More Insight Into Skin Cancer and Parkinson's Disease Relationship

Some evidence shows that people with Parkinson's disease have a little higher risk of developing melanoma. Many people suspected that Levodopa might be to blame for the higher rates of the skin cancer. For most people who are familiar with Parkinson's disease, this is not news. New information from a group of cancer researchers in Copenhagen, Denmark, revealed:

1. People living with Parkinson's disease had higher rates of melanoma before they learned of the Parkinson's diagnosis.
2. Levodopa probably cannot be blamed for the higher rates of cancer in the Parkinson's community. People have speculated that levodopa somehow contributed to these cancers.

You can read the Reuters story by foll0wing this link. Do Carbonated Beverages Help Meds Kick in Faster?
Today we were visiting with one of our good friends who has Parkinson's. We cannot emphasize how important it is to recognize that Parkinson's disease manifests so differently in people. Some have tremors, while others never experience them. Others may freeze frequently, and still others struggle with walking or talking. However, we learned that many people take their Parkinson's medications with soda pop because they help medications to kick in sooner. We are taking a bit of an informal poll. If you have tried this, we want to know about your experiences. Please email Matt at mnilsen@myparkinsonsinfo.com, and tell him whether you think this truly helps, or whether it is a wives' tale.