Autism and Parkinson's Disease

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Not sure if sarcastic or not.

Why can't a mistake just be a mistake, especially if you're already prone to those sorts of mistakes and haven't seen a significant increase in the rate at which they occur?

my mother was diagnosed with early onset parkinson's disease. she was also autistic (although never professionally diagnosed, it became evident long after she had passed away and I got my own diagnosis at age 68, that she was definitely autistic. Later she had a diagnosis of parkinsons with dementia, but they judged traits that she had since childhood and all through her adulthood as being signs of dementia because nobody asked if those behaviors were new. Diagnostic fail, but she did eventually develop decided dementia. She had tremors on one side in her late 40s and finally got her first diagnosis at around 55, neurologists over the years said she had "essential tremor" , Lewey body dementia, parkinsons, non lewy body dementia, etc etc etc. various specialists consulted disagreed on diagnosis as well as treatments, many medications were tried, nobody spotted the autism.

found out years later that my mother had been having mini strokes due to tiny blood clots lodging in her brain. she found out she had a tiny hole in her heart after it was too late to do anything about it. She had refused high blood pressure treatment for years as well. lots of odd dynamics, but none of us are not complex, right?

In 2013 I was in hospital for bipolar depression and they gave me lithium to treat it (had been on other mood stabilisers previously). I got such bad tremors from it that a neurologist was called in to assess my condition. She prescribed benztropine - an anti-parkinsonism medication. At first I suffered through two horrible side-effects, constipation and blurred vision. But after that it worked a treat and I've been tremor free ever since.

Levodopa (L-DOPA) is a precursor to dopamine and is commonly used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. It is metabolized into dopamine in the brain after crossing the blood-brain barrier. Dopamine itself cannot cross the blood-brain barrier, which is why it is not administered directly. Carbidopa is used in combination with levodopa to prevent levodopa from being prematurely converted into dopamine in the bloodstream, allowing more levodopa to reach the brain before conversion. This combination increases the effectiveness of levodopa and reduces side effects like nausea.



Technically, SSRI stands for "Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor." The "Selective" part means it primarily targets the serotonin system and not dopamine or other neurotransmitters.

Some atypical antidepressants or older tricyclic antidepressants are less selective and may affect multiple systems, including dopamine.

I take Atomoxetine (Strattera) for ADHD. It affects the norepinephrine system and is classified as an SNRI (Selective Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor).

Cultural touchpoint:

Awakenings is a 1990 American biographical drama film based on the 1973 non-fiction book of the same name. [The] screenplay [was based] on Oliver Sacks's 1973 memoir of the same name. It tells the story of neurologist Dr. Malcolm Sayer (Robin Williams), based on Sacks, who discovers the beneficial effects of the drug L-DOPA in 1969. He administers it to catatonic patients who survived the 1919–1930 epidemic of encephalitis lethargica. Leonard Lowe (Robert De Niro) and the rest of the patients are awakened after decades, and have to deal with a new life in a new time.

Adapted Film Summary from

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awakenings

After serotonin toxicity I demanded changing to an atypical antidepressant that doesn't mess with my serotonin balance . The one I chose was a DNRI... Bupropion.
I had to get past the impression of drug seeking behaviour, but was prescribed it in the end.
Unfortunately it adrenergic effects far outweighed it's dopaminergic and it just ended up allowing me to sleep for only 4 hours.......a week..., without obvious affect on my mood.
It also didn't seem to reduce the dystonic effects from amitriptyline discontinuation.

Right. ^ Thanks.

When I said SSRI, I meant anti-depressants in general, including SNRI and tricyclics.

The best I ever had was 25mg Zoloft but it made me too anxious.

