Q: When I walk, the paces are very short and it looks like a robot's walk. When I sit on the floor, my back bends and I tend to fall back if I have no support at the back. I consulted a neurologist who examined me, did blood tests and a MRI of brain. The blood and MRI reports are normal. However the clinical impression of the doctor is Parkinson's Disease (IPD) Stage 1.5 - 2; duration 5 years; not exposed to Syndepa. He presciped Ropark 0.25 mg 1 - 0 - 1 for a month and 1 - 1 - 1 next month. He also prescribed Pacitane 2 mg 1/2 - 0 - 1/2 first month and 1/2 -1/2-1/2 next month. Am I on the right path of treatment? Am I over reacting to a very slight problem and have consulted neurologist, is it much ado about nothing? Will there be any side effects of these medicines?

A:For most of the well known diseases there are a variety of different treatments, and each patient is liable to experience different benefits and individual side effects, some of the latter being serious. The reason for taking most drugs is to feel better, but in many cases the medication has the less obvious benefit of preventing the disease from becoming more severe. Patients have to be convinced that a particular medicine is of benefit and this is an individual decision based on the response or the side effects experienced after initiating a course of treatment. It is in the patients interest to be seen on a regular basis by a physician to help determine if the therapy helps and to judge if there are important side effects. Fortunately most medications of an orthodox type are effective and safe, but one should be alert to detect the opposite.