Protein blocking Levodopa
 

Bothers me more than most other PD problems - can't eat what I want, when I want.

I have a "slow stomach" most protein meals take 4 to 5 hours to clear. And it seems that about everything has protein in it. Munched on a few potato chips before getting out of bed this morning. Took 45 minutes longer than the normal 25-30 minutes for my first Sinemet to kick in.

Yep checked the bag .... 2 G of protein per serving! Potato chips!

I take Sinemet every 90 minutes - so this a real pain in the hindend.

Anyone else "protein sensitive?'

sure, protein interferes with my sinemet. i assume it's in two places, in the small intestine and the bbb, both places from my understanding use active transport to move neutral amino acids. so from what i understand certain amino acids compete for the same transporters as l-dopa. i think it's the amino acids that you ingest than just the amount of protein that matters.

i get a very predictable and adequate affect from 100mg sinemet in the a.m. when i take it 30min before a meal but less predictable in the afternoon.

and if i know i need to leave the house in the evening, i'll eat a very small dinner or no dinner or an earlier dinner to reduce the protein/food affect affect.

http://www.parkinsondisease.com/la_m...entazione.html

I Got it 2
 

Hi MikeTTF,

This is a growing problem for me as well. My problem is 2 fold: interference with the medication as well as difficulty in even bringing the food to my mouth without interesting contortions. In the last year I find myself eating more restrictively (items not requiring cutting, like chicken strips and bitesize items) and skipping meals altogether when I need to 'perform'. Always I know the medicine will stop working for up to several hours afterward.

I did have some success by taking a Carb/L-Dopa 50/250CR and Comtan 200 which lasted over 4 hours and was not affected as long as I ate after the 1st hour and before the 3rd hour. This unfortunately is now causing rigidity which is very uncomfortable. But for a year, it worked wonders.

I am taking 1/2 of a Carb/L-Dopa 10/100 pill hourly from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.. When utilizing the Comtan and L-Dopa combination, I begin again after the 4th and before the 5th hour. I only did this as necessary when going out to a meal was planned.

Of course I am no doctor; it did work for me for a time.

Jim