Ron, Sharon, et al.... Now that ya mention it, I'm inclined to believe that as long as it's only a BIT of food (a "bit" equaling just a few bites), it prolly makes no difference if one makes it ice cream or filet mignon. Sometimes I have nothing at all in the kitchen that has any sugar in it so I take a few bites of left over chicken or a bite of cheese and get pretty must the same lift do from ice cream. BUT - I always get that lift from something with sugar and DON'T always get a lift if I eat meat, cheese or other snack. ALSO - it's pretty common knowledge that many, if not most Parkies simply CRAVE sweets! The only way that I can resist a sweet snack now and then throughout the day is to not buy it in the first place!! And despite my joking about my eating ice cream all the time, I might eat that delectable treat maybe a 1/2 dozen times a year! (OYE! My reputation as a major eater of ice cream is now shot!) <OK...OK.... make that 8 or 10 times a year, but without chocolate sprinkles on the top, and only one scoop at a time!) <giggle> Barb Mallut (who'd KILL for a scoop of ice cream right now) [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: Ron Vetter <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Date: Tuesday, January 25, 2000 4:55 PM Subject: Re: Sinemet >>Barb, >>Is it the sugar that gets the Sinemet to "kick" in, or is it just a wee >>bit of protein, that is present even in a cookie, that does it. I know >>that sounds strange because too much protein at the wrong time can >>interfer with the Sinemet doing it's job. I can be so s-l-o-w trying to >>put the evening meal together, but after sitting down and having a few >>bites I can feel the change coming. Was it the sugar in the salad >>dressing? Or trailing after my husband as we walk around a "Flea >>Market", he stops to get an Italian Sausage Sandwich of which I take two >>bites, and within minutes I'm "on". Was it the sugar in the bun? I'm >>very protein sensitive, but if I watch what and when I eat I generally do >>fairly well. I've also found I do better if I can kind of nibble >>throughout the day. Sooo - is it a little sugar, a wee bit of protein, >>or just something to eat that does the trick?! > >Sharon & all > >eating something such that there is some digestive function and >movement of the levodopa into the small intestine is important. this >small amount circa 15 minutes post taking the tablet may be near >optimum if the regular meal is taken 30 to 45 minutes after taking >the med. > >if taking CR Sinemet, things are different. the tablet may spend long >period in the stomach; or, be only 50% efficacious for younger; or, >circa 77% absorbed in the more elderly. the CR has the larger >variability of efficacy and time of peak as well as peak >concentration per the original clinical data reported in Neurology. > >I put some of this information into an Acrobat file: > >http://www.ridgecrest.ca.us/~rfvetter/levodopa.pdf > >or, you may find the PD sub-pages of my website - URL below - interesting. >-- >Ron Vetter 1936, '84 PD dz >mailto:[log in to unmask] >http://www.ridgecrest.ca.us/~rfvetter