I am just saying that can stress be one of our "triggers" if we look at the multiple hit explanation for onset of PD, and in some depending on how they process stress, it may be more of an influencing. As Olsen posted, there may be a genetic factor centered on how stress effects us.

So in looking at the new research published on smokers they have discovered that smoking attenuates responses to negative stimuli. So when a smoker is having a cig, he has a normal response to negative images and when he is craving a cig he does not respond to negative visual stimuli. This means the smoker isn't constantly pumping out cortisol or having PTSD like responses to workplace stress like being leveled for half the day by panic attacks that rapidly cycle leaving me unable to walk. Had a bit of social anxiety due to tremor early on but nothing like this. The really odd bit is that i would feel profoundly relaxed then panic attack would take over.


As Lindy said, sometimes stress just builds and when you take the lid off the pan...I ended up spending most of last summer in the offices of various medical specialists who could not even venture to say that sounds like a panic attack despite my detailed observations on involvement the parasympathetic nervous system and subsequent extended flight or fight response in where I cannot walk. Sinemet does not touch it but a beta blocker will keep it in check. Maybe this is an entirely different thing from PD? Why is it then that another forum member has exact same thing going on?

Stress produces cytokines which are implicated in the pathogenesis of PD. IS this how smoking is neuroprotective? Essentially dampens the amygdala.


Incidentally, this over-reaction I am having may be PTSD related to workplace stress over being targeted as weak, no longer able to do my job, and a financial burden by my employer. A K-12 district populated by shiny, happy people in $800,000 homes. I was wonderful, until I got sick. I have been mobbed with a new supervisor as the lead bully. The best part is according to my lawyer, I have no EEOC or ADA claim. They have played this game before and most likely win each time. We have a governor who just abolished our teacher tenure act so they can either just fire me now, let me work under extremely stressful conditions then fire me at the end of the year, or I make the decision to quit out of fear I will end up in a wheelchair due to stress.

What is a PD gal with moxie to do? Special thank you to Rick for reminding me I have the nothing to lose factor going for me. My immediate ideas? Exploit being a YO mom with PD and toddler in an open letter video to our dear governor? Plaster it every i can? OR see if our resident shark lawyer who has political aspirations and who only takes on high profile (he defended jack kevorkian aka dr. death) cases again exploiting the health? Any opinions either way?

-Laura