Experts say disease progression is actually to blame
Written by Mary Beth Skylis | March 5, 2026
A few years ago, I accompanied my dad, who has Parkinson’s disease, to a neurology appointment to observe how his doctor interacted with him and assessed whether his deep brain stimulation hardware needed adjustment. The doctor asked if he was taking the recommended dosage of levodopa at the scheduled times she had suggested. He admitted he was not — he was taking less than they’d discussed, though still on a fairly regular schedule, with some exceptions.
At the time, I remember questioning his decision. Why wasn’t he giving himself the best quality of life possible? What was the benefit of keeping his medication dosage low? After talking with him, I realized he was trying to prepare for the future. He worried the medication might lose its effectiveness when he needed it most.
Dad’s mindset was actually more common than I initially realized.
Levodopa has long been considered the gold standard of Parkinson’s medications. But many people with Parkinson’s feel as if the medication loses its effectiveness over time. However, according to my dad’s neurologist and other resources, it’s actually the progression of the disease that increases the need for medication, not a loss of effectiveness.
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