On Tue 16 Dec, Ivan M Suzman wrote:
> ^^^^^^WARM GREETINGS  FROM^^^^^^^^^^
> Ivan Suzman  48/10         [log in to unmask]
> Portland, Maine   land of lighthouses  40   deg. Fsunny
> ***********************************************************
> Hello again, Listfolks, and good day to you  from woodstove-heated Maine!
>
>   Do you ever wonder WHICH  Sinemet is best for you??? Has anybody had
> experience with BOTH Sinemet 10/100(blue) and Sinemet 25/100(yellow)?
>
>   Which Sinemet should a PWP take? How did you feel on blue Sinemet? On
> yellow Sinemet?  I use sunny yellow,  but am wondering if I should switch
> to blue.
>
>  Thanks again,
>
> Ivan Suzman 48/10
>
>
***********************************************************
Hello again, Listfolks, and good day to you  from woodstove-heated Maine!

  Do you ever wonder WHICH  Sinemet is best for you??? Has anybody had
experience with BOTH Sinemet 10/100(blue) and Sinemet 25/100(yellow)?

  Which Sinemet should a PWP take? How did you feel on blue Sinemet? On
yellow Sinemet?  I use sunny yellow,  but am wondering if I should switch
to blue.

 Thanks again,

Ivan Suzman 48/10

This question was partly answered by Joyce44: Perhaps I could add a little
background ...
   Everyone knows that sinemet tablets consist of a mixture of Levadopa
(Or L-dopa as it is sometimes called) and Carbidopa. Lets talk about the
most popular tablet, the Sinemet 25/100 Yellow and 10/100 (Blue.

The most inportant part of the package is the Levodopa, which is the 100mg
constituent. Levodopa is called a pre-cursor of Dopamine, which means that
it is the last but one stage in the comlplicated process of making Dopamine.

When the levodopa reaches the substantia nigra, where the brain's supply
of Dopamine normally comes from, the remaining system still has the
capability of processing this into Dopamine, albeit without the control of
the proper system.

Now what about the Carbidopa?  When the capability of affecting the balance
of Dopamine by taking quantities of levodopa discovered, it was hailed
(rightly) as a breakthrough. However, neurologists found that to get enough
levodopa to the brain, it was necessary for the patient to take very
large doses of levodopa which, caused unpleasant side-effects in the body,
(including colouring the urine black!)

the problem is that levodopa is one of many different Large Neutral Amino-
Acids (LNAA), whose sole function is to interact with other chemicals,
producing energy, protein, etc. This minefield was what the levodopa was
exposed to in its travel from the lower intestine to the brain.  Now we
come to the clever bit: The addition of Carbidopa into the mixture protects
the levodopa quite effectivelyNot only that, when the levodopa/carbidopa
combination reaches the blood/brain barrier, the carbidopa (which is too big
to pass through is stripped off by the BBB, leaving the levodopa loose in
the brain.

The Carbidopa is now free, and sets off to find some more LNAA to protect,
and it will protect it even though that is the last thing that the LNAA
wants. In the process it makes a mess of the bodie's internal functioning.
This is known as 'Carbidopa poisoning'>

It turns out that about 100 mg of levodopa can perform the protection job:
any more simply goes to fuel the Carbidopa poisoning. So, if you are on say
4 Sinemet 100s, you would take the yellow tablets giving:

Levodopa 400 mg) : Carbidopa (100 mg

On the other hand, If you need more levodopa, say 800 mg per day, it would
be Levodopa = 800 mg : Carbidopa 200.mg

Some people might get away with 200 mg without side effe. On the other
hand, the patient could take the blue 10/100 tablets, and have 80 mg -
Perhaps a bit low, but if you wanted to, you could start the day with
two Sinemet 25/100 then 6 Sinemet 10/100 :- Carbidopa 110 mg.

I hope the story makes sense; if not, I have probably got something wrong-
there is nothing controversial in this subject, all the neurologists whom
I and others have checked agree that this is the true story.