I'm rather new to this and hate to sound ignorant, but what is "SAM-e?"
Nancy

> ----------
> From:         Charles Countryman
> Reply To:     Parkinson's Information Exchange Network
> Sent:         Thursday, August 30, 2001 2:04 PM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      Re: Sinement CR
>
> [log in to unmask] wrote:
>
>  > Charley,
>  >
>  > I read with great interest your timing of sinemet doses.   Would you
> please
>  > share with me what dosage you are on?
>  > I am trying to relate sinemet to meals and snacks.
>  >
>  > Thanks Dean
>
> Dean,
>
> Here is where I am at after about 8 years of trial and error adjustments
> to my meds (under supervision of my family physician and my
> neurologist). My experience is that the meds. complement each other, so
> I did not separate the Sinemet CR from the rest.
>
> The bottom line for me is although the effects of PD and its meds have
> steadily progressed to the point that I took disability retirement (this
> time last year), I now have predictable "on" hours several times/day and
> tremor is almost never a problem.  If there is such a thing as an
> "average day" for a PWP, I would say that my "on" times exceed my "off"
> times (Bradykinesia primarily) by about 25 per cent.  Also, I usually
> get about 6 hours of good sleep/night.
>
> I found that Sinemet CR alone was not adequate for me to deal with
> Bradykinesia.  Adding Ropinirole helped me a lot. (I have also tried
> Parlodel and Tasmar.) However, probably because my blood pressure has
> always tended to be on the low side of normal, I have to be careful with
> it.  An experiment with increasing the amount of Ropinirole lowered my
> blood pressure level too much.  Because of this, I always take Sinemet
> CR at least a hour before any Ropinirole.  (see more about Ropinirole at
> the end)
>
> I take-
> Amantadine 100 mg x 2/day
> Selegiline 5 mg x 1/day
> Sinemet CR 200-50 x 4/day
> Ropinirole 1 mg x 3/day
>
> also SAM-e 400 mg x 2/day and standard multiple vitamins plus extra E.
>
> about 0600  Selegiline & Sinemet CR w/medium cup of orange juice
> 0615  SAM-e with a sip of orange juice
> 0700  Amantadine w/breakfast of fruit and cereal with reduced fat,
> lactose free milk or fruit and 2 waffles
>
> 0800  Ropinirole w/my concoction of 1/2 coffee and 1/2 lactose free milk
>
> I usually am moving pretty good between about 0830 and 1100.  This is
> the best time for me to do T'ai Chi exercise and walk or garden.  If I
> feel like it, I'll take a mid morning break with either coffee or black
> tea and something sweet to eat.
>
> When I start to slow down around 1100, I take another Sinemet CR and a
> Ginseng tea break or water if I am not at home.  I usually get another
> good hour from about 1130 to 1230.  I take another Amantadine
> w/vegetable juice, usually while making a low protein lunch.  After
> lunch about 1300, I take Ropinirole, usually w/green tea at home or a
> coke if I am out and about.
>
> Early afternoons are usually pretty good for me, if I can do things at
> my own slower pace. But I am definitely much slower then than my wife,
> former work associates, and my ten year old son!  I take another SAM-e
> w/water or juice about 1400.
>
> About the most difficult time for me (Bradykinesia again) is late
> afternoon.  Since both of my doctors have advised me to moderate the use
> of Sinemet as much as possible, I use this time just to sit and listen
> to or watch the news on radio or tv.  My son is still at school and my
> wife is a teacher at school then anyway, so it is a manageable
> inconvenience.
>
> I take another Sinemet CR about 1630 w/juice or a soda when it is hot
> and Ginseng tea when it is cool.
>
> Evenings are pretty good for me, unless I get into a crowded situation
> or something that requires multi-tasking.  I take my last Ropinirole
> with dinner around 1800.
>
> I start getting very slow around 2130.  So I take my last Sinemet CR
> around then w/Chamomile flower tea.  I wait until about 2300 to go to
> bed. (Because I have found out that every time I take Sinemet CR within
> about 30 minutes, no matter the time of day or amount or type of liquids
> I have drank, I need to relieve my bladder.)
>
> Note about Ropinirole.  It definitely helps me move.  But it also causes
> me to have "sleep attacks" within 30 minutes, if I am not moving around.
>    This caused me major problems when I had outside employment, because I
> did not have the freedom to just get up and move around.  I would fall
> asleep at my work site.  Also, it is not safe for me to operate a motor
> vehicle while using Ropinirole.  It is connected to a near accident,
> when I dosed off about 30 minutes after taking it (in the morning and
> after a good night sleep).  In another incident, I blanked out in the
> early evening about 30 minutes after taking it, causing an accident
> (fortunately no one was injured).  I have since voluntarily given up
> operating motor vehicles while taking Ropinirole.
>
> Charley
> 50/PD diagnosed 1993
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to:
> mailto:[log in to unmask]
> In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn
>
>

----------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask]
In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn