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Brian, >Due perhaps to the fact that before PD I had an excellent sense of >balance, I have not (Yet ) actually fallen down. Half your luck. I too had a good sense of balance and very good head for hieghts prior to developing PD. Good enough that i used to be the Fly Captain of a theatre club and one of those used for roof work by my State Emergency Service unit. Unfortunately this has not kept me on my feet since getting PD. >The pre-cursor of falling is nearly always the old Parkinson's Soft-Shoe >Shuffle, which is generally coupled with freezing in doorways, but can >happen out in the open also. Agreed > >After cross-questioning a few people in our local support group, I will >stick my neck out and say I believe that in 90% of cases falling is due >to insufficient levodopa: In short, you are underdosed. Agreed - I would go so far as to say that the other 10% are associated with dyskinesia or are not associated with PD per se. > Now don't rush off and start swallowing loads of tablets - If you are >like me. you should be more concerned that you have chosen the correct >level once the tablet is established, and the lead-in to that steady >level will be what it will be. (You can always go back to bed for half >an hour!) Agreed - but here comes my problem - I tend to get on with things rather than wait 'til I'm on. I also agree that the subsequent regular 'off' periods during the day are a clear sign of being underdosed and that this can be overcome by taking meds early. At the risk of triggering an old discussion (which I shall stay right out of) I would advise anyone deciding to take that route that they may experience dyskinesia until such time as they get the adjustment fine tuned. Those with a narrow window of toxicity will have more trouble than others. Dennis