Azilect - one and one half tablets instead of dopamine agonists
 

I have been using 1mg of Azilect for over a year for my p.d as well as two amantadine tablets daily. I was diagnosed in August 2006 as stage 2.5 by a movement disorders neurologist. The diagnosis was confirmed by two other neurologists.

Recently I have had continuous spasms in my neck and shoulders and other parts of my body. No temperature, no sore throat, no stomach problems.The spasms were painful.
they never lessened in intensity and nothing would soothe them. They continued for more than a week. I contacted my neurologist.

My neurologist suggested I take a half tablet more of azilect then normal to see what happened. Within 20 minutes of taking it in the morning all the spasms disappeared! They came back around nine that night. Basically after taking 1 1/2 mg of azilect daily for four days the "wearing off" has almost disappeared. The azilect seems to have a longer half life, as I take the increased dose. It stops any spasms immediately, No side effects.

Is this a good alternative for me to delay the use of dopamine agonists, which often do have problematic side effects? Or is this a very short term stop gap fix?

Could I possibly, when and if feasible, use lower doses of agonists if combined with the azilect for milder side effects?

My neurologist says he will not allow me to exceed 1 1/2 mg of
Azilect in the future - so I wonder how long this result will last.

Have any of the other people on this forum tried this for pd spasms or symptoms?

About Azilect and agonists
 

Hi Ronnie,
I've not taken Azilect myself however I was just reading a posting on our local Parkinsons website regarding a query and the poster had found it a better alternative to the combination of Sinemet and Comtan.
Personally I have a real problem with dopamine agonists, the personality changes that are becoming increasingly familiar and whether there is much of a reduction in the need for levodopa when it's prescribed.
Perhaps you could ask the neurologist about statistics of out of character behaviour etc in patients who are commenced on an agonist plus if there is much evidence of a decreased need for levodopa before he prescribes it.
Hope this helps.
Lee

off to college they go ...
 

I've been on Azilect as well and, ironically, can't determine if it's helping. The reason it was prescribed is so that I could decrease the amount of Artane that I'm taking. My problem is that I'm too sporadic in what I'm taking (some days 6 mg. of Artane, others 4). I'll see what happens if I take 1 1/2 mg. of the Azilect as well. I truly NEED to get off of the Artane to see if my eyesight improves.

I'm on the bubble of needing to begin Sinemet but figure the longer that I can hold off, the better.

I've been wondering how long others were able to stay on agonist drugs without going on Sinemet. I'm not sure it matters, it's more out of sheer curiosity. I've been on agonists for a little over four years now.

Home situation is still the same - status quo. I'm waiting for our older three college kids to go back to school. One left on Tuesday, one leaves on Sunday, and the third next Wednesday. Our youngest (15 next week) is positively thriving with his siblings back home.

I don't want to make any decisions until the holidays are past and we're back in our routine. To divorce or not to divorce is the question of the day. I'll hit him up with marriage counseling, once again, but it's out of my hands at this point and time. I can only take care of #1 and am doing my best to do just that. I still have my faith and sense of humor - no one can touch either of those!

Here's to college kids going BACK. I love them, but .... :rolleyes:

I Take My Hat For You
 

.. for shouldering the big responsibilities with love and humor ... Yes you should be proud, Proudest Mama :)