Over the course of many years I've also had these:

(Prescribed primarily for Acute PTSD, but also GAD, MDD, other anxiety/sleep disorders)


Benzos - Don't help anxiety, make me extremely depressed
Buspirone - Electrical buzzing sounds in head
Mirtazapine - Extremely ill, vertigo, nausea, suicidal ideation, very rough withdrawl
Vortioxetine - Not bad, but extreme nausea that never stopped, couldn't eat
Amitriptyline - Racing heart, thought I was going to have a heart attack
Quetipiane - Works OK but far too sedating, could only take about 4mg day
Risperidone - Stiff muscles, weight gain
Vyvanse - Only moderate ADHD relief, stopped sleeping, lost 40 lbs in a month
Dexedrine - I'm on it now, it's OK but doesn't do much
Guanfacine - It was pretty good with Vyvanse, can't remember why I stopped it


This sounds like a lot but it was only one at a time over many years.


I can't have Bupropion or Adderall because of my history of stroke/ABI


Now all I really take is BP meds and Dexedrine, plus sleep med Zopiclone

*Also Omega 3s, Methylated B-Complex, NAC, Ubiquinol, sometimes Melatonin

It seems Z class sleepers are marketed in different size packs depending on nation.
Downunder we can only get 10 packs of zopiclone and zaleplon, yet zolpidem comes in sheets of 14 for similar cost.

I took Zolpidem on prescription every night for about 12 years.
I just switched to Zopiclone recently to switch things up.
Not sure of the price difference as they're on my insurance.

I get 30 every month with auto-repeats.

Warning about L-dopa, it can cause manic or psychotic episodes. More is not always better.

L-dopa (levodopa) is a precursor to dopamine and is commonly used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease to increase dopamine levels in the brain. However, its effects on dopamine can potentially contribute to manic episodes in individuals with bipolar disorder. Here’s how:

Dopamine and Bipolar Disorder:

- Dopamine’s Role: In bipolar disorder, particularly during manic episodes, there is often an overactivity of dopamine pathways. Excessive dopamine activity can lead to symptoms such as euphoria, irritability, and hyperactivity, characteristic of mania.

Impact of L-dopa:

- Increased Dopamine Levels: L-dopa is converted into dopamine in the brain. By increasing dopamine levels, L-dopa can exacerbate or trigger manic symptoms in individuals with bipolar disorder. This is because higher dopamine levels can further destabilize mood and contribute to the manic phase of bipolar disorder.

- Neurological Balance: For individuals with bipolar disorder, maintaining a balance between neurotransmitters is crucial. L-dopa’s effect of boosting dopamine can disrupt this balance, potentially precipitating a manic episode if dopamine levels become too high.

Clinical Observations:

- Mood Changes: There have been clinical observations and case reports where patients with bipolar disorder experienced mood disturbances or manic episodes after starting L-dopa treatment. This highlights the sensitivity of mood regulation in bipolar disorder to changes in dopamine levels.

Managing the Risk:

- Monitoring: For patients with bipolar disorder who need L-dopa for Parkinson’s disease, careful monitoring is essential. Adjustments in mood-stabilizing medications and close observation for signs of mania can help manage the risk of triggering a manic episode.

In summary, L-dopa can increase dopamine levels in the brain, which may contribute to or exacerbate manic symptoms in individuals with bipolar disorder. This effect underscores the need for careful management and monitoring when using L-dopa in patients with a history of bipolar disorder.

Just checked:

30 Zolpidem was $67
30 Zopiclone is $44

Never heard of Zaleplon

I don't have Bipolar Disorder but thanks for sharing the info.

They come loose in a prescription bottle like capsules or tablets, not in a box or sheet.

Got it. But renaeden is and renaeden replied a few back so it triggered the memory and I started info-dumping. So just in case anyone reading this thread is diagnosed bi-polar, (or undiagnosed bi-polar, and an unexpected manic episode caused by a med is one way some people get a diagnosis) I thought I should shout out about L-dopa side effects just in case. Some people get manic-like side effects just from the med. more on google scholar. Dopamine works like Goldilocks - you want not too low, not too high but “just right”.

Exactly!! That's why I appreciate the info!!

I haven't had time to read all the replies but I know renaeden said something that caught my eye.
I'll have to catch up.