Unfortunately, there is no cure for Parkinson's disease. Although Parkinson's disease is a progressive disorder, how fast it progresses varies widely in different patients. Many patients enjoy years of progressive living after developing the disease. In fact, drug therapy can provide dramatic relief from many of the symptoms. Current drug therapy focuses mostly on dopamine replacement.
Nerve cells use levadopa to make dopamine, which can then be used by the brain.
Bradykinesia and rigidity are the symptoms that respond best to levadopa treatment, while problems with tremors and balance may be only marginally reduced. There are some side effects to levadopa treatment - the most common are nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, involuntary movements and restlessness. Sometimes, depression can be caused or made worse by levadopa therapy. Doctors can usually alleviate some side effects through adjustments to the patient's dosage or by prescribing a drug called carbidopa to be taken along with levadopa. After two to five years of treatment with levadopa, the drug's effectiveness can begin to fluctuate for some patients.