but I will usually throw in two cents worth.
But first, last night's report. Took one requip about 7:00 PM and was on until about 9:30. If I counted right that means that I took four requip instead of six and two sinemet instead of three. Promising.
First, don't let anyone upset you. We're all on drugs.
I got your doctor/TV joke - one of my favorites.
My age, diagnosis, etc are similar to yours although my symptoms are a bit more advanced. If I remember right, the sinemet you are taking is the standard rather than time release sort. It might improve things if the two types were combined. The goal is to avoid a roller coaster effect. That can be destructive in itself in that the repeated "surge" is thought to damage the system. But you don't want to take too much because that leads to motor problems. So, we walk a tightrope- get enough in the system as quickly as possible in the morning and then cut back to just enough for the rest of the day. Kind of like bringing something to a boil and then simmering it the rest of the day.
One thing you might try with the Zandopa or even the sinemet standard type is an old trick of dissolving a day's worth in a bottle of water and taking a sip ever hour or so. This gives you more control over your dosing. Also, be aware that you need different amounts at different times of the day. It is one constant experiment I'm afraid.
Your doctor's ignorance is only exceeded by her faith in the medical community and I fear that she is typical. They don't teach these things in medical school and no Pharma detail man is going to mention it. Even if she did know it would cost her her license to suggest it. We are very much on our own out here.
Many doctors disapprove of the Net because there is a lot of bad info out there. But many disapprove because an uppity patient is a real pain in the butt. Learn to use the Net but verify. One place to start is the forum search right here.
Welcome aboard!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mira
Hi. I am a new member. (Frankly, I'm not happy about being a member). I've been sitting here next to my husband, who is watching "The Bourne Ultimatum" for the 6th time while I have read every posting of this thread. My brother, who is not a doctor, (but plays one on television) has been trying to persuade me to begin using mucuna pruriens. I liked the concept but my problem has been that I am unclear about 1. where to get it; 2. what brand or formula to get, 3. how much to take with my regular medication, and 4. what are the negative side effects??
After reading all these comments, I now know even less. Maybe someone could give me a SIMPLE answer to the above questions. (You can bill in the morning.) My stats are that I started getting PD symptoms @ 45. I am now 52 (yikes!). I have been on sinemet 25/100 for 1.5 years and I am finding that it is not losing its potency, but rather its longevity. When I first started using it, I took 3 pills/day along with 3 pills /day of Mirapex. The longevity of the medication has decreased so quickly that in order to function "normally" I now have to take 5-6 doses per day and the longevity is still getting shorter.
I would love to take anything to improve my symptoms. As an aside, when I asked my doctor about mucuna, she feigned not knowing what I was talking about. Also that if there was stuff that worked that well, that the main medical community (not pharmaceutical) would jump on it. (She also warned me about getting info from the Internet.) BTW, my doctors are the big cheeses at Columbia Presbyterian NYC (allegedly some of the best around ).
So, any words of wisdom oh great ones? (The movie just ended, I'm off to bed.)
Mira
|