It seems that in the past two years we have seen a large increase in patients with Parkinson’s disease and various central and peripheral nerve problems, early dementia, and various forms of Lou Gehrig disease. By the time we see these patients they have been to their neurologist many times and either started on steroids or various other medications that help some but it is still a downward spiral their body and health is going through. As one lady said to me, all I do is go to my doctor’s office every 3 to 4 months. Nothing really happens and they just watch me go downhill till I die. From all my years as an MD I am still surprised at how many people keep doing the same treatment over and over yet hoping for a better result. Especially with neurological conditions. I was reading an article recently talking about a number of studies that have shown that there are many options available to patients with chronic neurological problems. The problem is most doctors only do the recommended American Medical Association protocol and if you don’t improve your out of luck as one patient said.
Most Parkinson’s patients have low testosterone. Studies have shown that taking testosterone helps Parkinson’s patients to improve balance, fatigue, and depression, and increase the thyroid. Taking bioidentical hormones that are made from plants. Such as estrogen and progesterone has been shown to help in a number of neuro-degenerative diseases even Parkinson’s. In the substantia nigra area of the brain that has to do with dopamine production a protein called alpha syncline which they feel is the substance that kills the dopamine producing cells in the brain. A number of neurodegenerative diseases have this protein. Lewy bodies are these proteins which are found deep inside the brain which causes they feel the dementia.
Bioidentical hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone have been shown in Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases to increase mental clarity, reduce shuffling gait, and improve speech and balance. Testosterone is found to be low in most Parkinson’s patients. Giving them testosterone helps to improve balance, fatigue, and depression. Testosterone is very important for overall brain function in both and male and females.
Human growth hormone in low doses reduces brain inflammation which is found in all neurodegenerative diseases and helps build new neural pathways in the brain. A hallmark of Parkinson’s is low human growth hormone. In my own life I have seen this hormone make a huge difference in my daughter.
So, if you have a neurodegenerative disease and you are not improving there is hope that you can get better. A recent Parkinson’s patient of mine went from 8 pills of L-Dopa to just 3 pills a day just by going outside the guidelines of the American Medical Association. Ask your doctor to look as some of the other ways to treat your condition. He or she knows them and will be glad to tell you how to actually get better!