 |
 |
I am yet another ex smoker who was diagnosed with PD shortly after quitting the habit. In my case the diagnosis was made about 6 months after I had stopped smoking as part of my plan to "get myself really fit" (irony is not an attitude-its a fact of life). Once again in my case, quitting was not the cause of my PD as I had been exhibiting the early signs of the condition for some years. I presented with a cramped left hand and a 'strained muscle' in my left arm-the hand cramp had been around and getting worse for about two years prior to diagnosis. I had also experienced what I now clearly recognise as PD 'off' days, on at least two occassions in the previous three years, and on a single day 6 months before quitting found myself slowing from a normal walk to a dead stop 4 times during a walk of about 5 kms. That experience puzzled me at the time but as it didn't recur I put it in the "ain't life strange" part of my brain and 'forgot' about it until after PD-Day. All of which makes me quite sure in myself that I, at least, had PD prior to quitting smoking. However in the first 2 1/2 years after quitting, my symptoms increased rapidly, to the point where I was diagnosed within 6 months and required medication to function well enough to stay employed 2 years after being diagnosed. The nicotine (or some other active agent) appears to have had either a masking or suppressing effect. As quitting smoking seems to have been a factor in the early stages of many listmembers PD, it would be interesting to quantify it. To that end I propose a 'Straw Poll' on the subject. I will collect the data and report my 'findings' to the list. Obviously this is intended as a 'for interests sake' exercise and in no way claims to be a scientific survey. So if anyone who considers quitting was a factor in their PD would drop me a (short please) line, I will do the rest. Dennis. ++++++++++++++++++++ Dennis Greene 47/10 [log in to unmask] ++++++++++++++++++++