Looks like we are coming into another hot summer, if you judge what we have seen of the "winter" we have had. I remember from last year's discussions that hot weather seemed to reduce the amount of time the medications were effective for Parkinson's patients. I mention that to make others aware that they should be aware of the heat with regard to on-time.
I know that working in the garden in the heat reduces my on-time considerably. I can't imagine it would be much different for others, though we all express our symptoms on different levels. How much it reduces the effectiveness, I don't know. But being aware of the fact allows me to take additional medications when necessary.
In addition to sweating more, overheating the body, and running through medications faster, I find it is also important to stay hydrated. For some unknown reason, it seems that having PD can find some of us under hydrated. My personal feeling is that when I have to take pills every few hours and drink water to get them to slide downwards, it seems that I am drinking water all day long. But seeming it can be deceiving. With the hot days this week, we all need to be sure to keep hydrated, keep a watchful eye on our medication on and off times, and talk with our doctors to discuss adding more medication as needed to cover the off times.
Get out there, enjoy the sun, stay watered, and praise God for beautiful weather!
