I’ve been experiencing some weirdness with my Parkinson’s symptoms lately. I still experience anxiety and fatigue as each dose of levodopa wears off, and it still takes about half an hour for each dose to take effect. But there are two exceptions that I am at a loss to explain.

The first is late nights. Lately, I’ve been staying up much later than I probably should. In the recent past, staying up late meant that my last levodopa of the day would be depleted when I went to bed, making it nearly impossible to get to sleep. For whatever reason, lately that last daily dose seems to work forever. My daytime doses each last about 3 hours, but I’ve gone 6 hours and more beyond my evening dose with no ill effects.

The other exception may be an extension of the first one, but it’s not as consistent. For several months now, I’ve taken my first levodopa of the day at 8 AM, though I’m usually awake before 7 (sometimes long before 7). Some mornings, though not all mornings, waiting until 8 isn’t a problem at all – I don’t feel like I need the meds. Today I decided to wait until 9:00, which is the time RIGHT NOW. And I’m not experiencing an “off” period.

NOTE: My mention of “off” periods has prompted my legal team to demand that I publish the following statement:

My usage of the word “off” in quotation marks should not be interpreted as an endorsement of the mosquito repellent known as “Off”, although I do drink it regularly.