Management of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson’s disease has a wide variety of motor and non-motor symptoms. Treatment aims to control the patient’s symptoms by replenishing the dopaminergic system with levodopa or dopamine agonists. Monoamine oxidase B inhibitors are also effective first-line drugs. Keeping symptoms under continual control early in the course of the disease may have beneficial effects as Parkinson’s disease progresses. Therapy is tailored to each patient’s response to the drugs and their ability to tolerate them. Limited responses of motor and many non-motor symptoms may require the addition of other treatments. The adverse effects of drugs used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease are usually reversible. Symptom fluctuations in response to regular medication are an indication for specialist referral