Hi Brian.... I'm not sure I feel up to experimenting On Purpose right now with any meds. What do others say about his point that COMTAN should be taken BEFORE the Sinemet. re: the Mirapex, I'm not sure why we switched i.e. was it the doctor or I who brought up dropping Mirapex? I had just been run over (figuratively speaking) by a express train and wasn't studying these changes. [Note: I had been forced into a drug holiday while in the Icu and couldn't MOVE!!!!] I recall that he suggested Requip -- I do remember thinking that I couldn't face another New med, and hadn't I done ok on Parlodel. I rather think my MDS would have just as soon kept me on both Tasmar and Mirapex. I can tell you that the present mix of meds is far from giving me much quality time. Barb B-K On Wed. May 17. 2000 B.COLLINS wrote: **************** Hello Barbara, I'm not in a position to give you any authoritative facts on Comtan, However I have seen one comment from a new user that it effectively doubles the duration of a Sinemet tablet. Here's your chance to generate a few useful facts about this new drug.: I would suggest that you look at taking your Comtan from 4 hours before you take the Sinemet, down to zero time after Sinemet. (I don't see much point in taking the ComTan after you have taken the Sinemet - probably better to wait for the next bus to come along. I confess to amazement at your doctor prescribing Parlodel instead of Mirapex. I know Mirapex had a rather bad start, but Parlodel had quite a large crop of problems, and I was one of the victims. Over a period of 6 months, I became paranoid - thought my wife was plotting against me among other problems, and I was very lucky to have a good friend who forced me to face it. I stopped the Parlodel, and was cured in 2 weeks. My experience was fairly typical, and I thought that it had virtually disappeared from use. Is your doctor elderly? They seem to be the ones who prescribe the old drugs ('Always have and always will') sort of attitude, and sometimes that is no bad thing, but not this time. Parlodel was called a Dopamine Agonist, but it is not selective about D1, D2 etc receptors like the later agonists. Hope that is of some use, -- Brian Collins <[log in to unmask]> (60/39/34) ********** On Wed 17 May, Barbara Blake-Krebs wrote: > Hi all... Recently during a hospital stay, two of my PD meds were changed: > > A. My agoniist -- Miirapex to Parlodel (Bromocriptine) > > B. My COMT -- from Tasmar to Comtan (Entacapone) 200 mg/dose > > I would like to know: > > 1. My understanding is that Comtan needs to be taken with each dose > of Sinemet in order to boost the effectiveness of the Sinemet. Is there a > window of time after takiing the Sinemet in which one may still benefit from > taking the Comtan? > > 2. I take this pill generally in fruit jelly. It seems 'chalky' to > me and I often find I have a reflux reaction or upset stomach (no matter what > substance I use with it).. Is this very common with this med? > > thanks > > Barbara Blake-Krebs 59/44 > [log in to unmask]