Dr. Drew Falconer - Parkinson's Awareness Month Special Event

Join us for a live and interactive discussion with a leader in treatment of movement disorders Parkinson disease is the second most neurodegenerative disease, after Alzheimer disease, that affects up to two million Americans, the overwhelming majority of whom are aged 60 and older. 

Dr. Drew Falconer is board certified in neurology and is a fellowship-trained movement disorders specialist. He serves as Medical Director Inova Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center.

 www.ipmdc.org

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Questions Asked

• What causes the sleep disturbances with Parkinson’s- is it the disease or the dopamine medication?
• Parkinson's is chemical deficiency of dolpamine. So do other treating health care providers know this? How do you find the best care?
• What is the best and reliable medication for Parkinson disease?
• Where can you find the free resources? And do you offer virtual visits?
• Are there other illnesses with similar symptoms that require different or additional treament?
• How late in the progression of the disease is it to late to halt the level of the disability?
• Did you ever meet a patient with Parkinson disease who failed all your treatment? If so, what did you do?
• So does a family member who has symptoms, have to already have the diagnosis of parkinson's in order make an appointment and be seen by you at your center?
• Are there different interventions for people with movement disorders?
• How difficult is it to treat the Parkinson's if you also have been diagnosed with alzheimer's disease?
• Can our blood work detect this disease? I am a cancer survivor and my mom had parkinson disease for 10 years and suffered in a nursing home.  I have a fear
• So are you saying there is a test that can determine whether or not you or your body is making enough dolpamine?
• I have read that traumatic brain injuries trigger Parkinson's.  Is that true?  If so, how does that work?Does the TBI impact dopamine production?
• Is the dopamine level a blood test?  And once diagnosed and on medication is the dopamine levels watched throughout your life then?
• Can you address increased feelings of anxiety
• How does agent orange trigger PD and are there other chemical exposures that trigger PD in addition?
• How much is known about environmental factors?  For example, there seems to be a correlation between having lived in or near Camp LeJeune in North Carolina from 1953 onward.  I was born in a military hospital there in 1943 so am not part of the statistics, but the coincidence makes me curious.  I was diagnosed with PD in 2019.
• We have a Dear Family Member, who recently passed away, age 71, she had Parkinson's many years. She had tried to manage unsuccessfully, chronic long term constipation. She was told many people with Parkinson's have or have had long term chronic constipation. Any thoughts or comments about chronic constipation?
• VA aid & attendance is almost automatically approved for exposure to Agent orange while in military service
• How do you determine if your neurologist is a expert in pd
• Would you discuss the diagnosis and treatment of essential tremors?
• How much do Parkinson's treatments and medications cost each year?

Chat Transcript 

12:25:56     From  Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : Inova Parkinson's and Movement Disorders Center https://www.inova.org/our-services/inova-parkinsons-and-movement-disorders-center

12:26:41     From  Barbara Brubeck : How does the treatment for dopamine deficiency help with the soft voice symptom of people with Parkinson's disease?

12:27:16     From  Sonia Gow   ipmdc.org : For IPMDC programs please check out www.ipmdc.org

12:33:01     From  Sonia Gow   ipmdc.org    https://www.movementdisorders.org/MDS/Resources/Patient-Resources/Movement-Disorders-Specialist-Directory-Listing.htm

12:33:51     From  Sonia Gow   ipmdc.org : Movement Disorders Specialist Directory at https://www.movementdisorders.org/MDS/Resources/Patient-Resources/Movement-Disorders-Specialist-Directory-Listing.htm

12:39:02     From  Sonia Gow   ipmdc.org   to   Hosts and panelists : Can you talk about how people are diagnosed? People often can't get their heads around a doctor watching them to walk down the hallway, and then telling them they have Parkinson's.

12:51:07     From  Lisa Prestridge   to   Hosts and panelists : Beautiful and inspiring!! Life enrichment / joy for the win!

12:51:46     From  Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : From Lisa Prestridge to All Panelists 12:51 PM

Beautiful and inspiring!! Life enrichment / joy for the win!

12:52:50     From  Sonia Gow   ipmdc.org   to   Hosts and panelists : https://ipmdc.org/veterans/ for help with Veterans benefits

12:53:54     From  Sonia Gow   ipmdc.org : https://ipmdc.org/veterans/ for help with Veterans benefits

12:54:01     From  Ruth Grubb   to   Hosts and panelists : Does cannabis help with dopamine?

12:54:32     From  Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : From Lisa Prestridge to All Panelists 12:51 PM

Beautiful and inspiring!! Life enrichment / joy for the win!

12:54:36     From  Sylvia Taylor : Thank you so much for sharing for such valuable information. My brother-in-law and a very dear neighbor of mine has been diagnosed with Parkinson's. I will definitely be sharing this information with them.

12:55:25     From  Sonia Gow   ipmdc.org : For recipes to help with constipation check out https://ipmdc.org/constipation/

12:56:31     From  Sonia Gow   ipmdc.org : To find a movement disorders specialist check out https://www.movementdisorders.org/MDS/Resources/Patient-Resources/Movement-Disorders-Specialist-Directory-Listing.htm

12:58:42     From  Leslie McTyre : Great!!  Thanks!!

12:59:02     From  Jessica Hardiman : This was excellent!

12:59:45     From  Robin Ayers : Dr. Falconer always inspires me and gives me such great hope regarding Parkinson's.  He's a gift to the Parkinson's community.

12:59:46     From  Ruth Grubb   to   Hosts and panelists : Thank you so much!

12:59:51     From  Betty Bahadori : Excellent! Thank you so much.

12:59:53     From  TRACY BLAND : Thank you!

13:00:01     From  Janie Scott   to   Hosts and panelists : Thanks so much. This was very informative!

13:00:17     From  Bruce Jackson : Great session  Thx very much

13:00:17     From  Karen Lucas : Great talk as always.  Thank you!