I keep a spreadsheet, up to date daily, on all my PD symptoms (well I assume they all relate to my PD). So that I can try to analyse their prominence ( I have 27 different symptoms that can appear) and to chart the possible impact of the many potential variables (the weather, drug timing, drug changes, rest periods, physical activity level, physical capability, mood etc) and to try to clearly ascertain if and how I am deteriorating. I then take a summary of this to my 6 monthly Neurologist consultation. I also give myself a score from 1 to 10 on how I feel each day, 10 being very good for me with PD and not me without PD! Mind you I am not sure I can remember how I felt without PD!!!

Interestingly since I have been taking Levodopa (3 years) & Amantadine (18 months) my motor symptoms have all improved significantly and my non motor symptoms have all got worse and new ones have appeared. I suspect I am paying a high price for my motor symptom improvements and I was interested in Steves recent post about under medicating his Sinemet. Its a balance and a highly complicated one at that. 30 minutes with your Neurologist twice a year for such a complex illness is hideously inadequate, so I do the daily symptom analysis to try to help me optimise that 30 minutes and I do an agenda (check list sounds less pompous) for the consultation.

I have established some interesting trends from the daily analysis that I do not think I would have been aware of otherwise. I have been doing this for 18months now.

I do not know if you have analysed your behaviour and symptoms changes in such daily detail, but if not it might be worth a try.

Chris