Over 30% of Parkinson’s patients use natural health products, finds survey

A recent survey has found that over a third of patients with Parkinson’s disease are turning to natural remedies, including cannabis, coffee and turmeric, to help manage their symptoms. 

The study, published in the Journal of Parkinson’s, also revealed that a large number of these patients are not talking to their healthcare professionals about their use of natural products.

Parkinson’s disease is the world’s fastest growing neurodegenerative disorder, currently affecting more than 8.5 million people worldwide.

There is currently no cure and symptoms can be life-altering including tremors, rigidity (stiffness), slowness of movement, mild memory and thinking problems, sleep problems, pain and mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.

Researchers from the Université Laval in Canada, surveyed 367 Parkinson’s patients from across the Netherlands who are part of the PRIME-NL (Proactive and Integrated Management and Empowerment of Parkinson’s Disease – Netherlands) database.

They aimed to determine the prevalence of natural health product use, as well as awareness of potential interactions with other medications and whether they were discussing this with their healthcare professionals.

The results found that 36% of patients  reported having used natural health products to alleviate symptoms, with coffee, cannabis and turmeric being the most popular. Of these, coffee was the most common product used (16%), followed by cannabis (13%) and turmeric (10%).Other supplements used included velvet bean and chamomile.

A further 71% of respondents said they were interested in learning more about natural health products.

The authors state: “The interest in natural sources of bioactive molecules documented here corroborates other studies indicating that PwP seek to become active players in the design of their therapies.This offers an opportunity to further develop personalized treatments and promote patient involvement in health care decision making. However, it is important to caution patients against the use of potentially ineffective therapies that may delay the prescription of evidence-based treatments.”

Among those who used natural health products, only 39% were aware that these products could interact with other Parkinson’s medication and most (61%) hadn’t discussed their use with their healthcare professional.

“This study supports the need for rigorous evidence-based research on the clinical efficacy and safety of plant-derived therapeutics,” the authors add.

“In order to optimize both the efficacy and safety of the overall management approach, patients should therefore be encouraged to openly discuss the use of herbal products or any other supplements with their physician or pharmacist.”

Medical cannabis and Parkinson’s 

The use of medical cannabis in Parkinson’s is widely reported, with UK clinics prescribing the treatment to help manage symptoms. 

A study in Norway found that 11% of Parkinson’s patients have used cannabis to manage symptoms, while in a survey in the US (where cannabis is more widely available) up to 25% of patients reported consumption. 

Several prominent Parkinson’s organisations, including  Parkinson’s UK, Parkinson’s Europe, the Michael J Fox Foundation and The Parkinson’s Foundation in the US, have urged patients to exercise caution around using cannabis for Parkinson’s, citing a lack of current evidence into its efficacy and safety.

In a statement, Parkinson’s Europe’s Research Manager, Amelia Hursey explained: “With homoeopathic and natural product treatments it’s rare to be able to purchase products over the counter that have a high enough concentration level of the active compound to have a therapeutic effect. 

“For instance, using Cannabinoids or CBD (an active ingredient in cannabis that is derived from the hemp plant) as a relaxant can work, however knowing what the concentration is within the item you consume and how much you would need to have a therapeutic effect is very hard to evaluate.”

However, while more research is needed, the results of randomised and non-randomised clinical trials to date suggest potential benefits of medical cannabis to help with symptoms, including tremors, pain and sleep. An ongoing trial led by Parkinson’s UK is also examining whether CBD can be used to treat hallucinations and delusions in Parkinson’s.