I think we all wonder sometimes if the meds are really necessary. A few years ago, my husband and I decided to stop his medication, just to see what life would be like without the carbidopa-levodopa. We discussed it with his neurologist who warned us that he would be okay for a few days but that she expected the “wheels would fall off” within a couple of weeks. She was so right. After our little experiment, it took him months to finally get back to a comfortably regulated place. We won’t try that again.

I need to remember that my husband doesn’t necessarily need the same supplements I take. My doctor recommended that I take fish oil to fight high cholesterol and support brain health. If it is good for me, it should be good for my husband, right? Wrong! Especially since he added it just before his DBS surgery and without consulting his neurosurgeon. I didn’t realize fish oil was a blood thinner and inadvertently put him at risk for a brain bleed. Later, when we were thinking about adding magnesium to his regime to fight leg cramps, we first talked to his doctor for her okay.

As his CarePartner, I am the best person to know when my husband’s medications are not working properly. I know his patterns and can see when things deviate from the norm. His medical team are the experts on medication, supplements and available treatments. That is why it is essential that I have a good relationship with his medical providers from his PCP to his Neurologist to a local pharmacist. I need to know that I can contact them at any time I have a concern and that they will listen and take me seriously. I also need to know that I can contact them with questions if we are considering a change, to make sure what we are doing will not put him in danger or cause unnecessary challenges for him. We all need to communicate if my husband is going to get the correct treatment for his diagnosis and that communication needs to start with me.