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COMMENTS IN TEXT +++++++++ ++++++++ ---------- From: Will A. Kuipers <[log in to unmask]> Date: Saturday, February 06, 1999 4:38 PM Marty Polonski and Will Johnnston seem to agree with Joe Bruman's theory and advice to William A. Parrette that exercise will "use up" available dopamine and that it would not be harmful to take a little additional dopamine to offset the loss. I beg to differ. In my experience, not only exercise will cause an increase of tremor, but any kind of stress, or exitement, like getting up in a crowd and speaking, will do that. +++++++Some of us are freezers, others have tremors, some have both I have little tremor but lots of freezing. I find that stress can help with freezing. When driving, if a danger appears ahead my foot goes right to the brake with no hesitation or bradykinesia. My voice is generally better when speaking to a crowd than otherwise.++++++ I would say, any cause that may increase the release of adrenalyn in the bloodstream will have that effect. Stopping the exercise or taking away the other causes is enough for the tremor to subside. I don't think the dopamine is "used up"; it is just otherwise occupied. +++++++++Adrenalin /epinepherin can act as a neurotransmitter / agonist. There are lots of stories of frozen PD patients who hear fire alarms or see smoke and outrun most people getting out. This may cause those with tremor as the major problem with PD to get an uncontrolled overload and tremor.++++++ I don't see that taking extra dopamine will help much, because of the time it needs to take effect. ++++++++++Extra levodopa does require time to break down to dopamine. I am one of the PD patients whose PD symptoms worsen temporarily after taking a dose of levodopa [Sinemet] but improve tremendously when the medication becomes available as dopamine in the brain.+++++++ A good example is when I try to turn around in bed. The effort causes a sudden flare-up of tremor which stops as soon as I quit struggling. Supposedly,according to the theory that is the time when there should be some dopamine in reserve! Not that I can notice! ++++++++Is this in the morning or during the night? Just after going to bed or longer if you have insomnia you have not produced much. I understand that we use little dopamine while sleeping but still build some while sleeping. As the PD progresses, our storage ability decreases. I'm afraid that my ability to store while I snore is not as good as it used to be..Alas!...++++++++++ It would be interesting to investigate the interplay of adrenalyn and dopamine under controlled conditions. ++++++yes++++++ Will A. Kuipers Dallas, Texas 78 / 71 / 70 <[log in to unmask]>