I stopped taking Azilect when I saw the research that said it didn't slow the progression of the disease. I had several days of withdrawal, which I expected, and then my affected hand went south: pain, cramps, inability to write. I was exhausted and unable to focus. My doctor said it would take 4-6 weeks for the drug to be completely out of my system. After a little more than a month I gave up and went back on Azilect. Even the first day I felt a little better. After five days I feel nearly back to normal. I'm actually typing this at nearly normal speed. I thought the drug wasn't doing anything worth noting, but, in my case at least, it was/is doing a lot. (I was able to continue cycling while off the drug, but it was more difficult.)