MAO-B inhibitors and COMT inhibitors do not treat Parkinson’s directly. They protect dopamine from being broken down — in the brain, or before it gets there. That is why they are almost always discussed alongside levodopa rather than instead of it, and why their side effects often look like too much levodopa. MAO-B inhibitors: selegiline, … Read more
If the room greys out when you stand up, that is a blood pressure problem, and in Parkinson’s it usually has two causes at once: the disease itself affects the nerves that control blood pressure, and several Parkinson’s medications lower it further. It is treatable, and it matters more than it feels like it should … Read more
Apathy is loss of drive without loss of mood. That one sentence separates it from depression, and it is the distinction that most often goes wrong at home — because a person who has stopped initiating anything looks, from the outside, exactly like a person who is unhappy. Antidepressants frequently do nothing for apathy, which … Read more
Constipation is not a side issue in Parkinson’s. It is a motor problem wearing a digestive disguise — because levodopa is absorbed in the small intestine, and a gut that is not moving delivers it late, unpredictably, or not at all. People whose “off” periods make no sense are sometimes describing a bowel problem. Why … Read more
Medicare does cover deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s when specific criteria are met — and the criteria, not the coverage, are where claims fail. DBS is not an exception to Medicare; it is an established covered procedure. What varies is whether a particular person is documented as meeting the conditions, and whether the paperwork was … Read more
See which caregiver supports are usable now, where evidence remains limited, and what questions families should ask providers.
See what August 2026 Parkinson’s research may mean for daily activities, treatment choices, and trial participation.
A practical guide to diet evidence, levodopa timing, supplement safety, swallowing risks, and Medicare access.
Use the new toolkit wisely, understand its trial limits, and identify daily-life risks worth discussing with the care team.
Understand the new B6 warning and diet-trial limits before changing supplements, meals, or levodopa timing.