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Hi Brian, > Since I wrote about a month ago, when I had just sufferred my first attack, > I have found out how to prevent it (For me at least) :- you have to get your > drugs (Sinemet + Agonist) in just the right proportions, to produce that > elusive 'how it felt before PD' feeling. Agreed - the balance between agonist and levodopa is critical in my experience. In fact I'm convinced that I read in some authorative source that Permax lists dystonia as one of its side effects. I have been unable to find the reference however so throw it in here for what it is worth. I actually experience two types of dystonia. The first is one which only occurs at the end of the day and is quite definitly an 'end of dose' phenomenon. It takes the form of the familiar (so it seems) to many people foot dyskinesia. The foot itself bends in a painful arch as its toes and heel get closer and closer together. The toes are "clenched" and curl into the ball of the foot whist, at the same time, the ankle may twist the foot to such an extent that if you tried to walk on it you would be walking on thre outside of the foot. Accompanying all this is a feeling of disquiet that 'radiates' from the foot along the leg, and, on bad days, reaches the whole body (its a bit like Heineken:-). I think of this feeling as the "heeby jeebies" or 'ants under the skin'. It is this feeling which movement helps to dispel. I have even been driven to walking on a twisted over foot just to get rid of the 'heebies". The other type of dystonia I experince is just as definitly a beginning of dose phenomenon. It begins as a 'simple' foot dystonia and very rapidly progresses to the whole of my left leg which twists outwards from toe to hip. It feel as if the leg is trying to twist itself out of the hip socket. This can be an extremly painful experience but does have going for it that it is usually over within a minute or so, and it is the herald of the "on". On rare occassions I seem to get lost in some never never land half way between 'off' and 'on'. When that happens the dystonia can last for up to 20 mins, during which time my kids know not to ask me anything that requires a considered or even a polite answer. > By the way Dennis, could your Dynamic Dystonia be your meds drifting > away and then back to the optimum setting? I have given this some thought and don't really know the answer. The two types of dystonia I experience would seem to contradict each other in that they both become more intense until they end suddenly yet in the case of the foot dystonia the meds are running out and in the case of the leg dystonia they are coming on line. My gut reaction is that whatever is happening is more complex than a simple response to dopamine levels, though it would appear obvious that a change in dopamine level acts as a trigger. Dennis +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Dennis Greene 50/dx 37/ onset 32 email - [log in to unmask] Website - http://members.networx.net.au/~dennisg/ (most recent update -Nov 5, 1999) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++