Parkinson’s disease, as many of our readers know is a chronic, progressive neurological disease that causes sufferers to lose control of body movements, resulting in tremors, muscle stiffness, loss of balance and a host of other problems. Currently, there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease and treatment options are limited. Therapy is directed at treating the symptoms that are most bothersome and for this reason, there is no standard or “best” treatment for that applies to every patient.
Treatment approaches include medications and surgery (deep brain stimulation) as well as general lifestyle modifications (rest and exercise), physical, occupational and speech therapy.
Among the drug-related therapies, levodopa is considered one of the most effective for relieving the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. It helps reduce tremor, stiffness, and slowness and helps improve muscle control, balance, and walking. Levodopa does not slow the disease process, but it improves muscle movement and delays severe disability. So far, levodopa, which had been used to treat Parkinson’s since the 1970’s, has only been available in pill form.
But a new Cleveland Clinic study finds that using a pump to administer a gel form of levodopa directly into the small intestine is much more effective.
Neurologist Hubert Fernandez, MD, who led the study, says, “The levodopa pump decreased or improved what we call the ‘bad time’ in Parkinson’s patients by up to four hours per day.” The levodopa can control this ‘bad time’ — the tremors, muscle spasms and other movement disorders that makes it difficult for Parkinson’s patients to function on a daily basis.
“This is an amazing finding,” says Fernandez. “We know of no other oral therapy that will improve the bad time in Parkinson’s by an average of four hours daily.”
The levodopa pump is external. It sits in a pouch under the patient’s shirt and provides a steady dose of the drug. The levodopa gel is administered directly into the small intestine, where most of the drug is absorbed. The constant dose makes the body’s movements more controlled and predictable, making it easier for people with the disease to plan and go about their day without worrying that the drug’s effects will wear off.
“The biggest advantage of the levodopa is its efficacy,” Dr. Fernandez says. “We’re trying to deliver it on a continuous basis so the patients don’t need to take it every hour.” 
69-year-old Bob Van Housen has been living with Parkinson’s disease for over 12 years. Prior to enrollment in the study he was having to take up to five levodopa pills every three hours to control his symptoms. Even then, his symptoms progressed to the point where it was hard to keep up. “He was ‘off’ for at least seven hours,” said Van Housen’s wife, Carol. “Seven hours is a long time to not be able to function every day.”
The couple often had to cut their trips together short and limit their social outings outside of the house. Van Housen says that being part of the trial at Cleveland Clinic has been life-changing. “We can predict better how I’m going to feel and how I’m going to act and can plan trips and work around those times when I otherwise would have been problematic.”
The gel pump which is not yet available in the United States is currently under review by the Food and Drug Administration. Let’s hope it doesn’t hit any hurdles along the way, so others with Parkinson’s can avoid the roller-coaster of symptoms and enjoy the type of benefits that Bob has experienced.
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