There is more beneath this rock than I expected. One of the things that prompted my question is the upcoming appointments that I have with my GP as well as my neuro. I have resolved that it is past time to demand some answers to my questions.

One of those questions is "Why is there such an extreme swing in my BP on a typical day?" It has not been unusual to have periods when a typical day will be around 140/100 in the morning and bup to 200/120 in the afternoon! I have journal entries going back over six years of daily "spells" of this! Combined with cognitive features of tunnel vision as though back in a cave plus abrupt episodes of insane urination due to an osmatic response, even I can only repeat "PD" for so long. I may well have it, but there is more there as well.

And I suspect that Laura has it too. We have danced around with what we are calling paralytic paralysis, but is that simply the best name we could come up with?

MrsD, in light of your info on bradykennin, what do you think could account for the following experience which I noted two years ago and which had been going on for at least three years earlier and which eased with the introduction of beta blockers?:

9/20/11 CURRENT SYMPTOMS AND DESCRIPTION OF “ATTACKS”

Nocturia – up approx five times, two hour intervals, one liter/night
Sporadic anxiety/panic awakens 3:00 AM or so, 3 to 4 times per month
In better condition at 3:00 AM than at 6:00 AM
Cramping of left calf and leg upon first awakening. Lasts 30 min
Poor tolerance of cold and heat. The former is recent. Formerly had very high cold tolerance.
Effects of medications are very unstable now. This is recent.
I must eat very sparingly to avoid triggering an “attack” thirty minutes later. These attacks last two to four hours and have the following characteristics-

They come on with a “warning” period of five to fifteen minutes duration.
Parkinson’s medications have zero effect on either preventing or shortening them.
Initial sign is cognitive and is a sense of withdrawal.
Extreme weakness, especially of legs, is initial physical symptom.
Weakness progresses until, at fifteen minutes, it is for all intents and purposes, a state of paralysis. Cannot stand or even type. Muscle tone is zero (just the opposite of PD rigidity). Experience has shown that adrenaline worsens it substantially.
At midpoint (one to two hours), blood pressure has reached as high as 250/200. (Note: It is very difficult to self-test during an attack). At this stage control of bladder is lost and a large amount of urine passes over a thirty minute period.
Recovery begins. Muscle tone remains low unless attempt is made to force use. In that case, rigidity returns.
Course is not affected by skipping medications nor by taking extra. Predictability.
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