Brian,
I totally agree with your conclusions.  I've been on sinemet 12 years.  No
side effects.  Had terrible side effects with Eldepryl.

Greg
47/35/35


-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Collins <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Friday, November 12, 1999 10:18 PM
Subject: Re: FWD: To Sinemet or not!! [from Mary Sanford]


>On Fri 12 Nov, janet paterson wrote:
>> >From: [log in to unmask] (M E SANFORD)
>> >Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1999 09:37:11 -0500 (EST)
>> >Subject: To Sinemet or not!!
>> >
>> >Hi Janet     just have to pput my 2 cents  worth in this one
>> >
>> >At Diagnosis in Dec 1994  Neuro put me on Eldepryl.   one year later in
>> >Nov  I  went to Johns Hopkins for 2nd opinion.
>
>              ********
>> >In meantime I had researched on Web & at llirary & liked what I read
>> >about new theory of delayiing Sinemet IF ANOTHER LESSER DRUG WORKED ====
>              *******>
>>Also I  had started personal training at local health club =  specialist
>> >at J Hopkins  recommnded STRONGLY that I  start on Sinemet & quit
>> >Eldepryl  but I refused !!
>> >Next visit to my Neuro & he agreed with Specialist BUT  I figured    It
>> >ain't broke so don't fix it.  I was doing fine w/ just the Eldepryl.
>> >Exercise program worked for me & my Golf game was just fine.   BUT  this
>> >is my personal  individual situation.
>> >In 1997 added Amantadine & in 1998
>> >added Permax.   For me this works just fine.   It will be 5 yrs on Dec
>> >4th  and I still am fortunate to be (early stage)  and still haven't had
>> >to take Sinemet (which is there for the future)  if & when I need it==
>> >I thank God for the slow progression.   This condition is so
>> >individualized that each person has to become knowledgable about their
>> >own case.    Thanks
>> >
>> >MARY E SANFORD
>> >[log in to unmask]
>> >Ocean City  Md  21842
>>
>>
>>
>First; I had better apologise To Charlotte for upsetting he with my
>comments on witholding levodopa. I was indulging myself in what I believe
>is called a 'rant', and one does not necessarily set out to make a logical
>case with a rant! Still,at least you replied to my mail, and you have never
>done that before.
>
>Mary: could you send me a copy or reference that I can use to see the
>case for witholding levodopa (as you mentioned in the lines above  *****
>
>
>Mary mentioned perspective and it is indeed important to know a person's
>background (medically speaking) before we pass judgment on what they say.
>
>In the 21 years that I have had Parkinsons I have progressed to the point
>that I have virtually no Dopamine-producing cells left ,and rely almost
>entirely on tablets. I made a special study of levodopa, and was forced
>to write a computer program to understand what was going on. I started
>Sinemet after 1 year with PD, and have taken it ever since. I still take
>800 mg/day, aided by  Permax to avoid dyskinesias.I started on Permax
>only when I had squeezed the last drops of juice out of levodopa alone,
>because I had and still have a healthy respect and fear of the
>unpleasant and unpredictable side effects which can result from using
>Dopamine agonists. Indeed, when put beside levodopa, the agonists are
>downright scary, as many members of this list will confirm. Levodopa
>does not have side effects...... I can hear the howls of outrage already..,
>but it is true : When treated by the brain, and turned into dopamine, that
>is what it is: just dopamine, indistinguishable from the brain's dopamine.
>If you don't take enough, nthing happens. If you take too much, you get
>dyskinesias, and that's that. It is perfectly understandable, and
>predictable.
>
>A thought just ocurred to me: What is the cost of witholding levodopa in
>the early years?  (I don't know myself because in the UK we are not told
>the costs .)
>
>And finally: Did you hear about the man who decided to practice the
>witholding of levodopa for as long as he could stand it. He really
>believed in it, because his neurologist said it was good, and that was
>good enough for him. So, he struggled on , switching from starter drugs
>like Amantadine, Artane, Bromocryptine, titrating up and down on each
>change, until finally his neurologist called him and asked him to go to
>the hospital to learn how to switch to levodopa. He was tremendously
>excited - all the suffering would be worthwhile..
>  On the way to the hospital, his retricted movement (caused by his swollen
>ankles) resulted in a collision with a car driven by a Parkie on Re-quip,
>who had fallen asleep at the wheel!!
>Regards,
>--
>Brian Collins  <[log in to unmask]>
>