If I knew then what I know now....
 

I've been on meds for nine years now. Started with Requip and added Sinemet. Used selegeline for a while but it is heavy on the liver and poses a potential problem with some of the alternative stuff I try so I dropped it. I am at max dose of Requip of 24 mg but was up to 32 mg for awhile. I seem to tolerate it extremely well. Add 700 mg of Sinemet and you have my med history.

In retrospect, I wish that I had hit things like turmeric, etc earlier and harder, but hindsight is always better. For me, the bottom line is to resist adding or increasing a drug as long as possible.

Charlie,
I was taking 3mg per day and managed to cut down to 1mg in the morning and 0.5 in the evening. I have both physical and psychological symptoms. Muscles ache and the pain is hard to describe, deep inside the muscle and feel restless;
I have to try very hard not take my usual dose, some days I give up, thats the routine for the last 3 months, However, when i have other things on my mind and forget to take meds, none of these symptoms show up! thats why I call it addiction, clearly psychological need for Dopamine high and in its absence physical pain. Thats my analysis........Lucky for you, you didnt have to deal with that!
girija

My experience
 

I was diagnosed 3 years ago at the age of 63. Main symptom slight tremor and rigidity on the right side. From day 1 the neurologist wanted to put me on cinemet but I refused.
Helped by this forum and my own search I have been taking a load of supplements including mucuna , creatine and whey and a strict routine of exercise about 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the afternoon. Quality of life is good enough. To deal with tremor I started Kemadrin about 6 months ago which seemed to help. I visited same neurologist after 3 years and he said I should be on cinament but he said that he will not object if I am happy with my own "invented" regime !
I must add that I have the support of a wonderful wife and I do some work from home and I try zero stress ..and listen to music

Imad

addiction has its place
 

Good Morning Friends,

Just to play the devil's advocate: As PWP we all have in common a deficiency of dopamine. So many of us look for something to help us out with that. For me, it's Requip XL (now 12 mg) and Fava Bean Extract, which is a natural source of L-dopa that crosses the BBB.

How is this different than a diabetic who is dependent on insulin to function within the range of normal (say, conscious, for example)? Or people with bipolar who stay well on lithium and get really sick without it? Should these folks break their addiction? Of course, they should do whatever they are up for with diet and exercise, but if they need insulin or lithium, they need it.

Similarly, people with unrelenting pain, say cancer patients or some of us with PD such as, well, moi. Under the care of a pain management specialist, I take hydrocodone daily. It allowed me to work (until the PD overtook me), to parent (on good days), to clean my house (do people still do that?) and to not let the pain overwhelm me. Do I suffer if I skip a few doses because I forgot to pack my meds when going out of town? Yes, like hell.

What's the lesson? That I'm addicted? No. It's don't leave the painkiller at home. Don't leave home without it.

BTW, I am also addicted to air. Water. My family. Poetry. And, apparently, this forum! :)

What are YOU addicted to?

Rose

There was no effect from Requip XL ...
 

Finally I took Requip XL 2mg during the week (as a drug test)...
There were no side effects observed...
There were no improvements with symptoms (left hand tremor, some face rigidity..)
What can be the next step in this research?

Thanks

requip xl didn't work as well 4 me
 

i have been on requip for roughly 8 yrs. when we switched to XL it didn't really work and made me feel "speedy". back to plain requip - much better for me. 5mg 3x daily.
stevie