Maintaining good mobility and symptom control largely depends upon successful medication management, combined with good nutrition and regular exercise. It is therefore extremely important that your drug therapy is optimized for you.

'Wearing-off'
Levodopa remains the cornerstone of any long-term Parkinson's disease treatment plan. However, its ability to control the symptoms of Parkinson's can become reduced over the years. You may begin to experience what is known as 'wearing-off' where your symptoms begin to re-emerge before it is time to take your next scheduled dose. When experiencing 'wearing-off' you may notice changes in your movement and mobility, thoughts and feelings, sensations, and your overall sense of well-being.

There are a variety of ways to try to improve treatment with levodopa. This includes rearranging the timing of your drugs, switching to a different kind of levodopa preparation, or adding other drugs, such as COMT inhibitors and dopamine agonists.

Researchers have been working on ways to address the limitations of traditional levodopa, and new and improved levodopa preparations are now becoming available.

Adapting your treatment plan
It is helpful to learn to recognize and prioritize your treatment needs, for example identifying which symptoms are the most bothersome, and working with your doctor to adapt your treatment plan to these needs. This can help you to plan your day better and allow you to do more of the things you enjoy.

An important aspect of any treatment plan for Parkinson's disease is to maximize the time during the day that you receive benefits from your therapy, in order to stay active longer and retain independence.

Improving your Parkinson's disease medications can also help improve many of the other problems that can be associated with Parkinson's disease, such as constipation, cramping, and pain.

If you begin to notice that your medication is not working as well as it used to, share these observations with your healthcare team. The sooner the problem is recognized, the easier it will be to adjust your therapy so that you feel better and are more able to control your condition.