Originally Posted by Conductor71

Hi all,

I just returned from my NIH screening and received some stunning news...two doctors told me that I do not have Parkinson's Disease! I am cautiously optimistic pending a DAT scan, but feel rather bewildered at the moment. A big part me wants to write it off as crazy because they examine patients on their meds, but paradoxically this makes their conclusion more accurate, at least in my case. I learned some very interesting things which I will list:

People who do not have PD readily respond to PD and contrary to what everyone says a person without PD can grt dyskinesia, so using levodopa as a diagnostic tool is pointless.

Levodopa and agonists are highly addictive. The "wearing off" we have and the apparent worsening of our condition in between doses is drug withdrawal, not progression of PD. (Something I have thought for some time now) Therefore using the amount of medication we take as a comparative measue of disease progression is not at all accurate and if anything is psychologically detrimental.

My thoughts or observations on doctors after this:

Excellent, knowledgeable doctors will welcome your skepticism and encourage you to challenge them. This means they are not arrogant, defensive, or dismissive, but confident,

An exceptional doctor will see any hint of PD through the meds.

An exceptional doctor will see the larger picture and not simply base their diagnosis on only motor symptoms

If your doctor has not corrected your hands or not descriptively explained to you how to move your hands or feet during a motor exam then you likely have not been properly assessed. Neurologists, in my experiences, have rushed through these tests.

I can share more or ask if you have any other questions, fire away!

Laura