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Hello everyone. The thought which generated the following message first struck me a couple of weeks ago. Since then I've kicked it around a little, but it still looks worth an airing to the list. If there is a flaw in the reasoning I'm sure you will find it. The latest thinking on what causes PD, (and in my view the most rational explanation - ) recognises that there are many ( 10 , maybe 20) causes which, operating quite independently can increase the stress on the brain's Dopamine production cells. If the stress reaches an unacceptable level, the cell just gives up, and dies in a process known as Apoptosis or Programmed cell death. The cells in our body are constantly dying and being replaced by this process -except for the brain's cells; they are NOT replaced when they die. We are all, I think, aquainted with the concept that we can suffer a catastrophic loss of Dopamine-producing cells at any time, and be totally unaware of it, because the brain has such a plethora (good word eh?) of these cells. We only develop the symptoms of PD when the cell count has dropped to about 10% to 20% of the original number of cells. The time, place ,and nature of this stress to the dopamine cells is thus a complete unknown, and could have happened years ago, and only when the normal ageing process further depletes the number of cells to less than 20%. This means that all those who are diagnosed as having PD have less than 20% of the normal dopamine cells left, and inevitably we must assume that another dose of whatever it was that caused each of us to drop from 100% to less than 20% would, if it happened again, probably blow us sky-high. And yet, we Parkies manage to carry on to a normal age these days, with the help of the usual drugs. It would appear that either the original cause of the stress which destroyed our Dopamine cells has gone away with the decopmposition of those cells, or the same stress, resulting from who-knows-what is (like lightning) not likely to strike the same person twice. If you are still with me, how do you answer ths question: Why are you taking Eldepryl ? You have got PD, so you have less than 20% Dopamine cells, and it is not going to happen again, so why take Eldepryl ? The once-in-a-lifetime event has happened, and you got the short straw, so I see no point in trying to prevent a second event which has such a low prbability. Now here's the stinger: IF this case is correct, we ought to be saying to the REST OF THE WORLD: Why are you not taking Eldepryl? because they are the ones at risk, not us.!!! Regards, -- Brian Collins <[log in to unmask]>