Researchers in Lithuania surveyed people with Parkinson’s disease to find out how many use vitamins, supplements, and alternative treatments. They discovered that nearly two-thirds of patients take nutritional supplements like vitamin D and fish oil, and about one-third try other complementary therapies. However, many patients don’t tell their doctors about these treatments. Women were more likely to use these products than men. The study highlights an important gap: patients are using these treatments, but doctors often don’t know about it, which could be risky since supplements can interact with regular Parkinson’s medications.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: How many people with Parkinson’s disease use vitamins, supplements, and alternative treatments, and whether they tell their doctors about it
  • Who participated: 169 people with Parkinson’s disease in Lithuania, with an average age of 66 years old. About half were men and half were women. Most had been living with Parkinson’s for about 4 years.
  • Key finding: About 63% of patients took nutritional supplements in the past year, and 31% used other alternative treatments. Women used these products more often than men. But only about half of supplement users told their doctor, while two-thirds of alternative therapy users did.
  • What it means for you: If you have Parkinson’s disease and take supplements or try alternative treatments, it’s important to tell your doctor. Supplements can interact with your regular medications and cause problems. This study suggests many people aren’t having these conversations with their doctors, which could be unsafe.

The Research Details

Researchers conducted a one-time survey at a hospital in Lithuania in 2022. They asked 206 people with Parkinson’s disease to fill out a questionnaire about what supplements and alternative treatments they had used in the past 12 months. The questionnaire asked about specific products like vitamins, minerals, and other therapies. A total of 169 people completed the survey, and researchers analyzed their answers.

This type of study is called a cross-sectional study, which means researchers took a snapshot in time rather than following people over months or years. They looked at what people were doing at that moment and compared different groups (men vs. women, younger vs. older patients) to see if certain types of people were more likely to use supplements or alternative treatments.

The researchers also asked whether patients had discussed their supplement and alternative therapy use with their neurologist or regular doctor. This information helped them understand how much communication was happening between patients and their medical teams.

This research approach is important because it gives us a clear picture of what’s actually happening in real life. Rather than testing whether a supplement works, this study shows us how many people are using these products and whether they’re talking to their doctors about it. This information helps doctors understand what their patients are doing and identify potential safety problems.

This study has some strengths: it surveyed a decent number of people (169) with confirmed Parkinson’s disease at a real hospital. However, there are limitations to consider. The study only included people from one hospital in Lithuania, so the results might not apply to other countries or regions. Also, people who agreed to fill out the survey might be different from those who didn’t. The study is a snapshot in time, so we don’t know if these patterns stay the same over years. Finally, people might not remember exactly what supplements they took or might not want to admit to their doctor that they use them.

What the Results Show

The study found that 106 out of 169 patients (about 63%) took nutritional supplements during the past year. The most popular supplements were vitamin D (used by 60% of supplement users), fish oil (51%), and magnesium (55%). About 52 patients (31%) used other types of complementary medicine, such as acupuncture, herbal remedies, or other alternative therapies.

Women were significantly more likely to use supplements and alternative treatments than men. About 71% of women took supplements compared to 54% of men. For alternative therapies, 39% of women used them compared to 22% of men. This difference was statistically significant, meaning it wasn’t just due to chance.

A concerning finding was that only about half of the supplement users (47%) had discussed their supplement use with their doctor or neurologist. In contrast, two-thirds of people using alternative therapies (67%) had talked to their doctor about it. This means many people taking supplements weren’t informing their medical team, even though supplements can interact with Parkinson’s medications.

The study found no major differences between supplement users and non-users when looking at other factors like age, education level, or how long they’d had Parkinson’s disease. This suggests that supplement use wasn’t strongly tied to how advanced someone’s disease was or other obvious characteristics. The main difference was gender: women were simply more likely to use these products regardless of other factors.

This study adds to existing research showing that many people with chronic diseases use supplements and alternative treatments without telling their doctors. Previous studies have found similar patterns in other conditions. What’s notable here is that the communication gap is particularly large for supplements—less than half of users discussed them with doctors. This is concerning because supplements are more likely to interact with prescription medications than some alternative therapies.

This study has several important limitations. First, it only included people from one hospital in Lithuania, so the results might not apply to other countries or different healthcare systems. Second, the study relied on people remembering what supplements they took over the past year, which might not be completely accurate. Third, people who agreed to participate in the study might be different from those who didn’t—for example, people more interested in health topics might be more likely to fill out the survey. Fourth, this was a one-time snapshot, so we don’t know if these patterns change over time. Finally, the study didn’t investigate why people weren’t telling their doctors about supplements, so we can only guess at the reasons.

The Bottom Line

If you have Parkinson’s disease and take any nutritional supplements or use alternative treatments, tell your doctor or neurologist about all of them. This is important because supplements can interact with your Parkinson’s medications and cause problems. Your doctor needs complete information about everything you’re taking to keep you safe. This recommendation has strong support from this research and general medical practice. Don’t stop taking supplements without talking to your doctor first, but do make sure your medical team knows what you’re using.

This research is most relevant for people with Parkinson’s disease and their doctors. If you have Parkinson’s and use supplements or alternative treatments, this applies to you. It’s also important for family members and caregivers who help manage someone’s health. Neurologists and general doctors should be aware that many of their Parkinson’s patients are using supplements without mentioning it. This research is less directly relevant to people without Parkinson’s disease, though the general principle of telling your doctor about supplements applies to everyone.

You should have this conversation with your doctor as soon as possible—ideally at your next appointment. Don’t wait to see if anything goes wrong. The benefits of telling your doctor aren’t something you’ll notice over time; rather, the benefit is preventing potential problems from happening in the first place. If your doctor suggests stopping or changing a supplement, you might notice changes in how you feel within days to weeks, depending on the supplement.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Create a complete list of all supplements and alternative treatments you use, including the name, dose, and how often you take it. Update this list monthly and share it with your doctor at each visit. Track any new supplements you start and note the date.
  • Set a reminder to bring a written list of all your supplements to every doctor’s appointment. Before starting any new supplement or alternative treatment, add it to your app and mark it as ’to discuss with doctor’ until you’ve had that conversation.
  • Use the app to maintain an ongoing medication and supplement list that you can easily share with all your healthcare providers. Set quarterly reminders to review and update your list. Track any side effects or changes in how you feel and note what supplements you were taking at that time, so you can discuss patterns with your doctor.

This research describes what people with Parkinson’s disease are currently doing with supplements and alternative treatments, but it does not prove that any particular supplement is safe or effective for Parkinson’s disease. Before starting, stopping, or changing any supplement or alternative treatment, you must consult with your neurologist or doctor. Some supplements can interact dangerously with Parkinson’s medications or affect how well your medications work. This article is for educational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. If you have Parkinson’s disease, work closely with your healthcare team to make decisions about supplements and alternative treatments.