[Mouse]

Hi, all1

I've just started on Azelect, on .5mg for 7 days & up to 1 mg for three days. I am so tired I can't believe it! Skipped church Sun. & Wed. I've had PD for six years, and haven't missed because I was too tired in years! Is this a symptom of Azelect, or it hasn't built up in my body yet, and I need to give it more time, or what?!! At times I wonder if my bones have turned to lead! IT seems to be getting worse over the days, not better.

Also, stupid me, didn't research the drug before I took it so didn't know to avoid those foods. I read the pamphlet tonight after my salami & cheese snack. I know better!

Mouse

[Todd]

I'm not sure about the "tired" thing but it's my understanding that it takes around a month or so for your body to get used to the Azilect and to see if you receive any benefits.

As for the diet, if you check the NPF "Ask the Doctor" forum, they have been consistently saying not to worry. Basically, you'd have to eat an awful lot of the foods you're referring to for it to be a problem (way more than what's in our normal diets), so no worries.

I have been prescribed Azilect recently, so I'm curious to see how you do on it. I'd like to hear other experiences as well...

Todd
PDTalks.com

[Stitcher]

Mouse, my MD neuro said the same thing, and added that during the clinical trials at the Univ of Maryland Movement Disorder Center, they didn't place any food restrictions on trial participants and there were no adverse effects.

As to side effects...from the literature about Azilect:
http://www.drugs.com/azilect.html

What are the possible side effects of Azilect?
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Stop using Azilect and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• increased blood pressure (sudden and severe headache, confusion, blurred vision, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, seizure);
• sudden numbness or weakness (especially on one side of the body), problems with speech or balance;
• unusual thoughts or behavior, confusion, extreme agitation;
• fever, sweating, muscle stiffness;
• feeling light-headed, fainting;
• blistering skin rash;
• twitching muscle movements; or
• hallucinations (seeing things that are not there).

Continue using Azilect and talk with your doctor if you have any of these less serious side effects:

• joint pain;
• mild headache, dizziness, or depressed mood;
• hair loss;
• numbness or tingly feeling;
• dry mouth, loss of appetite;
• constipation, diarrhea, upset stomach, vomiting, weight loss;
• decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm; or
• flu symptoms.

Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

What other drugs will affect Azilect?

Before taking Azilect, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:

• ciprofloxacin (Cipro);
• theophylline (Theo-Dur, Respbid, Uniphyl); or
• antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil), amoxapine (Ascendin), citalopram (Celexa), clomipramine (Anafranil), desipramine (Norpramin), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), fluvoxamine (Luvox), imipramine (Tofranil), nortriptyline (Pamelor), paroxetine (Paxil), or sertraline (Zoloft).

If you are using any of these drugs, you may not be able to use Azilect, or you may need dosage adjustments or special tests during treatment.

There may be other drugs not listed that can affect Azilect. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

[jeanb]

I have had no ill effects. (although darn, why do I never get the "loss of appetite" symptom...)

My doctor said not to worry about the food interactions that the 'old' mao-inhibitors had. Azilect was tested for years overseas with no food warnings.

Good luck!

[Capri]

Mouse-

I've been on azilect for about 3 months now, (1 mg/day) and find myself with much more energy than I've had before. It seems I don't need to nap as much during the day, if at all.

I have also heard that one doesn't need to worry about those foods like aged
cheeses, sauerkraut etc...if only on 1 mg/day. It's 2 mg or more/day that you must be concerned.

But my med regime consists only of azilect and sinemet. (I have never been on stalevo or comtan) Perhaps it's that combination that has you sleepy.

I hope you have better luck with azilect shortly.

[maryfrances]

Hey, Mouse-

I've just started Azilect, too. Had high hopes for it, but it seems to be not working well for me. I had stopped taking it and went back on Lexapro for the depression. Thought I had rather be happy again. BUT, now I'm giving it a second try. First try cheese did seem to make me feel badly. (Maybe it was just in my head, but I don't think so. Maybe just a coincidence?)
I'm gonna try to stay on it at least a month this time before I make any judgements.

Mary

[Maggie Rae]

Originally Posted by Mouse

Hi, all1

I've just started on Azelect, on .5mg for 7 days & up to 1 mg for three days. I am so tired I can't believe it! Skipped church Sun. & Wed. I've had PD for six years, and haven't missed because I was too tired in years! Is this a symptom of Azelect, or it hasn't built up in my body yet, and I need to give it more time, or what?!! At times I wonder if my bones have turned to lead! IT seems to be getting worse over the days, not better.

Also, stupid me, didn't research the drug before I took it so didn't know to avoid those foods. I read the pamphlet tonight after my salami & cheese snack. I know better!

Mouse

Hi I just started on Azelect. I was told to use .5 for 2 months, then up to
1mg, to mimumize the side effects. I was also tired, so I took it at night.
And slept really well. After about 1 month, I can take it during the day
with no problems. I wish I knew if it is actually doing anything!

[Brad]

This is kind of an old thread but I thought I'd go ahead and add my experiences with Azilect on the hopes that someone searching the archives might find it useful as one more data point.

I was diagnosed 2-1/2 years ago and started out on 0.25mg Mirapex three times a day, which was working well at that time. In trying to be proactive on my health care, my wife corresponded with NPF and they recommended a neurologist with a sub specialty in motion or movement disorders. None in Fort Worthwhere we live, but a small number in Dallas, including Dr Dewey at UT Southwestern Medical Center, so I went to him for a second opinion and liked him well enough that I switched to him as my primary neuro. First neuro was good, but Dewey was better. He initially upped my Mirapex to 0.5 mg and got me into the LS-1 study, and a few months later added 1 mg Azilect once a day. At my next appointment I complained of being tired and he added 200 mg of Provigil for the tiredness and sleepiness. Provigil is approved for narcolepsie, but not for this use, so he had to go to bat with Aetna to get them to cover it, which they ultimately did, but at an out of network cost. The Provigil works extremely well, and simply cuts the sleepiness without making me feel at all wired.

The Azilect itself has given me no problems with side effects other than the drowsiness. I'm reasonably cautious with my diet and have had no problems on the occasions that I've inadvertantly eaten some amountof cheese or hard sausage or the like. I think the key to these food interactions is moderation. I had a cold in the spring and the Azilect warned against any antihystamine, and when I called the neuro's office to see what I COULD take, they said Benadryl, which worked in this case.

One other recomendation to anyone with PD, join and buy a MedicAlert bracelet. In my case, I'm still able to ride 10-12,000 miles a year on my motorcycle, and I'd hate to go down, be unconcious, and have the paramedics give me something that would interact with one of my meds. When a friend and I rode from Texas to South Dakota and back last summer, I made sure that he knew that I was wearing the MedicAlert dog tag, "just in case."

I hope that my experiences above can be of help to someone else.

Brad
Fort Worth

[paula_w]

Adding my name to the list of Azilect users. I started last week, and am feeling "weird" on it - i took it at a different time today and don't have the weird feeling yet. Would like to know if anyone else who has advanced Pd and is taking a lot of sinemet is having trouble with azilect or ideas of when to take it for best results.

tks,
paula

[girija]

I have been on Azilect for a month and its working well for me. Feel like got back my life, no side effects what so ever.
girija