Supplement Helps Stop Dyskinesias in Parkinson’s Patients

You may have noticed that the number of people developing Parkinson’s disease is increasing rapidly. The most common treatment for Parkinson’s is Sinemet. Sinemet is a combination of an amino acid called levodopa or l-dopa, and a drug called carbidopa.

One of the common complications of Sinemet is involuntary movements called dyskinesias. This can happen after years of being on Sinemet, and here’s the problem. Parkinson’s itself can cause dyskinesias.

So, when a patient with Parkinson’s who is being treated with Sinemet develops dyskinesias, it’s often difficult to know whether it’s because of the disease or the treatment.

Fortunately, there’s a mineral that can help with dyskinesias. 

Lithium is a mineral you may not have heard much about. It is found in trace amounts in numerous plants. It has been used in medicine for decades as a mood stabilizer. When used appropriately, even in high doses, it is safe.

A new study shows that because of its neuroprotective effects, it might also be a good remedy for neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s disease.

Researchers supplemented the diet of a group of mice with Parkinson’s disease with lithium while they were also being treated with Sinemet. They discovered that within two months of treatment, the mice on the lithium “effectively” reduced their dyskinesias. They discovered that lithium decreased the chance of dyskinesias by suppressing or down-regulating an enzyme called calpain.

Scientists have previously found that suppressing calpain increases the levels of another enzyme called tyrosine hydroxylase. And tyrosine hydroxylase is the rate-limiting enzyme involved in the synthesis of dopamine. Thus, the effect of lithium supplementation is to increase dopamine levels. That’s good, because the problem in Parkinson’s is that there’s not enough dopamine.

The researchers also found that lithium protected the brain cells that produce dopamine from further destruction. Thus, lithium, at least in little furry creatures, not only improved the symptoms of Parkinson’s but also slowed the progression of the disease. The authors put it this way, “These results suggest the potential use of lithium in combination with l-dopa and carbidopa not only as a neuroprotectant but also for reducing AIMs [abnormal involuntary movements or dyskinesias] and possibly alleviating potential side-effects associated with the current treatment for Parkinson’s disease.”

Of course, the good thing about natural remedies is that they are so much safer than drugs. So, adding some lithium to your regimen, along with Sinemet for the treatment of Parkinson’s, seems like a win-win.

You can get lithium online in the form of lithium ortate in 5-20 mg capsules. If you have Parkinson’s, especially if you are also taking Sinemet, I would recommend starting with 5 mg twice a day and working up to 20 mg, twice a day. This dose and form is completely without any side effects.