"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."
This Einstein quote keeps popping up lately.

With this in mind, I would like to air my evolving hypothesis as to the cause of pd.

If I am out of food, it could be that I ate it. If I am out of money, I must have spent it. If I am out of Dopamine, I must have used it all up. How?

Perhaps there is and has been an extraordinary demand for Dopamine in my body for a very long time. Could this longstanding demand have exhausted the workers (neurons, receptors, etc) in the Dopamine factory so they either quit or are so fatigued that they can't meet current production demands?

What could create such a demand?

At about 11 years old, I fell off a horse and have had a "popping" hip ever since. Not painful at all, just a pop in the hip when raising or lowering my leg. No prob, really, or is it? About 15 years ago I began to feel a little pain when walking long distances and was aware that my body adopted a slightly altered way of walking. Unnoticeable, and the pain subsided.

About 8 years ago I noticed a slight tremoring in that leg when pooping (not popping!). (Interestingly, a pd friend told me that was his first 'symptom' as well.) About 7 years ago I began to have trouble keeping sandals on (after 30 years of wearing them!), stubbing my toe, then dragging my foot and then limping. My whole left side was weak by then and I had developed a left hand tremor as well.

By this time I had my pd dx. For 4 years I took no meds at all. By then I could barely walk and was having constant pain in that hip/leg. Couldn't sit, couldn't walk. That pretty much means I had to lie on the floor all day. I used a Chi machine to help relieve the pain. About the size of a typewriter with a cradle on top where you put your ankles, it rocks the feet/legs sideways. This was the only way I could use the phone! It was wretched.

I finally started on Sinemet and gradually recovered most of my lost abilities. The pain went away and I could walk a mile or more, sit at the table for a meal and even do a little yoga!

Now what I have noticed is this: When I take L-Dopa, there is the "switching on" phenomena - mentioned in MJF's book)which for me is felt primarily in that left leg and THEN what I notice is this. DIFFERENT MUSCLES are in use while the L-Dopa lasts. During that time, I can walk pretty well but it is really hard to get up from a squat. I have to use my arms to push myself up. My thigh muscles just cannot respond! I know little about anatomy/muscles so I can't really say exactly what's going on but I do know that there is some change in the position of that leg/foot.

I think that the incessant demand for Dopamine is caused by that/those muscles that need it for relaxation (or whatever) to counteract the stress of the torque... caused by that fall off the horse! When I am undermedicated, the hip pain returns.

Can anyone out there relate to this? I would like to hear others' experience when "switching" on and off. I feel that those peculiar and uncomfortable physiological changes that occur at those times are of major importance in solving the pd puzzle. Let's put our heads together and do it!

Ibby