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hi david you wrote: >Hello list members, >I was diagnosed with PD less than a month ago. I have a shuffle in my >gait on the left side and some loss of dexterity in left hand with a >very very slight tremor. I can live with these symptoms with minor >adjustment to the way I live. The main symptomatic problem, for which I >had sought medical attention in the first place, is a painful "frozen >shoulder" with severly restricted range of movement of my left arm. I am >told that this is a separate issue from PD, but that the latter's >tendency to tighten muscles of neck and shoulder could be causing lack >of response to physical therapy for the shoulder joint. Therefore >starting PD medication, why not yet strictly necessary, could benefit >this condition. what kind of medico made your diagnosis - a movement disorder specialist? i disagree with the idea that 'frozen shoulder' is separate from pd i believe that it is a symptom of the muscle rigidity of pd [i relate it to a permanent cramp] and also believe that levodopa would ease it been there done that >I have not started medication yet because of another worry: In order to >get a balanced understanding on what was happening, I sought a second >opinion from another neurologist. Result: complete confusion. One >recommends that I commence with dopamine agonist Pergolide, the other >(who knows about the other's recommendation) favours levodopa in the >form of Madopar. Both tell me it is my decision. These are two reputable >medical men, when the time comes that I feel I am ready for the >commitment, which course do I choose? Not so much that, how, as a >layman, do I choose? >Dave Thurston go back to both, tell them of both opinions and ask them to explain their reasoning to you ask them how much experience [how many patients/at what stages] they've had with pd you can be a layman no longer you have to become your own best advocate this kind of disagreement and ignorance about pd will not stop here pd ignorance among medicos can be fatal as we have seen on this list the best kind of pd info in the world is here in our archives at: <http://james.parkinsons.org.uk/> as maintained by simon coles janet janet paterson - 51 now /41 dx /37 onset - almonte/ontario/canada http://www.newcountry.nu/pd/members/janet/index.htm [log in to unmask]