My experience with agonists is just the opposite of most of yours. I started nine years ago on Permax. I could have been the poster child for it. I was well until they took it off the market because it was killing people (and still I had to seriously question whether I could give it up.)

The start-up was difficult, it made me sick all the time for about six weeks then not a sign of a side-effect. When they took it off the market I was put of first Mirapex the Requip. I could not tollerate either of them. Sick as a dog. So began the Sinemet. Two years of that working fairly well, but I could not control the dystonia with Sinemet so I tried Neuropro(?) which worked fine but they took that off the market.

Hearing that agnosts worked better with dystonia I started back with Requip, very slowly. Now I take 15mg a day and it is working great. I have had no problems with it at all and it is quite effective on the dystonia with fewer side effects than Sinemet alone.

What can we say, it's a designer disease. I started taking meds as soon as I was diagnosed and I think it freed me. I was working and hiding and the effort pre-medication was exhausting. It all depends on your circumstances.

Good luck,
Pam