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For Keith Bushmaker.

Hello Keith.  I just saw your post about freezing, and was struck with the
renarkable similarity in our histories. I was diagnosed 18 years ago, and
have been taking meds for that time. My first symptoms date back 24 years.

I seem to gather a little bit of what I think of as an 'early morning boost'
while I am asleep, so that when I wake up (and immediately take my 2
Madopar dispersible tablets (100mg levodopa total), I am able to move around
and get dressed, but during the 45 or so minutes before the tablets switch
on, I get partial freezing - for example, walking through a doorway,
particularly if it is partially blocked, my feet start to stutter, and I
sometimes come to a halt. So far, I can get underway again just by
focussing my attention on my legs, getting my balance right (I think this
is why I start to stumble in the first place), and starting off again.

I only get these partial freezing episodes if I am in an underdosed
condition: that is I am getting tremor in my left arm and shoulder, and
bradykinesia in my right arm (extreme slowness of movement). So the solution
to the problem is to avoid the Off condition - sounds easy when put like
that!

It boils down to a question of how small the target window is; that is the
window bounded on one side by PD tremor, and on the other side by
dyskinesias.  Like you, I take my tablets every 2 hours - one and a half
madopar dispersibles every 2 hours (75 mg). 80 mg would be too much, and
70 mr would be too little.  Have you established the extent of your window?

I should add that I also take Permax (currently 8 tablets (2mg) per day).
It helps, but not a lot. I also am hoping that Re-Quip (which is actually
available here in the UK) will tip the scales back in my favour.

If I can help at all, please ask, and if you have learnt any tricks that
might help me I would like to hear of them.

Stick with it!,
Regards,
--
Brian Collins  <[log in to unmask]>