Keep us posted, please!

Well, so far, I find: it tastes OK but since I take medication 5-6 times per day, its powder form requiring me to mix it with water is simply impractical. I am often not in a position to be able to mix the elixir when I need it. SO something has to be done about that. Therefore I was unable to use it every time I took a dose.

Second, it's definitely effective against the PD symptoms but my dose (4g + 1/2 tab of sinemet + 1/2 tab of mirapex) made me totally high, and wobbely, like I was on uppers. Same feeling I had when I accidently took two doses of my meds. Therefore, I will try a smaller amount.

However, it seems to be effective more quickly (15-20min) the regular meds (30-45min).

......To be continued....

While I am waiting for delivery of my own Zandopa, I am trying the raw bean powder and have had much the same experience as Mira. Definitely a faster "ON". By half. And messy and inconvenient. I am tending toward a twice daily use - starter in morning and extender in evening.

Also, I am thinking of an emergency kit. A small bottled water and a large light-proof vitamin bottle with a pre-measured dose in it. Add water and shake

There are some excellent mixer bottles available. One is by Lock & Lock and the other is the Blender Bottle:

http://kitchen-dining.hsn.com/blende...91804&ocm=sekw

The Qvc set is a better deal:

Lock & Lock 4-piece Pitcher and Mixer Set...

The link doesn't work: the Qvc.com number is K11019.

There are also larger blender bottles available.

I found using a small handheld blender works the best for mixing Zandopa with water. I will use a regular coffee mug, fill it half way with warm water, add Zandopa, mix with the blender and then I will add juice (cranberry, grape etc) for flavoring. This blender is inexspensive (under $20) and can be found at most homeware stores.
Take care, Max
PS I've been taking mucuna for 15 months now with excellent results, but I still need to add a little bit of Sinemet to help it along.

I have been carrying a small bottle of the powder with me with a little scoop but I can only mix it in my office where i have easy access to everything. The problem with doing it when u can is that your doing it inconsistently. I have no idea if that matters but I would think it does. (Not my first choice.)

Alternatively, we can carry with us 4-5 little plastic bottles that hold no more than 150ml. You fill each little bottle with your powder and take that with you. Then when u need a dose, just fill each bottle with 100ml of water (the recommended amount). Then close the lid and shake. Voila! The 5 bottles will be small. (2nd choice)

Alternatively, bring a small container with 5 small divisions or 5 small individual containers. You'll also need a mixing bottle with a large neck so u can get the powder in there and of course aqua. (3rd Choice)

Frankly, it all sounds pretty messy.

I think Rick's (reverett123) suggestion is the #1 choice with Zandopa powder unless they start putting it in pill form.

Hey! My wife has discovered that OxiClean Spray Laundry Stain Remover takes the black stain right off thesink.

Still very much experimental. I find that a much smaller dose than expected is best for me. Five to fifteen grams with half a Sinemet CR. More than that and I have to watch out for dyskinesias.

It still gives me a fast "on" and I have cut the Sinemet by half and the Requip by a quarter.

Something odd this morning. Up at 4 AM thanks to my cat and dog having a heated debate. Decided to stay up but didn't want to mess with the powder at that hour so I took a full Sinemet. I knew it woud be awhile before it kicked in (1 to 2 hours expected) but I was just going to listen to music and veg.

Much to my surprise, even without the mucuna, it turned me on in under 30 min! That hasn't happened in a long time. Any ideas?

-Rick

4 AM? Had you eaten anything when you took the SInemet? If I have eaten a large breakfast and/or not waited at least 2 hours after eating or did not poop the day before or am cold or upset....my first dose of the day may take much longer to kick in. SO many little factors........

I had a boiled egg at the same time as I took it, which is my usual routine. I find that it stabilizes my blood sugar and gives a shot of choline. Protein has never been a problem for me. Quite the contrary. No apparent reason for the quick turn on.

Our systems are like a kid's spinning top. Young and healthy systems spin rapidly and smoothly. As we age the top slows down and begins to wobble. A gust of wind doesn't affect the fast spinner but it makes the slower one begin to wobble. It's as though our systems are like that. "Fragile" is a description more than one of us has used here. That is one reason I am drawn to purported adaptogens. They are the only thing that holds out the hope of being able to adjust such a complex system. I suspect mucuna of having some of those properties and, of course,inseng is a classic one.

Heck, checked my blood pressure just now. 122/75 I have not had any BP medication for about six months now. I had been taking it for 15 years or more. Whenever I would quit it within two days my BP would be up to 180 over 115. Now BP is controlled by a part of your nervous system that is affected by PD. Was it the ginseng? Or the mucuna? Both?

If it was the ginseng ( I have been laying off it for a month or more testing the mucuna) then that is evidence of something permanent having happened. The GI and bladder systems are still much improved as well. And my sleep pattern is much more normalized than a year ago.