Amino acid management of Parkinson’s disease: a case study

An extensive list of side effects and problems are associated with the administration of l-dopa (l-3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine) during treatment of Parkinson’s disease. These problems can preclude achieving an optimal response with l-dopa treatment. PURPOSE: To present a case study outlining a novel approach for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease that allows for management of problems associated with l-dopa administration and discusses the scientific basis for this treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The case study was selected from a database containing 254 Parkinson’s patients treated in developing and refining this novel approach to its current state. The spectrum of patients comprising this database range from newly diagnosed, with no previous treatment, to those who were diagnosed more than 20 years before and had virtually exhausted all medical treatment options. Parkinson’s disease is associated with depletion of tyrosine hydroxylase, dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. Exacerbating this is the fact that administration of l-dopa may deplete l-tyrosine, l-tryptophan, 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), serotonin, and sulfur amino acids. The properly balanced administration of l-dopa in conjunction with 5-HTP, l-tyrosine, l-cysteine, and cofactors under the guidance of organic cation transporter functional status determination (herein referred to as “OCT assay interpretation”) of urinary serotonin and dopamine, is at the heart of this novel treatment protocol. RESULTS: When 5-HTP and l-dopa are administered in proper balance along with l-tyrosine, l-cysteine, and cofactors under the guidance of OCT assay interpretation, the long list of problems that can interfere with optimum administration of l-dopa becomes controllable and manageable or does not occur at all. Patient treatment then becomes more effective by allowing the implementation of the optimal dosing levels of l-dopa needed for the relief of symptoms without the dosing value barriers imposed by side effects and adverse reactions seen in the past.