Jack Tibbs,
You will want to see a good Neuro for special testing before you become
overly concerned about having Multiple System Atrophy, otherwise known as
Shy-Drager Syndrome, something you don't want to worry about unnecessarily. It
is quite rare, and while it does have some symptoms in common with
Parkinson's, the treatments can be different.
The disorder is characterized by postural hypotension (an excessive drop in
blood pressure which causes dizziness or momentary blackouts upon standing or
sitting up). Has that been happening to you ?
Tests can include: Plasma norepinephrine levels, urinalysis for
norepinephrine breakdown products (urine catecholamines), EMG and EEG.
For more information, Search the Web using Excite and the search phrase
Shy+Drager, or go to http://miso.wwa.com/~claudec/shydrager/ and look around
there for information and links. It's very important to get a second opinion
based on thorough testing, then you can seek the best available treatments for
a know condition.
Best Wishes, John
