my recent additional physical activity has ramped up my metabolism, causing me to process the carbidopa/levadopa faster. If true, this is causing the drug to last for a shorter period. The tremor is the result.
If she is correct, taking the meds more often will send my tremor numbers back down.
The test of her theory began this week. I went from taking meds three times a day (roughly every 5-6 hours) to four times a day (every 4 hours.)
It’s too early to draw conclusions, but initial signs are positive.
Out of all the possible reasons for the increased tremor, “You’re exercising a lot” is my favorite hypothesis. There’s an easy fix, and it means that my Parkinson’s may not be progressing after all. I ‘m hoping it turns out to be the right answer.
Bonus: with a weekly schedule of Rock Steady Boxing, tai chi, strength/conditioning, and ping pong, I will soon have the body of a Greek god.
Home Remedy of the Week
Disclaimer: As a non-medical-professional, I am not recommending that you use this product or don’t use it. Make your own decision, at your own risk.
A loyal Shakin’ Street reader recently sent me an article about cinnamon. The short version:
Neurological scientists at Rush University Medical Center have found that using cinnamon, a common food spice and flavoring material, can reverse the biomechanical, cellular and anatomical changes that occur in the brains of mice with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The results of the study were recently published in the June 20 issue of the Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology.
While there are no definitive studies demonstrating that cinnamon can halt or reverse Parkinson’s progression in humans, it’s an attractive idea — you can buy it at the supermarket, it’s probably reasonably safe (note: it is possible to consume too much of the stuff, and there have been recalls of some brands because of elevated lead content.)
UPDATE 10/23/24: Several readers contacted me to point out there are two types of cinnamon readily available in your local supermarket: Ceylon and Cassia. Each has its own properties, benefits, and risks if you decide to make cinnamon a part of your regimen. Do your research.
I’m leaning toward giving cinnamon a try. Next week:
- I will sprinkle cinnamon on blueberries, which I eat because they might ward off dementia.
- The blueberries will sit on top of a bowl of Grape Nuts, which I eat because they have a lot of fiber and very little sugar.
- Poured on top of the whole shebang: soy milk, which I drink in an effort to avoid dairy products, which have been linked to the risk and progression of Parkinson’s disease.
Or maybe I’ll have some cold pizza.
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Bonus For Those Who Read to the Bottom
BARNYARD EDITION
Some of pop music’s greatest hits, performed by animals or facsimiles.
Shakin' Street -- A Parkinson's Blog 
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