The many variations of carbidopa/levodopa – the mainstay of Parkinson’s disease treatment Posted on March 9, 2021March 9, 2021 by Dr. Rebecca Gilbert How carbidopa/levodopa is used to treat Parkinson’s disease symptoms Loss of neurons in the brain that use dopamine to communicate is one of the hallmark features of Parkinson’s disease (PD), causing slowness, stiffness, tremor and balance problems. Replacing the brain’s dopamine is therefore one of the key treatment strategies to help improve the motor symptoms […] Read More
Use of Cannabidiol (CBD) for PD symptoms Posted on February 9, 2021February 10, 2021 by Dr. Rebecca Gilbert Understanding CBD People with PD are eager to find alternative methods to help their symptoms, leading many of these patients to look into whether other therapies, such as medical marijuana, also known as medical cannabis, can be useful. Previously, I wrote a blog on medical marijuana and PD which you may find interesting. More recently, I […] Read More
Drug-induced parkinsonism Posted on September 29, 2020September 29, 2020 by Dr. Rebecca Gilbert I’m so thankful to those of you who submit potential topics for my blog as it helps me understand what you would like to know more about. A frequent topic that I am asked about is symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD) that are caused by medications. So today, I will address drug-induced parkinsonism. Common symptoms […] Read More
The FDA approves F-Dopa PET imaging to aid in early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease Posted on January 8, 2020January 8, 2020 by Dr. Rebecca Gilbert The FDA approves F-Dopa PET imaging to aid in early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease The FDA recently approved Flourodopa F18 (F-Dopa), a radioactive tracer for positron emission tomography (PET) that can help visualize the nerve endings of dopaminergic neurons. It can be used to help in the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and other parkinsonian […] Read More
Parkinson’s disease and preparing for surgery Posted on January 7, 2020February 7, 2020 by Dr. Rebecca Gilbert Dr. Gilbert explores the particular concerns of undergoing surgery for people with Parkinson’s disease. Read More
More medications to avoid in Parkinson’s disease? Posted on December 31, 2019February 25, 2020 by Dr. Rebecca Gilbert Data analysis, prescriptions trends and the risk of Parkinson’s disease It is incredibly important when taking any medication(s) to be aware of potential interactions with other drugs or supplements you may also be taking. It can be confusing, especially if you’re taking more than one medication and/or dealing with more than one ailment or disease […] Read More
Repurposing medications for Parkinson’s disease Posted on November 12, 2019February 25, 2020 by Dr. Rebecca Gilbert Repurposed medications to treat Parkinson’s Disease Repurposing medications is a process by which medications already approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for one reason are tested and shown to work for another purpose. One great example of this is the use of Amantadine for Parkinson’s disease (PD). Amantadine was first approved for the […] Read More
Carbidopa/Levodopa: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions Posted on May 21, 2019November 19, 2019 by Dr. Rebecca Gilbert Carbidopa/Levodopa: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions Dr. Gilbert gives in-depth answers to common questions that many ask with regards to carbidopa/levodopa treatment for Parkinson’s disease. Read More
Medical Marijuana and Parkinson’s disease Posted on June 19, 2018February 10, 2021 by Dr. Rebecca Gilbert Medical Marijuana and Parkinson’s disease Guidance for the Parkinson’s community on medical marijuana treatments. Read More
Anti-cholinergic Drugs – A Risk Factor For Dementia? Posted on June 5, 2018November 19, 2019 by Dr. Rebecca Gilbert Anti-cholinergic Drugs – A Risk Factor For Dementia? You may have read that certain medication prescribed for Parkinson’s disease can cause dementia. Dr. Gilbert will weigh in on the science behind this topic, including how these drugs work, and if there’s any casual relationship between them and an increased risk of dementia. Read More
