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Hello everyone. I thought I would write and introduce myself (after all, I would not want to be classified as a "lurker") my name is Paul, I am forty-seven years old and have recently been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. In retrospect, I have had symptoms of the disease for at least a decade. Unfortunately, for most of that time I was treated for fibromyalgia, obviously unsuccessfully. After living for years on ungodly doses of pain medication that barely relieved the pain, I received the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. In defense of the physicians who treated me, I believe that I suppressed the one symptom into that would have made the diagnosis easy, my tremors. This was probably a function of my profession, dentistry. Without realizing it I would tense up to prevent my hands from shaking. I have obviously had to give up practicing dentistry. Fortunately, my response to medication has been relatively good. I am presently taking 200 mg of Amantadine and have found that the muscular rigidity is vastly improved. Also, not being on enough narcotic medication to sedate a small village has improved my balance. I have found this forum and wonderful source of information and support. I hope that I can contribute in some manner to repay my debt of gratitude. Should anyone wish to email me directly, I can be reached at [log in to unmask] Once again, thank you all for the information and support you provide.