Dear Bonnie,
As you have allowed it, I will post my response to your question to the
PD list, as I believe it has relevance for others.

> First, I should say that my dad is taking Sinemet (I do not know the amount)
> for his PD & that is the only med he's on currently. I print out the majority
> of (important) post for him to read & he's taken the "Sinemet & protein" issue
> quite seriously  & my mother fears it's been too seriously.
> This past week, my dad was hospitalized for an ulcer. When dad finally let mom
> take him to the doctor, he took with him a stool sample & when it was
> confirmed that there was blood in his stool, the doctor sent him right to the
> hospital. The (2nd) ulcer was discovered & I am told it was the size of a
> quarter. The ulcer was cauterized & dad is now home & back to "normal".
>         Dad's basically kept himself on a low (almost no) protein & high fiber diet.
> But now the doctor has reversed that to making sure he gets protein & very
> little fiber. Mom believes the ulcer was caused by aspirins he had been taking
> as he's now been told not to take ANY aspirin.
>         My question to you is - what do you suggest re. the Sinemet vs proten now? My
> dad believes in the "connection" but his doctor (not the neuro) says he's
> never heard of such a thing.
>         Thanks for your input.
> Bonnie
> daughter of Jim 77/3
> ps   It is ok w/me if you post your response to the PDlist

It sounds to me as though your Dad is not getting enough protein. Also,
I believe you are correct in thinking that aspirin use may have
contributed to his ulcers.

Your Dad needs to get adequate protein. Adults need .8 to 1 gram protein
per kilogram of body weight per day. A less accurate but simpler rule
is: about 1/2 gram protein per pound body weight per day. Thus, a
100-pound person would need about 50 grams protein daily.

If he doesn't get enough protein, he will become very sick. If he does
not experience "on-off fluctuations" he should be able to take Sinemet
30-60 minutes before meals, and get good results. If he has
fluctuations, then protein adjustment should give him better results
from Sinemet. He can avoid protein during the day, then have a large
serving of protein foods at night (one ounce of meat, poultry or fish
has 8 grams protein); or he can try the "7:1 ratio" eating plan. The 7:1
ratio seems to work quite well for most people, although a few are
extremely protein-sensitive, and must avoid all protein except at the
evening meal. I prefer the 7:1 plan when possible, because it is better
balanced, and allows for a greater variety of protein foods. For more
information, you can view the Hearty Balance website at:

http://www.balancenutrition.com/

It's not surprising that your dad's doctor hasn't heard of the
protein-sinemet connection, as he's not a neurologist. Most general
physicians have only a very few patients with PD, so they are much less
familiar with PD meds and their food-drug interactions.

My very best regards to you and your father,
Kathrynne
--
Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD
"Nutrition you can live with!"
Medical nutrition therapy
http://www.nutritionucanlivewith.com/
Tel: 970-493-6532 // Fax: 970-493-6538