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My wife, Jan, started having symptoms about four years ago. It started with short periods of imbalance, very intermittent and spaced as much as four months apart. She fell on several occasions and although she was aware she was falling, she was powerless to prevent it or use her hands or arms to soften the fall. In August, Jan developed internal and external tremors that are also intermittent, lasting for a few hours to as much as five days. The shaking seems to affect her gross motor skills. She has difficulty walking and doing everyday tasks. It takes a concerted effort on her part to start to move, or to go up stairs etc. Although she retains the use of her fingers, her head, torso, hands and feet shake, her voice shakes and fluctuates as well. She is normally right handed, but during these spells, she is sometimes better able to use her left hand for eating. She has had MRI, MRA, EEG, Cat Scan . . . all normal. There is some MS in her family, but no history of essential tremors or PD. She has seen three neurologists as Kaiser, all of whom have ruled out PD because of the intermittent nature of her symptoms. The last neurologist believes she has some form of essential tremors. I asked the doctor what symptoms allow the exclusion or PD, and he explained that if it were PD, the symptoms would not be so intermittent and that the disease would have progressed by now so that the symptoms would be more pronounced. Though we are somewhat relieved and hopeful that his diagnosis is correct, and it's not PD, we are still left hanging. Information we have read from posts on this board would indicate that sometimes symptoms of PD are intermittent. We would sure appreciate any help or information that you think might apply. Her "more computer literate husband" John. Thank you. John Morgan ([log in to unmask]) -- bumper Napa CA USA - 201 N58065, 7AC Champ NC31346, Starduster N73R