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Hello all Pds This is a message from Anne & Mohan Jacob. We are from Pune, a city in Western India, close to Bombay ( now called Mumbai). Anne had been diagonised as a patient of PD since way back 1989, when she was in her mid thirtys. It was quite shattering when we were told she suffered from PD. Over the last 7 years we have on our own tried to explore various avenues to overcome the problem but it has been quite frustrating. Sinemet was not acceptable to her system, and then she stuck to only Eldepryl, which was fine till she started getting stiff and immobile. She was put on Tidomet ( a combination of Ldopa and Carbodopa) and we found her reacting to the medication (Involuntary violent movements). It was fine if such reactions were predictable and hence controllable, but when it became unpredictable it became embarrasing. Over the last two days ever since we have got connected to PARKINSN site we have realised that we are not exceptions, there are many more similar PDs, in the height of their youth and suffering even more. While there are many similarities in the symptoms the reactions are different to the medication if not in symptoms atleast in the degree of reaction. Is the medication the only way out? Is there no other way? We are convinced there are other ways! We have heard of snippets of somebody being cured. Someone else being able to cope with the problem very admirably. A friend had contacted PD around the same time as Anne, but she decided to scrap the medication and fight the problem head on. And today, though the problem still persists she is able to carry on a normal life as a succesful Business woman, attending to work, home(she is a mother of more than one child) and socials with equal vigour and enthusiasm. So there is hope! If there is hope there is a solution. Yesterday when we saw the Home Page of PARKINSON's DIGEST, we read about the cause for passing the UDALL bill in the US senate. Although there is no update on it we hope that it got cleared. There is hope! And if there is hope there is a solution. We have learnt that many of the holistic medical streams claim of cures for the illness. Take for example ACCUPRESSURE, ACCUPUNTURE, REIKI, AYURVEDIC, NATUROPATHY, etc. But then we have not come across any focussed treatment of PD under any of these streams. Maybe someoneelse has and has benefitted from it. These cases need to be publicised so as to benefit the entire community of PDs. So there is hope! And of course there is a solution. We have been experimenting over the last couple of months with Ayurvedic treatment supplementing the Allopathic medication. While we experienced some noticeable benefits, such as more energy, skin glowing, youthfulness, etc., eventually it all came to naught, as there was an excess intake of Ldopa. The Ldopa came from natural sources (Ayurvedic medication) and also from synthetic sources (Allopathic mediaction). Hence the lesson we learnt from this experience was by all means try out alternative medication, but never should it be an uncoordinated effort. Anne felt wonderful for about 15 days after the intake of Ldopa was drastically reduced. In our enthusiasm when the intake was futher reduced it had the reverse effect. The symptoms deteriorated. At present we are experimenting on the correct dosage and medication under the Allopathic stream of treatment. Very confusing is'nt it. Back to square one. Well then through this entire journey we picked up HOPE somewhere and eversince then we believe there is a solution. We are hoping you all will join us in finding it. In all the various streams of medications, be it allopathic, homeopathic, ayurvedic, accupressure, accpuncture, reiki, naturopathy, etc., there are dedicated individuals who are commited to finding the correct solution for their patients. We need to bring them together to fight PD. Whew! Did we say a lot! But then there is hope and then there is a ....... How do we go about it then?? Any ideas?? Happy PDing to all! bye and regards Anne & Mohan Jacob PUNE, Maharashtra, India.