KNPV,

I'm pleased that your walking is improved.

Can you put some numbers on your walking improvement, e.g. time to walk a mile?

Does your walking ability change much during the drug cycle from "off" to "on" and back to "off" again?

Interestingly, my GP noticed a lack of arm swing on my first presentation, but in spite of this my walking has been almost unimpaired, even 12 years post diagnosis. So, for instance, I can walk at 4mph. I used to be able to keep at this speed for 3 to 4 hours, but now I'm getting dystonic pains after 6 or 7 miles.

You say that the improvement started about 2 months ago. Was this when the weather improved? I perform better in the summer.

I think one could use a brain plasticity argument to suggest that the more you repeat an action the lower the unit cost of dopamine that is required. I find that I walk well even when I'm "off". However, things are different with my arms: my side-to-side tap test scores are greatly affected by my position in the drug cycle.

I don't see my PD as relentlessly deteriorating on all fronts at the same time. For me, one symptom comes to the fore and gets worse for perhaps a year before it stabilizes. But, this is followed by a new symptom, or by an extra deterioration of an old symptom. For instance, my present worst symptom is constipation. Until now, I've had very little pain from my PD, but this is gradually beginning to come to the fore.

John