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I'm new to this mail list. My main interest in this list is that my father-inlaw has Parkinson's. He's had it for 8-10 years and the progression has been fairly slow. My two immediate questions are: 1. Can anyone recommend a physical therapist/exercise group/physiatrist in the West Palm, Florida, USA area who knows how to develop an exercise program for Parkinson's. He's active and rides his bike, but I think that an exercise program that could help him with his balance would make a difference. 2. He has always had a chronic sleep problem (it runs in the family: my wife, her cousin, and my daughter all have similar sleep problems), but it has been exasperated by the Parkinson's and he has less reserves. His doctor (GP) prescribed Ambion (ampitriptyline), but his neurologist doesn't know much about sleep medication!! According to an article I read on the web by Michael S. Aldrich, MD, "a sedating tricyclic antidepressant with anticholinergic effects may be helpful .. (though they may have side effects). ... Benzodiazepines should be used cautiously when insomnia is chronic since they are likely to have little long term efficacy." But I haven't figured out which drugs fall into these classes. I think Trazedone falls into both. My daughter takes that for her chronic sleep problem and it hasn't shown any signs of reducing efficacy. Does anyone known whether the anticholinergic effects are needed for the positive action or whether that's just the side effects that come with this class of drugs. Well, I guess I'm also looking for a good pharmopsychiatrist in West Palm Florida. Thanks, I hope these questions haven't been too detailed for this group. Background on me: I have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) (adult diagnosis) and familial tremors and two of my uncles may have had Parkinson's, but there was never a diagnosis. Josh Goldman ([log in to unmask])