Am new to this (and any) BB. Have had SD since 92; not severe but gradually has gotten worse. last 18 months I have had increasing eye involvement, excessive blinking/closing of eyes while talking. I seem to have come control over it. I work as a psychological counselor (MA level) with no problem. I work at our State Hospital in northern New Mexico. I believe that patients relate to me even better seeing I have an obvious disorder :=). No complaints from supervisor or staff and I do occasionally make presentations to groups --iyaiyii- stressful. and ofcourse my voice is worse when I'm stressed. Am 58 yo, happily married, very physically active. I have not considered Botox a worthwhile option for my case. A new computer friend w/ sd suggested Bromocriptine. I made an apointment to talk to my Neuro about it. Said she had been taking it for more than ten yrs. and that it helped some. Have any of you heard of this treatment? is it more for AB or AD type SD?

I've never heard of this med being used for SD. I looked it up using a search engine, and my quick take on it is that it is a dopamine agonist and has been used to treat Parkinson's disease, in a similar way to the more commonly used sinemet. Sometimes bromocriptine goes by the brand name 'parlodel'. There is a form of dystonia called 'dopa-responsive dystonia' which responds quite well to sinemet, and maybe to bromocriptine, but as far as I know it is not particularly useful in treating focal dystonias such as SD (laryngeal dystonia).

With your eye problems, the description sounds like you might have a related form of dystonia going on there too - the condition is called blepharospasm - and what happens is that the muscles around the eyes squeeze shut inappropriately.

Best wishes

David Barton (AD/SD, Auckland, NZ)

I have an apointment w/ neuro doc next thur Aug. 29. I'll ask her to let me try the med just because it is working for someone else.

And look me up if/when you return to NZ (the exchange rate is very much in your favour at present!)