Treating PD with medications

Treatment with medications (i.e., pharmacological treatment) is central to the management of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Unfortunately, no treatment has yet been proven to cure the disease, but there are many efficient medications that are able to treat the symptoms of PD and reduce their effects on everyday living.

In addition, some medications have been shown to protect brain cells in the laboratory, and researchers are investigating whether these medications can help to slow down the progression of the disease in people with PD. Findings from recent clinical studies in this area have been encouraging, including new evidence suggesting that it is possible for medications to delay disease progression – that is, alter the course of the disease.

Maintaining the right balance of medications is often difficult in PD. People with PD need a treatment schedule that is tailored for their particular symptoms and that takes into account their personal preferences. When beginning treatment with any medication, the dose level may be slowly increased until the most effective dose is found. This process is called titration. The chosen dose needs to be strong enough to control symptoms, but not so strong that it causes troublesome side effects.

As PD progresses, different combinations of medication will be needed from time to time.

Follow the links on the left of this page to read details about the different aspects of treating PD with medications.

A single medication may be known by several brand names – often differing from country to country. In addition, not all medications are available in all countries. Therefore, before travelling abroad, it is very important for a person with PD to find information about the name(s) of their medication in the destination country – just in case medical treatment is needed. Information about these different names can be found on the EPDA website (www.parkinsonsdecisionaid.eu.com/medInfo).