I must say I really do not understand the attitude or contentious tone others take with one another over treatment. Really, what is bothersome to me is the petty expenditure of emotion over larger questions that should have us demanding better treatment than levodopa. Why isn't anyone getting ticked off at their government health agencies or protesting at clinical trials over the fact that we have had no novel treatments other than the crudest form of therapy with a 50 year old drug? Frankly, at this point a levodopa suppository would be Nobel prize material. As for any other scientific method...

- There is no scientific evidence that levodopa is toxic. This is a longstanding myth about the drug. There are, in fact studies that indicate it as neuroprotective.

-There are no controlled trials that indicate the Parkinson Recovery treatment or approach is the better than, equal to, or less than any other complementary including ayurvedic, traditional Chinese medicines, etc. These should be studied against one another to determine what is most efficacious- until that time, it's a crapshoot at best.

- Until we can unite on a global level to share knowledge; establish common clinical trial ethical standards; establish clear standards for diagnoses and care

Scottese has the right questions in mind. When we start squabbling, we end up finger pointing the wrong at the wrong issues. The question stands; why is research, trial design, and treatment more advanced in other countries. We can blame Amgen, Medtronic, Mirapex, all we want but we should not overlook our quite complicity in all this.

Laura