Ron Hutton: If you're stopping breathing at all, you need to get a sleep study. Don't put it off. Do it now. I've been on a machine that assists my breathing for almost two years. It really does make a difference--both for you and your sleeping partner. My wife said she could never get a good night's sleep because she was always worrying about me stopping breathing. You are welcome to PM me about this. There's also a sleep apnea forum on this site that I also visit occasionally.

StevePocetaMD: I don't know if there's a direct link between sleep apnea and PD. I was referring to reduced oxygenation of the blood that can be caused by sleep apnea. Every cell in the body needs oxygen so it seems reasonable that some may suffer if subjected to reduced oxygen. Then there's genetics. Both my father and my paternal grandfather had neural disorders that started in their fifties. So, do you think that a genetic predisposition and hypoxia together could have led to problems with my dopamine-producing cells?

Heidi: Thanks for the link. Your posts are always interesting.