Jamie -- we need to spread your story far and wide. In my 20's a Doctor commented "If I didn't know better, I'd think you have Parkinson's but that only affects old people". Took thirty years before I was seen by a MDS and had a Dx (Parkinson's, Dystonia, Essential Tremor). I've had odd bloating all my life. Stomach Ulcers and other fun IBS. Every gastro doc was left shaking their head with "It is like you swallow air, but everything looked find on upper/lower GI camera, so take two pills and call me next week". I did end up in the ER after nine days of no bowel movement. Not good, but colon was fine with no blockage. Do get a copy of Dr. Ahlskog "The New Parkinson's Disease Treatment Book". 2015 edition. Lots of great information in that book, but I also learned the hard way if a pill doesn't have a scribe line - don't snap it into half. When stomach is slow to empty, "no protein for two hours before Sinmet/Comtan nor any food for one hour afterwards" I take meds every three hours, so the combo of protein & levodopa... stomach and colon shut down. Other catch-22 is no opioid pain medication. It shuts down the colon, creating the perfect storm for me.
Jamie -- we need to spread your story far and wide. In my 20's a Doctor commented "If I didn't know better, I'd think you have Parkinson's but that only affects old people". Took thirty years before I was seen by a MDS and had a Dx (Parkinson's, Dystonia, Essential Tremor).
I've had odd bloating all my life. Stomach Ulcers and other fun IBS. Every gastro doc was left shaking their head with "It is like you swallow air, but everything looked find on upper/lower GI camera, so take two pills and call me next week". I did end up in the ER after nine days of no bowel movement. Not good, but colon was fine with no blockage.
Do get a copy of Dr. Ahlskog "The New Parkinson's Disease Treatment Book". 2015 edition. Lots of great information in that book, but I also learned the hard way if a pill doesn't have a scribe line - don't snap it into half. When stomach is slow to empty,
"no protein for two hours before Sinmet/Comtan nor any food for one hour afterwards" I take meds every three hours, so the combo of protein & levodopa... stomach and colon shut down. Other catch-22 is no opioid pain medication. It shuts down the colon, creating the perfect storm for me.