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I have spastic paraplegia.Will dopamine help me?

This Premium Q&A, reviewed and published, features a real conversation between an iCliniq user and a physician.

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

I have spastic paraplegia. Everything I have tried has not worked. I was told to try a medication called L-Dopa. Will this medication help me?

Answered by Dr. Anshul Varshney

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

L- Dopa is Levodopa and is a drug for parkinson's disease.

It will help you in spastic paraplegia in case there is a deficiency of dopamine in substantia niagra of your brain.

It is definitely going to help you if there is any deficiency. But if there is no deficiency, it will be of no help.

In my clinical experience, Baclofen helps mostly in resistant cases.

For further follow up, consult a neurologist online --> https://www.icliniq.com/ask-a-doctor-online/neurologist

Patient's Query

Hi,

Thank you for your reply.

I have checked the symptoms due to deficiency of dopamine in the brain. I have most of the symptoms:

  • Depression.
  • Lack of pleasure. 
  • Lacking the feeling of attachments or love.
  • Distraction.
  • Chronic boredom.
  • Lack of satisfactory feeling.
  • Fatigue.
  • Oversleeping.
  • Decrease in physical energy.
  • Undesirability for exercise.
  • Mental distractibility.
  • To become solution oriented and not looking at the whole picture of a situation.
  • Trouble in focusing.
  • Less interest in relationship.
  • Becoming socially withdrawn.
  • Becoming apathetic.
  • Short attention span.
  • No balance.

Do all of these symptoms seem to present a very good possibility of deficiency of dopamine in my brain?

I also have a Baclofen pump, which has helped me only minimally.

Answered by Dr. Anshul Varshney

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

These symptoms are of depression and not dopamine deficiency.

  • The indication to use dopamine is in parkinson's disease and otherwise not.
  • So, there is no point in using the dopamine.
  • I would advice you to consult your doctor and start with SSRI group of drugs like Escitalopram.

All the symptoms that you have mentioned will improve with this drug.

I hope this information helps you.

If you have any further queries, consult a neurologist online --> https://www.icliniq.com/ask-a-doctor-online/neurologist

Answered byDr. Anshul Varshney

Medically reviewed byiCliniq medical review team

Published At May 7, 2015
Reviewed AtFebruary 16, 2024

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