I'd like to introduce myself and my husband David as new subscribers. We live in Israel. David is 77, and was first diagnosed with Parkinsons about 7 years ago; his symptoms were for a long time quite mild, but have become more severe over the past 3 years. The symptoms that most distress him are: acute attacks of shortness of breath; difficulty in swallowing (at times the throat mechanism simply "freezes", and he is completely unable to swallow or to speak); and accumulation of large amounts of phlegm in his throat and chest, which he periodically has to cough up. (He has been checked for chest disease, with negative results, and told this is due to Parkinsons). In addition, frequent urination during the night; and stiffness and "freezing" when he starts to stand up or walk. His current medication is: "Dopicar" [1 tablet=Carbidopa 25mg + Levodopa 250mg]: three-quarters of a tablet 3 times a day; "Parilac" [1 tablet=Bromocriptine 2.5mg]: 3.5 tablets daily, in 3 doses; "Jumex" [1 tablet=Deprenyl-Selegiline HCl 5mg]: 1 morning + 1 evening. plus 1 "Dibenyline" capsule daily for prostate. (Brand-names probably differ from those familiar to USA / UK people.) Any helpful comments or advice would be welcome! His neurological appointments are only once every 4 months; the clinics are so busy, it's next to impossible to get an appointment in between times; and the day-to-day coping with his symptoms (especially the sudden acute attacks which more or less paralyze him at times) sometimes gets on top of us. We've had a lot of stress over the past years, as we also have a daughter (16) with severe cerebral palsy; in fact it was during the period that we were (reluctantly but necessarily) arranging her admission into a residential Home that my husband's Parkinsons was first diagnosed - I don't know whether there was any connection! All this in addition to the stresses and strains of adapting to life in Israel (we immigrated from England 15 years ago). This may not be directly relevant to the Parkinsons; but everything is interrelated, and the pressures accumulate! (I'm also subscribing to CPParents and Depression mailing lists.) I look forward to keeping in touch with this group. If there are any other subscribers in Israel, I'd be happy to hear from them! Margaret Hayon <[log in to unmask]>