u/inept_tune8

Hi, my father (58), was diagnosed with PD last October 2023.

I remember my dad started having tremors when he was in his 40s. At the time, I didn’t know much about Parkinson’s and didn’t realize that he should have been evaluated by a neurologist. I was only able to have him checked in 2023 when I became more familiar with the disease and finally had the means to do so.

Since then, his condition seems to have progressed very quickly, within just 3 years. I’ve read about many cases where progression took a decade or more, so it got me thinking.

2024, he could still walk on his own and do a few chores. Then by Nov of 2025, I noticed him having difficulty balancing his body to walk and his falls also became more frequent despite continuous and monitored medication.

We’ve had regular checkups with his neurologist this year, and he was prescribed with some new medications, but the effects seem to be the same, so he was brought back to his old meds (Levodopa + Ropinirole). But his constant tremors on his right hand haven’t gone away.

He can still stand, but he can’t safely walk on his own now because his alarming tendency to fall out of balance. His posture has become asymmetrical, and his right side (his dominant side) is limping. We have to assist him when walking, going to the bathroom, everything. His speech has also become slurred.

I spoke with his doctor after his last checkup, and he said it’s possible that my father could develop dementia someday, and it pains me whenever I think about it.

I’m wondering if anyone here has had a similar experience, particularly with PD that seems resistant to medications like Levodopa, or if you were advised to undergo additional tests. Really difficult to see him progress this quickly. I’d really appreciate hearing about your stories, especially if your family member had rapid progression or didn’t seem to respond well to their meds.

My father (58), was diagnosed with PD last October 2023.

I remember my dad started having tremors when he was in his 40s. At the time, I didn’t know much about Parkinson’s and didn’t realize that he should have been evaluated by a neurologist. I was only able to have him checked in 2023 when I became more familiar with the disease and finally had the means to do so.

Since then, his condition seems to have progressed very quickly, within just 3 years. I’ve read about many cases where progression took a decade or more, so it got me thinking.

2024, he could still walk on his own and do a few chores. Then by Nov of 2025, I noticed him having difficulty balancing his body to walk and his falls also became more frequent despite continuous and monitored medication.

We’ve had regular checkups with his neurologist this year, and they’ve prescribed some new medications for Parkinson’s, but the effects seem to be the same. His constant tremors on his right hand haven’t gone away.

He can still stand, but he can’t safely walk on his own now because his alarming tendency to fall out of balance. His posture has become asymmetrical, and his right side (his dominant side) is limping. We have to assist him when walking, going to the bathroom, everything. His speech has also become slurred.

His current prescription is Levodopa + Carbidopa 250 mg/25 mg, 1 tablet in the morning and half a tablet at lunch and dinner + 2 mg of Ropinirole per day.

I spoke with his doctor after his last checkup, and he said it’s possible that my father could develop dementia someday, and it pains me whenever I think about it.

I’m wondering if anyone here has had a similar experience, particularly with PD that seems resistant to medications like Levodopa, or if you were advised to undergo additional tests. Really difficult to see him progress this quickly. I’d really appreciate hearing about your stories, especially if your family member had rapid progression or didn’t seem to respond well to their meds.