Former ECW World Champion Raven has opened up about the long, complicated journey that led to his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. Speaking to Wrestling Life Online, the hardcore legend shared new details about the symptoms he has battled for years and the struggle to pinpoint the source of his condition.
Raven revealed that, despite the timeline sounding contradictory, he has been dealing with the disease “for 10 years off and on.” He explained that his first warning sign appeared several years ago when he developed a tremor that prompted him to visit a neurologist.
“I say off and on, even though that doesn’t make any sense because I had a tremor for a couple of years, went to a neurologist. He said, ‘try getting off Depakote, a medication I was taking for sleeping and maybe it’ll go away cause it’s known to cause it,’” Raven said.
Depakote (divalproex sodium), while primarily used to treat seizures, bipolar disorder, and migraines, is sometimes prescribed off-label for certain sleep-related issues. Per his doctor’s recommendation, Raven discontinued the medication.
“So I got off it and it went away for mostly for a couple of years. But then it came– the tremor started coming back,” he recalled.
Today, Raven says his symptoms are steady but manageable. “But other than I have a small hitch in my gait, in my walk, mainly it’s just a tremor. So it’s not anything that’s not manageable.”
However, the aspect of the diagnosis that affects him the most is not the tremor — it’s the chronic sleep disorder that has severely impacted his quality of life.
“My sleep disorder is the worst part because I wake up exhausted. I wake up as tired as when I went to bed because I wake up 15, 20 times a night,” Raven said. Still, he remains focused on staying positive. “At least I can fall back asleep usually immediately. So, I’m always trying to look at the positives.”
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder caused by the degeneration of dopamine-producing cells in the brain. While there is no cure, treatments can help control symptoms, particularly tremors, stiffness, and mobility issues.
