Boann- I really am truly grateful that you have had a good experience with an agonist -I wouldn't begrudge anyone's improvement or what works for them. You may have been one of those who got properly dosed for these, and that would make a difference. Unfortunately it was prescribed for me shortly after it was put on the market, and I was on an extremely and very inappropriately high dose plus a number of other PD drugs, so I'm sure that was a big factor. But even after the dose was lowered considerably, the ICDs were still an issue - and I never realized just how much they were until I got off 'em - BUT there was also the weight gain of 40 pounds, losing half my hair, plus the fact that it definitely worsened my condition rapidly. I couldn't live with that.

I was diagnosed at age 32, and have been on levodopa at least for 17 years - I have some dyskinesia but I don't think of it as my worst problem by far, and I would much rather deal with the somewhat more predictable effects of the levodopa right now. But you are right, levodopa therapy is also totally addictive, and also neurotoxic, as well as toxic in other ways and we are not told that. And again, any withdrawal symptoms are quickly dismissed as "your true disease becoming unmasked," when I don't think that is the case necessarily at all.

But Boann, can I ask one thing - have you ever kicked a drug that had possibly life-threatening withdrawal symptoms? If not, don't presume that you know anything about it, cuz you really have no idea.

As to the previous discussion about this great researcher, I agree - she not only cared about the patients but somehow wasn't silenced or cowed by the Pharms. And that I think is the main issue about why this hasn't come to the world's attention already, because no pharm businessman ( which includes many doctors) want to acknowledge this issue.