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Hello Barbara, I'm not a Doctor or even a nurse, but I think there is something wrong with your dosage. When I used to get leg and foot cramps it was because I didn't have enough levodopa in my body, but I really don't see how you can go all day without medication and only take Sinemet at night. Are you in essence using Sinemet as a sleeping pill? Is this what you are saying? There is an old drug called Laradopa, its pure levodopa there is no carbidopa in it. I was on it for almost a year. Actually ,I felt better on it than I do Sinemet, but there are problems with it. i.e. I had to eat a full meal to take it, and I gained weight, and I never was able to titrate up to 1K mg's which was the dosage. There are "on's & off's with it, I didn't have them with Sinemet. I did very well on 750 mg however, and my foot cramps stopped. Also Laradopa lasted a lot longer for me than Sinemet does. Talk this over with you Neurologist because the drug is still available, even if it is very old fashioned and since you don't seem to have side effects with Sinemet, this might just be your answer. They come in 250 mg, & 500 mg's that I know of, they might also come in 1K, but I'm not sure. Maybe you could take the Sinemet during the day and a Laradopa at bedtime. Its worth talking to you Neuro. about anyway. Please know we are all praying for you!! just me, Marjorie At 07:59 PM 10/24/2000 +0100, you wrote: >Hello Everyone, > >I started taking levodopa at night to sleep because tremors were so violent >I could not sleep. My first symptom of Parkinson's was having a tremor in >right foot while sound asleep. Two years have gone by since I first started >sleeping with levodopa. First I tried CR as doctor suggested, that did not >work, I need a Sinemet Plus 25/100 to stop tremors and cramps. I tried all >the agonists, anticholergenics, everything except levodopa gives me severe >side effects and migraines, so I tried beta blockers for the headaches, >blood pressure went too low. Tried other migraine meds nothing worked. >Neuro said stay with levodopa. > >Now ........ the big problem, I cannot sleep at all without levodopa all >through the night. I take between 250 - 300mg to get through the night, >wake up from first tablet 2.5hrs, take another tablet wait at least 30 min >with severe cramps and tremors, switching off at night is far more painful >then daytime because my tremors are so violent when I am not walking or >moving about. So, finally when I wake up for the day I feel like I have >been through a battle. Tried to not take levodopa at night, stayed up for 3 >days not a wink, cramps so bad they damaged feet. Have not been able to >walk much since this happened 8 months ago. The grin and bear it did not >work at night. > >I have been to my neuro several times, went to Parkie specialist. The >doctors don't have any ideas except to try lithium for the cramps. Still >will have tremors too violent to sleep. > >Worry about taking too much levodopa with any daytime use. If I need to >drive, or go anywhere must take levodopa. Can easily take another 300 - >400mg during the day. So, I grin and bear during the day, take levodopa at >night. > >This seems crazy, I am sleeping while switched on, awake switched off and in >a great deal of pain. I am 52 this is my 6th year with PD, how do I keep >going like this. > >I have problems with anxiety and depression for first 3 hours off levodopa, >then even though I am cramping and tremoring quite badly my mental state >improves and then I repeat the cycle. Because of my poor mental state >switching off I am afraid to take lithium, also my kidneys have never been >really good and lithium can be quite hard on kidneys. > >I have had restless legs for about 10 years. Started taking Klonopin >(Clonazepam) 4yrs ago, at first it put me right to sleep and stopped >tremors. Now it just takes the edge off tremors does not affect cramps. > >I have tried pain medicine, several different herbs, sleeping tonics, zinc, >calcium, magnesium, hot bathes with epsom salts, cider vinegar, Neurontin. >I have searched the PD archives, checked the website, done the healthfood >store ideas, talked to herbalists, quinine and tonic water, mucuna. I could >write a book on how to sleep, just have not found my solution. > >I am exhausted .......... is there anything I missed? > >Hope this message reaches someone who can relate and perhaps offer some >encouragement. > >Feeling very discouraged ......... BJ