Medication
Regulating and adjusting medication to suit you as an individual is key to controlling all symptoms, particularly motor symptoms such as dyskinesia. It is therefore very helpful for your doctor if you keep a wearing off or motor diary. With this you can record the timing, duration and frequency of your dyskinesia or other symptoms as they fluctuate throughout the day. This can help your doctor in choosing a medication regime that will help to smooth out your fluctuations and can help you both in judging the effects of any such changes. It is much easier to accurately assess changes if you can look back and compare diaries over a period of time.
But, as with all medications, always check with your healthcare professional before altering any of your medications.
Just sitting back and relaxing can be helpful as trying to do things when you are dyskinetic can lead to frustration and stress which can aggravate other symptoms or intensify the movements. Conversely some people find keeping busy or being with friends helps to distract from their dyskinesia.
Diet
Eating a healthy diet is important and particular attention should be paid to any instructions your doctor gives you regarding how you take levodopa in relation to food. Protein in the diet can affect the absorption of levodopa into the bloodstream. Some people may find it useful to reduce the amount of protein consumed during the day to enable the medication to be more effective when it’s needed most. But remember, protein is essential for a healthy diet to enable body repair and fight infection, so do not reduce the amount of protein you consume over all. It may be beneficial to have your daily intake of protein in one meal at the end of the day. However, this may not be suitable for everyone so you must discuss this option with your doctor before altering your diet.
Exercise and rest
Exercise, such as swimming or walking, may help and of course and getting plenty of sleep is important. You may find it helpful to time daily activities, such as walking and doing jobs, so that you do these when mobility is good and you do not experience dyskinesia.
Certain exercises have proved useful in controlling dyskinesia but this is very much a personal thing so if you find something that helps you, then remember it and use it!
See Coping Strategies for examples such as Orli, a person with Parkinson’s, uses pressure on her foot to control movement and reduce pain. and Lucilla, another person with Parkinson’s, uses ballet exercises.
Find a position that suits you best: generally if you have severe dyskinesias throughout your whole body, lying in bed on one side and breathing gently can help you for a few minutes. Don’t fight against the movement - it is better to try to relax in a position you find comfortable.
