Hi Burckle,

I didn't experience off and on until about 5 years after diagnosis, which was really more like 8 years from the onset of symptoms. But medication did relieve my symptoms from the start, meaning the rigidity went out of my right hand and arm and I could walk without tripping.

Once the symptoms progress to other parts of the body, all of these places experience the rigidity or tremoring or both that PD brings. This eventually becomes so bad you can't walk at times (we've all crawled to the bathroom at this point). You can't do much of anything....if you walk, you festinate, meaning the upper part of your body is going to go, but your feet won't and you can fall forward.

It's pretty much like being a battery operated toy - the only way to get "on", meaning being able to move, walk, or whatever being on means for the individual - is to take med. My offs became more noticeable with sinemet, but then my ons became very positively noticeable too.

Eventually, mornings will be the worst time.....now it may be your best time because the body replenishes dopamine while sleeping.

It's a good thing that you don't have off and on. But do you have symptoms? Is stalevo relieving them?

paula