For people who have Parkinson’s Disease, there are a host of complications that patients can have aside from the traditional symptom of Parkinson’s tremors. Understanding the long-term effects of Parkinson’s Disease as well as the symptoms can help patients learn how to be better prepared for them and control them. One of the symptoms that some people with Parkinson’s Disease must deal with is a symptom called, Dyskinesia. While not a problem that all people living with Parkinson’s Disease have, it does occur frequently. However, it is one of the known side effects for some long term sufferers of Parkinson’s Disease:

1. Symptoms of dyskinesia
Dyskinesia symptoms can involve swaying, bobbing of the head, wriggling of a body part or upper or lower torso, which may all appear after years of no similar symptoms. Dyskinesia symptoms usually start to appear on the same side of the body that Parkinson’s Disease began. The symptoms may be mild at first and may stay mild and never become problematic. But for other patients, the symptoms can get in the way of job functioning and other tasks.

2. What is dyskinesia?
Dyskinesia symptoms are a common side effect that some patients that have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease suffer from. It causes uncontrolled movements of a specific part of the body. These movements may happen to a small part of the body like the arm or the leg or can happen to larger upper or lower sections of the body as well.

3. Causes of dyskinesia
Dyskinesia is not part of the normal symptoms for Parkinson’s Disease. It usually occurs when other symptoms that are a regular part of the disease such as Parkinson’s tremors and stiffness are under control. Dyskinesia does not happen to all people with the disease. Scientists now believe the symptoms are likely part of the side effect of one of the Parkinson’s Disease medications known as Levodopa. While research is ongoing, there are some strong indications this is likely the cause.

4. The dopamine connection
Scientists believe one of the main problems is a fluctuation in the hormone chemical dopamine that scientists have found is associated with the medicine Levodopa. Dyskinesia usually appears in patients who have taken this medicine over a long period. While there may be links to other hormones like serotonin and neurotransmitter chemicals like glutamate, scientists believe there is a more definite link to the levels of the hormone dopamine. One theory is that Levodopa causes a more significant swing in dopamine levels once patients have been on it for a long time.

5. Levodopa and dyskinesia
Levodopa helps to replace dopamine once the brain stops making it and it is believed to be one of the primary links to dyskinesia. The helpful effects of Levodopa can wear off quickly causing the levels of dopamine to be in a state of fluctuation. That is why it is prescribed to be taken several times a day. Its why is widely acknowledged in the medical science community that the highs and lows of fluctuating dopamine levels often are more significant for patients who have suffered from the disease for a long time. Because Parkinson’s Disease medications like Levodopa play a predominant role in dopamine replacement and in the fluctuation of the chemical, it is a likely prospect as a contributing factor or causation of dyskinesia.