This collection is still growing. This page includes a broader list of recognized Parkinson’s symptoms. Symptoms shown as links are ones I’ve personally experienced and have published something meaningful about. Symptoms marked Experienced (story coming) are also part of my firsthand experience, but I haven’t published their stories yet. Symptoms marked Not experienced by me are included so you can quickly see that they are part of Parkinson’s, without clicking through expecting a personal story that isn’t there.
Parkinson’s Symptoms Through My Eyes
Parkinson’s doesn’t look the same for everyone. Some people experience symptoms I’ve never had, while others may never experience symptoms that have become a major part of my life.
This is not intended to be a diagnostic checklist or an exhaustive medical reference. It is a way to see a broader range of recognized Parkinson’s symptoms while making it clear which ones I can speak about from firsthand experience.
Linked symptom = I’ve experienced it and have something to share. Experienced (story coming) = I’ve experienced it, but haven’t published the firsthand story yet. Not experienced by me = listed for context, but there is no personal story to click.
Find What You’re Looking For
You don’t have to know the medical name. Try describing what you’re experiencing in your own words.
For example:
- “My feet feel stuck to the floor.”
- “My body keeps moving when I’m sitting still.”
- “I’m having trouble getting my words out.”
Browse Symptoms
Symptoms are grouped to make the list easier to scan. Some could reasonably fit in more than one category.
Movement & Mobility
- Tremor — shaking that has changed over the years and is not always visible to other people.
- Bradykinesia (slowness of movement) — Experienced (story coming)
- Rigidity (muscle stiffness) — Experienced (story coming)
- Postural instability / balance problems — Experienced (story coming)
- Freezing of Gait — moments when I want to walk but my feet seem unable to take the next step.
- Shuffling gait / short steps — Experienced (story coming)
- Reduced arm swing — Experienced (story coming)
- Stooped Posture / Postural Changes — changes in the way I stand and hold my body.
- Difficulty initiating movement — Experienced (story coming)
- Small handwriting (micrographia) — Not experienced by me
- Facial masking / reduced facial expression — Not experienced by me
- Dystonia / muscle cramping — Experienced (story coming)
- Dyskinesia — involuntary movements that can appear when my Parkinson’s treatment is working.
Speech, Swallowing & Saliva
- Soft voice (hypophonia) — Experienced (story coming)
- Slurred or unclear speech (dysarthria) — Experienced (story coming)
- Monotone or reduced vocal expression — Not experienced by me
- Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) — Experienced (story coming)
- Drooling / difficulty managing saliva — Experienced (story coming)
Thinking, Memory & Perception
- Cognitive Changes / Executive Function — changes in planning, organizing, decision-making, attention, and handling things that once felt automatic.
- Mild cognitive impairment / slowed thinking / brain fog — Experienced (story coming)
- Memory changes — Experienced (story coming)
- Difficulty concentrating — Experienced (story coming)
- Dementia — Experienced (story coming)
- Hallucinations — seeing things that can look completely real even when I know they are not.
- Delusions — Not experienced by me
- Visual or spatial processing changes — Experienced (story coming)
Mood & Behavior
- Anxiety — anxiety that became part of my Parkinson’s experience before I even understood what I was experiencing.
- Depression — Experienced (story coming)
- Apathy — times when I know what I need or want to do but cannot seem to make myself start.
- Panic attacks — Experienced (story coming)
- Irritability / mood changes — Not experienced by me
- Impulse-control or compulsive behaviors — Experienced (story coming)
Sleep & Energy
- REM sleep behavior disorder (acting out dreams) — Experienced (story coming)
- Insomnia / frequent waking — Experienced (story coming)
- Excessive daytime sleepiness — Experienced (story coming)
- Restless legs syndrome — Experienced (story coming)
- Vivid dreams or nightmares — Experienced (story coming)
- Fatigue / low stamina — Experienced (story coming)
Autonomic & Body Regulation
- Constipation — Not experienced by me
- Urinary urgency / frequent urination / bladder dysfunction — Experienced (story coming)
- Sexual dysfunction — Experienced (story coming)
- Low blood pressure when standing / dizziness — Not experienced by me
- Sweating or skin changes — Not experienced by me
- Temperature regulation changes — Not experienced by me
Sensory, Pain & Vision
- Loss or reduction of smell — Not experienced by me
- Changes in taste — Not experienced by me
- Pain — Experienced (story coming)
- Tingling or numbness — Not experienced by me
- Vision changes — Not experienced by me
Digestive & Gastrointestinal
- Slow digestion / gastroparesis / nausea — Not experienced by me
- Acid reflux — Not experienced by me
- Weight changes — Not experienced by me
Treatment-Related Experiences
These are not all symptoms of Parkinson’s itself, but they are important parts of living with Parkinson’s treatment.
- Dyskinesia — involuntary movement that can be associated with levodopa treatment.
- ON/OFF fluctuations and medication wearing off — Experienced (story coming)
As I publish firsthand Experiences about symptoms I’ve experienced, I can turn those symptom names into links. Symptoms I have not experienced will remain unlinked so visitors can see the broader picture without being sent to an empty page.