Dear Friend,

Last week, we hosted a great episode of Dr. Gilbert Hosts that featured four people who have each been living with Parkinson’s disease (PD) for 10 or more years, and they bravely shared their experiences and answered so many questions from the audience. One thing was very clear – no two people with PD are alike. While some symptoms overlapped, there were symptoms that one person experienced but the others didn’t.

This clearly reiterated what we already know -- everyone experiences PD differently, and symptoms can vary greatly day by day, which is while you’ll often hear someone say, “if you’ve met one person with Parkinson’s, you’ve met one person with Parkinson’s!” These differences can make it challenging to diagnose and treat PD, and can also make it difficult to know what to expect as someone living with the disease. A great way to better understand your symptoms is to keep close track of what you’re experiencing and when. The APDA Symptom Tracker mobile app was created specifically for people with PD to help you significantly improve your ability to easily and accurately track your PD symptoms and medications, and relay that important information to members of your medical team; with the ultimate goal of receiving better, more personalized care. The app is also available in Spanish (para más information en español, haga clic aquÍ.)

How does it work?  APDA Symptom Tracker App guides you through a simple set of questions where you rate how certain motor symptoms (such as tremor, rigidity, balance) and non-motor symptoms (hallucinations, delusions, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and others) are affecting you. It then creates a graph indicating which symptoms are most impacting your quality of life -- the graph can be saved in the app, printed, and also emailed directly to your health care team. Over time, you can compare the results to see if certain symptoms are getting worse, and determine which symptoms need to be addressed more urgently than others. The app also includes an interactive medication tracker, helpful notifications and reminders, and other useful features.

How can I get the app?  Simply go to the Apple App store or Google Play to download the free app.

We hope the APDA Symptom Tracker app helps you or your loved one play a more active role in your PD care.

Speaking of symptoms, many people with PD experience gastrointestinal issues like constipation, bloating, abdominal pain, and nausea. If you want to learn more, register today and join us for the next episode of Dr. Gilbert Hosts where we talk with an expert about how PD can affect your gut!

Dr. Gilbert Hosts: Parkinson’s Disease & the Gut

Wednesday, May 18, 2022
3:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM PT

In this episode you’ll learn about: 

  • the gastrointestinal symptoms that are common in PD 
  • potential treatments for the GI symptoms of PD
  • the gut microbiome in PD
  • the effects of PD medications on the gut

Be sure to check out our Virtual Events Calendar to see what other exercise and educational programs are coming up soon – there are many to choose from!

And don’t forget, APDA is here for you every step of the way. Please do not hesitate to reach out via our APDA helpline at (800-223-2732) or email us at apda@apdaparkinson.org.

Happy Monday!

Leslie A. Chambers
President & CEO

PS: Become a hero to the PD community by making a donation today. Your generosity will help provide more programs, services, and resources – like the ones you read about above (and so much more). If you are able, we hope you’ll consider supporting APDA with a donation of any size. Thank you so much.

Connect with APDA! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get even more information and updates!

 
 
 
 

American Parkinson Disease Association
PO Box 61420  | Staten Island, New York 10306
800-223-2732 | apda@apdaparkinson.org

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