On Thu 01 Jan, Marjorie Moorefield wrote:
> I have recently been suffering with what turns
> out to be an adverse reaction to the Carbodopa
> part of the Sinemet, and my ND changed me over to Larodopa.
>
> I'm on a forced drug holiday, since none of the pharmacies
> stock Larodopa anymore, but it is possible for them
> to order it. However, I won't be able to get it before Friday
> after work.
>
> I'm not going to say a drug holiday is bad for everyone,
>  but I will say from personal experience, that for me
> at least, its a torture which I really don't need at this
> time!!
>
> Larodopa is Levodopa with out the Carbodopa, it was used
> widely in the 70's and it will cross the blood/brain barrier alone,
> but it will require twice the dosage of what I had to take of the
> Sinemet.
>
> Maybe one of the reasons Brian Collins is lucky enough to not
> have had problems is that he is fortunate enough to have a product
> which doesn't contain Carbodopa. Unfortunately it isn't available
> in the U.S.  How I wish it were!!!
>
> Now, my question is, since I can't take anything to counteract
> the nausea, because it would bind with the levodopa and stop
> it from working effectively, and since Levodopa taken alone, and in the
> quantities
> I will have to take,  will cause nausea, can anyone who has taken
> it give me any suggestions?  My ND said to take it WITH meals.
>
> BTW, I can't take a PD agnoist because of other health problems,
> so I'm not able to even try Mirapex or Requip.
>
>
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Marjorie Moorefield,
> just another librarian
> with PD  65/9
>
>
>
Hello Marjorie,  I am sorry to read of your problems- the meds really do
seem to be ganging up against you.  The last thing I want to do is cause
you excessive worry, but from what I can find out about using levodopa
on its own it should be considered as a last possible option (Page 43 of
McGoon's "The Parkinson's Handbook" has a good summary.
  I am not familiar with US law, but I was wondering if there might be a
way of arranging for someone to mail you the necessary Madopar tablets
from (for instance) Canada?
  I have spoken out before about the stress and harm resulting from a
drug company deciding not to clear their new drug in a particular country.
Accepting that these anomalies will happen, there ought to be a procedure
available for special cases like yours, to allow the import in small
experimental quantities.
  Now that might be a possibility: Could your Neurologist declare you a
one-person experiment, and send off for Madopar as part of the experiment?
I am not being silly - I think it is a real possibility, and fully
justifiable in the light of your unusual allergy.

  By the way, I have at various times used Sinemet and Madopar together
and separately, and have found them completely interchangeable in my case.
However, without having any formal evidence to go on, I do get the
impression that Madopar users appear to have fewer adverse reactions
than Sinemet Users.
  The chemical which we are talking about is of course Benserazide. I
have no idea how it is mixed with the levodopa, but I wondered if perhaps
Benserazide alone is available in the USA for some totally different reason.
After all, if Cabergoline can be unappproved for PD, and yet freely available
for drying-up the milk of lactating women, anything is possible!
Good luck with your problem.

Regards,
--
Brian Collins  <[log in to unmask]>