Hi all,

I am a 50 years old male. I am a professor at a private university. I am married with 3 kids.
I am strongly suspecting I have an early onset of PD.
I went to see a neurologist this week, and ask if I had PD. He replied categorically no. But I am still not convinced he heard me right about all my symptoms. One thing he said that left me doubting his diagnosis is that if PD tremors start, they will never stop. I am convinced, from my internet readings, that this is not true. And if this is not true, then his whole diagnosis is worthless for me.
Anyway, here are my symptoms, and I am hoping someone here might recognize how it all started for them and help me clear my doubts.
I had several episodes of tremors in the right hand mostly. Sometimes the tremors also occur in my legs, and even deep inside of me. I can "feel" the tremors. I am an extremely anxious person. I always dread change and life in general. I was a very happy person until fairly recently.
I had a few nocturnal panic attacks in the last year. On the first occasion, I thought I was dying. It was horrible. I run to the emergency room, they did all kinds of tests on my heart and found nothing wrong. 3 days later, I am back to the emergency room again. A doctor there prescribed me some medication. I don't remember the name but it's a benzodia-something. It did the trick instantly. I was able to relax and sleep without the panic attacks being triggered again. after a few weeks on this regiment, I decided to do some internet research about the medication I was taking. It turned that this medication is extremely addictive and very dangerous. So I stopped it cold turkey. It was ugly though. I would shake uncontrollably, have all kinds of weird things happening to me. But I am off this crap now.
Some months ago, I started having difficulties sleeping. I would toss and turn for a while before I could go to sleep. I didn't think much of my sleeping issues until lately. I now can't sleep at all. In fact, the only way I can sleep is by popping pills in. And even with pills, it's a few hours of sleep at most.
2 weeks ago, I had a big fight with my wife, and I got so stressed out and anxious that I could not sleep. I ate very little and started losing weight. I lost 12 pounds and still with no appetite and no desire to eat as much as I used to. With a couple of days of sleeplessness and sever anxiety, I started to notice a serious tremor in my right side. It lasted 2 days and then subsided. I also started sweating on my head profusely. I also noticed something interesting: I needed to tighten my biceps to be able to write properly or punch keys on my computer. In fact, my biceps are now very tight. As if I work out a lot. And I don't work out at all. I started walking lately and do some push ups. But nothing that can build such tight muscles.
I go several times to the bathroom to pee at night. And I know it wasn't because my bladder was full.
I had an endoscopy performed on me 3 days ago, and the doctor told me that my colon was contracting. He said it should be relaxed. He asked me if I had some anxiety, and I told him I had so much I don't even know how I was still walking or talking.
After a few sleepless nights. I went for a long walk and iI was exhausted. I was like in a fog and had a hard time talking. My voice was a little softer than usual. I don't know if it's because of the sleeplessness and tiredness or because of a possible PD.
The neurologist has ruled out PD after holding my hands. Bending my limb muscles. Tapping all kinds of muscles with a hammer and asking me to walk back and forth several times in his office.
I am convinced that I have PD, and even the opinion of a neurologist can't convince me.
Anybody can help out and tell me if I am right or wrong.

Anxiety can affect so much health wise, perhaps looking into that deeper and maybe finding a suitable medication for you will resolve some of your symptoms.
If not, then continue for another diagnosis.

Early on caffeine & stress would intensify my dads' shakiness.
So decaf & less stress are a good thing.

hi,
if possible get a 2nd opinion from a MDS. noone here can confirm your self-diagnosis or say for sure you don't have pd.

my symptoms started on my right side, lack of arm swing when running. trouble rubbing my fingers together to clean my contact lenses. scraping my right foot. very minor symptoms that came on gradually, totally shocked to be diagnosed at age 49.

sleep and fatigue problems kicked in years later.

a friend started with decreased smell, tremor, freezing in her right foot.

decreased smell is often a symptom.

my sense of smell has decreased to the point where I can only smell strong stuff.
I also have constant tension in my biceps and I started noticing aching back muscles and cramps in my right leg when I am driving.
I am so anxious about having PD that I don t eat anything except some fruits now and then.

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You really should try for a balanced diet, eating mostly fruits may be affecting your blood sugar levels.

Where are you located, maybe members can suggest a dr near to you?

I have been reading all of your posts and if you don't mind could you answer a few questions for me. Have you been out of the States for long and secondly when and what led you to the "conclusion' you have parkinson's

You seem to have gone to the Neurologist with a diagnosis that you felt was accurate and looking for validity. Why how did this occur that led you to Parkinsons and not anything else. Are you related or aquainted with someone who has or had this foul disease.

It's a horrible experience for you it seems and I hope this can be of use in getting to a decisive conclusion. Good luck

I have been out of the states for over 5 weeks now. I will return on the 11th of this month. So I have only a few more days left here. Thank god.
The neurologist I have seen talked to me for a few minutes. I told him what I was afraid of: PD. He looked for the primary signs of PD: Tremors, muscle stiffness, and walking posture.
He ordered an EEG and found some discharges that should not be there. But he said they were within the normal ranges.

Here are the main reasons why I am thinking I have PD:
1. My muscles are all stiff and tight. There is too much tension and they feel tight, I can't relax them even if I wanted to. As of now, while I am typing, my biceps are so tight they hurt a little.
2. I had several episodes of tremors in my arms and legs that lasted a couple of days. The last one happened not too long ago.
3. I started sweating enormously. The heat cannot explain the sweat. It's anxiety that is the only explanation. I have always been sweating abnormally. But lately it got worse.
4. I lost my sense of smell gradually.
5. I pee several times before going to bed.
6. I have what one might call generalized anxiety. Sometimes I even have panic attacks.
7. When I go to sleep. My legs would jerk while I am relaxing and getting sleepy.
8. I feel that muscles in my left hand are slow.
9. The general anxiety I am feeling is preventing me from sleeping. And this in turn aggravates the whole situation. Instead of breaking this vicious cycle, it's feeding it.
10. When I walk, I am pretty balanced, but not as much as I used to. I have a hard time walking along a straight line if I wanted to.
11. My voice got softer. I can't explain why. But it got softer. And sometimes I even have a hard time saying some words. After a long walk, if I bump into someone I know and start talking. I feel disconnected from the whole conversation. As if I am doing it by reflex only. I am not into the moment if this can make any sense.

Well there you have it. These are all the symptoms that have led me to believe I have PD. And it's a pretty darn long list of issues I am dealing with.

I know that the cardinal symptoms for PD are:
1. Tremors
2. Bradykinesia or Akynesia
3. Stiffness
4. Posture and gait

I also know that if 3 out of 4 of these cardinal symptoms are present, then PD is a possibility.
in my case, I think I have all 4 symptoms. Although the tremors are not visible yet. Sometimes the tremors show up for a couple of days and go away.

Mouka,

Anyone as unhappy and anxious as you right now could dip into a low dopamine state and exhibit some symptoms of pd, temporarily. If I were you I'd be in no rush to get that dx set in stone.

Anyone in withdrawal from benzos/tranquillisers is going to have massive rebound anxiety. In order to ditch Stilnoct I had to go without sleep for three nights. But it was worth it to get off that rubbish.

What u should be addressing right now is the cause of your anxiety and an apparent tendency to ruminate. Seek counselling immediately. Get away from the computer. For god's sake approach diet in a grown up fashion. Take up exercise. Do yoga, meditation, anything to retrain your mind. Try and restore some balance to your life.