On Wed 13 Nov, Cindy Birk Conley wrote:
> The story of Dorothy, who got deathly ill from one Sinemet CR, doesn't seem
> so far off my Mom's current experiences.  After 2 1/2 weeks on regular
> Sinemet she is MUCH worse, and I'm not sure which way to turn.
>
> Since the first weekend, when she took 4 25/100 pills at meals and bedtime
> and OD'ed on the stuff, we have followed Judith Richard's advice and started
> her on 1/2 pill at each meal the first week, a full pill and two half pills
> the second, with the plan to have her do 2 full and 1 1/2 doses on a full
> stomach tomorrow.  While her nausea has abated somewhat, she has a headache
> that is resistent to aspirin and other painkillers, and is keeping her from
> reading (the last joy in her life), seems to have a lot of pain in her arms
> and shoulders, is very depressed, seems more rigid than loose, and is
> drawing up on her left side.
>
> Concerning another thread, whereas last fall and winter she was always hot
> and never wanted much cover, now she is always cold and starts hurting if
> her shoulder gets uncovered.
>
> Last night she did something I have long been dreading, and asked for the
> bedpan rather than "be shook" going to the potty chair.  We got along okay,
> but it marks a boundary between a sick person and a really badfast one.  She
> did walk for the paid caregiver and nurse.
>
> Questions:  Once the sinemet level increases will mom start to do better?
> Is this normal?  Should I get her some zoloft or another anti-depressant?
> Does it sound like mom isn't going to be able to tolerate the PD medicine?
> Today the nurse said she was planning to call her doctor but I haven't heard
> from either, nor from her CT scan and EEG last week (I guess they weren't
> too bad or the neuro's office would have called me?)?
>
> Thanks for all your help.
>
> Cindy Birk Conley
> [log in to unmask]
> >From Southeastern Illinois to your modem!!
> >>http://www.midwest.net/scribers/cbconly
>
>
Hello Cindy, You are having a most distressing time with your mother. It
appears the attempt to gradually build up a tolerance to the levodopa is
working., and I think that is good news. However, a point that you must
remember is that while you have been slowly ramping up her Sinemet intake,
she has been effectively in the Off condition. ( It rarely works on a simple
'half the tablets: half the effect' sort of system: More
usually you can find nothing  happening at all, until a certain level is
reached, and I would hope that at that point, you should see a significant
improvement-
Brian Collins  <[log in to unmask]>