I have heard many people with Parkinson’s say fatigue is one of their most debilitating symptoms, and yet the symptom is not well understood. Furthermore, because many diseases can cause fatigue, receiving an accurate diagnosis can be difficult, as it was in my case. Medications approved for other diseases-such as narcolepsy-may provide some benefit, but their efficacy in Parkinson’s is under studied, and insurance companies can decline to cover such off-label uses. Finding treatment for Parkinson’s fatigue can be a huge challenge. But unlike fatigue from malaria, Parkinson’s fatigue doesn’t go away after taking a few malaria pills. When fighting malaria, I faced an overwhelming need to lie down. As an anthropologist who has worked in West Africa, I am reminded of the fatigue I suffered after coming down with malaria. ![]() Feeling fatigued is different from feeling sleepy, depressed or apathetic. Gracia Clark (patient): Fatigue was the first Parkinson's symptom I noticed it is still my most debilitating one. That is why James and I were ecstatic to have the opportunity to raise this issue through the Parkinson's Disease Foundation’s Community Choice Research Awards. We go to the beach and watch the ocean instead of teaching scuba diving. We cruise on the local Southern Bell riverboat instead of racing sailboats. We go to baseball games instead of fly-fishing. With James' fatigue, we have had to alter our lifestyle to conform to his level of energy. We went from being participants to spectators in life. I started researching all I could on Parkinson's and fatigue, but there was very little information. When I asked him about it, he told me that he was extremely tired and it almost hurt to try to get up out of bed or his chair. ![]() I attempted to get him interested in the things that we so loved to do, but it seemed that he lost his zeal for life. Anne Newbould (care partner): My husband of almost 40 years, James, has Parkinson's disease, and fatigue is his most severe and debilitating symptom.
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