Hello All,

It has been quite a bit since I made a post so I figured now is a good time.

First, I was mistaken when I listed the medication and frequency she is taking them. Below is a correct version:

Morning:

1 - Carbidopa / Levodopa 25/100 IR
1 - Carbidopa / Levpdopa 25/100 CR
1 - Requip XL, 2 mg

Lunchish:

1 - Carbidopa / Levodopa 25/100 IR
1 - Carbidopa / Levodopa 25/100 CR

Dinnerish:

1 - Carbidopa / Levodopa 25/100 IR
1 - Carbidopa / Levodopa 25/100 CR

Bed:

1 - Carbidopa / Levodopa 25/100 CR
1 - Requip XL 2 mg

The Requip XL is still making her feel tired and lethargic. However, I have noticed that when she has her "on" days, she is really "on". For example, she is strarting to show interest in going places that she never wanted to go to before. She is starting to go out to eat with us to diners are such, last weekend we went to a Border's book store so she could buy some books, and yesterday we went to lunch and then to a Yankee Candle store. She is able to get herself in and out of the passenger seat of our GMC Terrain, albeit slowly.

For mother's day I bought her an HP Mini Netbook laptop. I bought this for her so she could have something to do during the day besides read her books and go to physical therapy. She loves it. She is slowly re-learning how to use the Internet and check her email, but I can tell that she truly enjoys it.

Her doctor emphasized that she needs to continue to do the physical therapy 2 days a week, but during the days she is not at therapy, she needs to remain active. I think these instructions from the doctor were the fuel to the fire that is driving the fact that she is showing interest in going places, which is great.

Based on her current medications and frequency, she is ingesting around 700 mg of l-dopa a day. If you guys would not mind sharing, is this number less than what you take, more than what you take, the same as what you take? During your trials and tribulations with medications, how did your bodies react to certain mg dosages of the l-dopa? The doctor expressed her concern where she tries to keep certain patients under a certain mg of the l-dopa due to the side affects, which is one reason why she did not increase my mom's l-dopa after this last appointment, and instead gave her the 2 mg of Requip XL to try to evenly distribute the l-dopa throughout a 24-hour time period.

My mom's primary side affects of the current dosage of l-dopa is muscle aches, and it appears as if her legs swell quite a bit. Her feet have grown in size and we had to order some new shoes that were 1/2 size larger in length and 1 size wider in width.

Any thoughts?

Thanks for the continued support.

Matt