Distant constellation, dying in the corner of the sky

Let's see: My dx (diagnosis) with PD was a year and a half ago. Initially, I had problems with my dancing hand, severe cramps, difficulty swallowing, too much saliva, stumbling over words, exhaustion, etc.

Then came the day of miracles and wonder when my neuro put me on amantadine (max dosage) and mirapex (Pramipexole). There was an immediate cessation of my right hand tremor and as time went by, most of the other symptoms were held in check. They have not been cured; I can almost feel them, just below the surface, banging on their bars, trying to get out; but, their escape is blocked by the drug combination.

Amantadine is a "dodgy drug" as one person put it. It is unknown why it is effective in some cases, but it works for me to calm my tremor. Mirapex is a dopamine agonist, a class of drugs that act like dopamine to stimulate nerves. It is lack of dopamine that causes PD.

All good things must come to an end, and eventually, I will probably have to increase the dosage of mirapex for it to continue to work, prior to its losing all of its effectiveness. But cheer up, once the DA stops working, there are other drugs, most notably, levadopa (L-dopa) a drug which is converted to dopamine in the brain. I hope it takes some years before I have to use that drug. I am in no hurry to get there

In the meantime, if you were to meet me, you wouldn't know I had the condition. Outwardly, there is no sign that I am dopamine-challenged. Inwardly, I still get the occasional cramp, dry mouth (likely caused by the drug) and, under stress, I sometimes stumble over words. All-in-all I feel very good and PD is that distant constellation, dying in corner of the sky.