140 ON, OFF, and Dyskinesia: The Medication Roller Coaster

After living with Parkinson's for 10 years, I still struggle to recognize when I'm experiencing OFF time. And dyskinesia? I never quite know when it will happen or why. I'm sure I'm not alone. So, as part of our "Dr. Ospina Explains" series, I asked Dr. Ospina to break down the terms we hear so often in Parkinson's: ON, OFF, dyskinesia, dystonia, and more. She walks us through the medication roller coaster—what it looks like, why it happens, and how it can change over the years. She also explains how to tell the difference between OFF symptoms, dyskinesia, and dystonia, and why it's important to pay attention to more than just movement. Non-motor symptoms can also fluctuate with medication and may even signal an approaching OFF period before motor symptoms appear. This is an episode you may want to bookmark and come back to. Understanding these differences can help you recognize what's happening in your own Parkinson's journey—and, ultimately, better communicate with your care team about how symptoms are affecting your quality of life. Thank you to our sponsor – Boston Scientific, the maker of Vercise Genus, a Deep Brain Stimulation or DBS system. To learn more about the latest treatment options for Parkinson's disease at https://DBSandMe.com/17branches