nickvalo,


About 3-4 years ago, my mom started showing classic signs of PD -- one of them being the bradykinesia along with the blank stare. She was diagnosed with PD and started with way too much Sinemet (600mg/day) ... she developed dyskinesia, then cut back to about 400mg/day ... still had dyskinesia, and now (on her own, not doctor's orders) has cut down to 100-150mg/day. She takes that dose to get a boost but then can get through the rest of the day at a lower energy and more slow motioned pace. I also feel like she has withdrawal symptoms every day ... when the 150mg dosage wears off after about 3-4 hours.

It is pretty normal for a dose to wear off in that time. If it helps your mom kick off her day, shouldn't you be thinking of that. It is hard to get up and get going after a night in which maybe she does not move much. You have to weigh everything up. If there is benefit there, then it is working for her.

You seem unsure whether her symptoms were there before Madopar, though you describe the slo-mo bit well.

The biggest problem with these medications is doctors prescribing too much too soon. If they are now helping her at the dose she is on, then it is likely she has got some parkinsonism. A lot of how well they work is down to how they are absorbed and transported to the brain. If they are not getting there doses get upped to get a better response, not always the best thing. It is better to look at why the response is not so good, and try other thngs before going up. Like is she having a protein rich breakfast right after her meds, or does she has some other condition, or taking stomach meds that might affect absorbtion. On the other hand she got a better response to sinemet so maybe it is formulated better for her.

You don't mention a neuro, or a nurse specialist. Though some of the drugs you have listed in your poll can give these effects, I am not sure that is the right mental leap to take. If she were my mom I would want to take her for another opinion, and to discuss these issues with both doctors. And listen always to what she has to say about it, she may not remember what she was like before, but she will know how she is feeling now.