The Neupro Patch Blues
 

I have been on Neupro for several weeks now with little, if any noticeable benefits. I realize I'm starting at a low dose and it takes time for the body/brain to adjust, etc.

In the literature that comes with the Rx, under Pharmacokinetics it indicates that, in the clinical studies that were done, "Relative bioavailability for the different application sites at steady state was evaluated...Differences in bioavailability ranged from less than 1% (abdomen vs hip) to 64% (shoulder vs thigh) with shoulder application showing higher bioavailability)."

Does this mean I can expect to "absorb" more of the drug and get better symptom relief when I apply the patch to my shoulder vs my thigh? And if it does, aside from possible skin irritation, is there any reason not to place the patch around the shoulder area every day?

According to Dr. Okun (NPF "Ask the Doctor") , the above comments are "in general on point." Can this be right??? I thought the whole idea of the patch was to "level-out" the amount of sinemet in the bloodstream. Instead, according to the studies that were done by the manufacturer, the bioavailabilty can vary wildly depending on where you place the patch!
Man, this is frustrating! Any thoughts? Anyone?
Keith

Sorry, can't help
 

Keith:

I'm afraid my results were similar to yours. I didn't experience any significant smoothing out of symptoms, and finally gave up because of the skin irritation. The last batch I tried (I've been using multiple small patches instead of one large one, because the itching seemed to get worse previously when I increase patch size), I had to remove after 12 hours. Even after washing with soap and water and applying aloe lotion, the marks were visible even after 30 hours.

Good luck on finding the right meds.

I haven't started it yet and have been having little luck finding any info on how any one else is dealing with it. This links have quite a few opinions on Neupro.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/your...pinionid=13785

http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/forum/t...&id=33&fpage=2

I have been using the Neupro patch since July and have not noticed any difference in effectiveness as to the location of the patch. I like the thigh best. The shoulder did not work in the summer when I wanted to swim because my swim suit does not cover my shoulders. They say to rotate the position so you only use each spot once every 2 weeks.

The patch worked extremely well for me for 2 months. My Stalevo had been wearing off and with the patch it did not wear off at all during the day. However, now it is wearing off again. I don't know if I need the larger patch now. I go back to my neuro in 2 weeks.

Chicory