I asked the nurse who does my dbs programming several months ago why when i was at my daughters wedding it seemed as though i had NO dopamine at all in my system, despite the fact that i had taken stalevo more than an hour before & it was working. she told me the same thing, that stress depletes/blocks the med. she also said it wasn't my fault. this past weekend i was under a great deal of stress. i thought i was "handling it well" my body knew better and i was freezing, dyskinetic, unable to walk normally. this was with taking meds as prescribed. that has made me really consider what i am subjecting myself to. big red flag. i know about stress relievers, but i get so frustrated, &uptight sometimes over nothing. i guess the lesson here for me is acceptance of my limitations. thanks fg