Does Parkinson’s Cause Hallucinations?

Michael J. Fox joins Harrison Fordand an ensemble cast for season 3 of Shrinking, a comedy-drama series about a therapist who helps patients working through their mental health issues while dealing with his own issues. This is a return to TV since Fox initially retired from acting in 2020.

In season 3, Ford’s character is diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a condition that Fox knows all about first-hand. Without giving too much away, Ford’s character hallucinates that Fox’s character was at his recent wedding reception. Fox’s character also has PD and the two talk about how the tremors and other issues affect their daily lives. There’s been speculation that Harrison Ford has PD in real life, but these rumors are unfounded. Fox was diagnosed with early-onset PD in his 20’s.

Are Hallucinations A Side Effect of PD?

Yes, people with PD can experience cognitive issues like hallucinations, according to the Michael J. Fox Foundation. People can have hallucinations and delusions, which may develop years after diagnosis. Common hallucinations are hearing or seeing people or things that aren’t there. Delusions affect how a person understands a situation. They can worsen over time as the disease progresses.

A spouse with PD may suddenly think their spouse is cheating on them or that family members are stealing from them. It can be difficult for a person with PD to separate fact from the fiction of their own making. These things can be very scary for the person experiencing them and frustrating for friends and loved ones.

Other causes include:

• Certain PD medications
• Changes in the day-to-day routine
• Medications like Benadryl
• Infections, including a urinary tract infection, COVID-19 or pneumonia

You can stream “Shrinking on Apple TV + with new episodes on Wednesdays.