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To list readers: This is my first experience with e-mail so please bear with any faux pas. I'm 73, widowed, retired aerospace engineer, diagnosed with PD about 2 years ago but in hindsight recall much earlier symptoms. The most prominent are tremor and chronic fatigue. Tremor responds to alcohol and primidone (Mysoline), leading me to suspect ET rather than PD. But the gait changes, fatigue, and severe seborrhea are PD symptoms, so I take levodopa/ carbidopa (Sinemet) as well. My neurologist at Kaiser advised to experiment (cautiously) with medication so I take both, just to be sure. Medical books also advise eliminating other possibilities, such as glioma, and I recently had an MRI scan. Currently my main concern is the hazard and burden of living alone, maintaining house, cars, and a big hillside backyard. I joined the local chapter of APDA, where I undertook to scan a limited number of medical journals and review articles for the newsletter. Should like to hear from others (especially local) who may wish to share advice and experience. In our SoCal chapter there has been some casual talk about a national registry of PD patients. This might be of great value in tracking down the etiology of PD, but obviously needs very careful planning, which hasn't appeared as yet. Any thoughts about this? Finally, I observe several inquiries that might have been avoided by reference to standard literature on PD, and would recommend that any PD patient or caregiver own these three major books: -Physician's Desk Reference (PDR)-The "official" dope on all prescription drugs. Revised annually, costs about $55. Typical format includes (Chemical) Description, Clinical Pharmacology, Indications and Usage, Contraindications, Warnings, Precautions, Adverse Reactions, Dosage and Administration, and How Supplied. This is the same data required by the FDA to be packaged with each drug. Also includes a photo of each pill. Main objection is small type and unwieldy size (currently a hefty 7 pounds). -The Merck Manual. While you're waiting for the Dr. he's probably doing a quick brush-up (just kidding). Revised about every 5 years, currently 1992. Differs from the popular "home reference" books in being written for and by doctors, usually prominent specialists. You have to dig through a lot of medical jargon, but the articles are unsurpassed in reliability and authority. Thumb-indexed, covers just about every known disease. Typical article will include Etiology, Diagnosis, Prognosis and Treatment (including drugs and dosage). Current edition is 2844 pages of 7-point type. -Parkinson's Disease, by Roger Duvoisin MD. The best, most comprehensive "layman's" reference I have found. Although sold in bookstores, may be had free from the publisher, Du Pont Pharma (makers of Sinemet), if you are a PD patient and call the (800) number given under Sinemet in the PDR. These books of course can't cover current research, but they will impart a solid background of basic knowledge. Cheers, J. R. Bruman (818) 789-3694 3527 Cody Road Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 ([log in to unmask])