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I have recently returned from holiday and, among the e-mail waiting for me there was one asking for information about my experience with Permax. Unfortunately, I managed to delete it when I should have saved it, so I'm not sure who was asking me. So, in the hope that the unknown will read it, I post my reply to the open list. In the original letter, I remember the writer saying I had reported having a bad time ramping up on Permax (that's Pergolide, or Celance for you fellow Brits). In fact - and hence the subject of this letter - I had a very easy time of it. When I started on Permax I was ready for the any of the horrendous list of possible side-effects that I had seen mentioned, but, in fact, didn't experience any at all. The transition was really very easy for me. As a result, I have been able to reduce my Sinemet CR intake by forty percent and feel a whole lot better on my present meds. FYI, I presently take the following: 0800 - 2 x 'Half-SinemetCR', 1 x 0.25 mgm and 3 x 0.05 mgm Permax 1200 - 1 x 'Half-SinemetCR', 1 x 0.25 mgm and 3 x 0.05 mgm Permax 1600 - same as at 1200 I then do not usually take any more until the next morning (John Cottenham's "Drug Holiday"?). However, if we are going out for the evening or I feel that I need help to stay ON, I will take another Half- SinemetCR at about 1900. As a 'first-aid kit', I have a supply of fast-acting Madopar Dispersible in case of a real need for a quick boost - although I have to say that happens only very rarely. Incidentally, I don't think Madopar is available in the US. I must stress that the experience I had with Permax was MY experience and will not necessarily be the same for anybody else. For ME it worked like a charm and I am now very settled on it. This will NOT be the case for everybody. You may be interested to know that I recently had a discussion with Europe's top PD researcher about Eldepryl (Selegeline) and the present bad publicity. His advice was " The research was incomplete, so, if you take it as part of a cocktail and find you can manage without it, drop it off. But if, when you try to stop using it, you find you feel worse, then start taking it again." This would apply especially to those of us who only take Eldepryl, of course. I hope this will be of help to somebody out there and just want to add that I missed you all while I was on holiday. Always remember, there are a lot worse things than PD, and be thankful. All of you are regularly in my prayers. -- Ron Herstell