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Mary Legan wrote: > I take one Sinemet l0/l00 every 2 hrs. This seems to suit me best. I am > wondering > in general how you folks handle protein. I've heard that sometimes it is > taken mostly with the evening meal. Sometimes other ways. I'm having a hard > time trying to keep to a balanced & interesting & EASY diet while keeping the > protein low. Dear Mary, People who take sinemet every two hours have difficulty timing meals and medication. It usually takes 15-45 minutes for the Sinemet to kick in. After kick-in, the meal is eaten. Then, it requires about 40 minutes to 2 hours (depending on the kind of food eaten) for the food to clear the stomach, after which Sinemet can be taken again. A better solution, if your neurologist agrees, might be to use liquid Sinemet. Liquid Sinemet clears the stomach and gets into the bloodstream MUCH faster than the pill (10-20 minutes). You should feel the kick-in much quicker, and can then eat your meal or snack. I'd recommend fairly small frequent meals, which will clear the stomach faster than a large meal; then you'll be ready for the liquid Sinemet again. It's important to get sufficient protein for your needs, and this may allow more protein overall. It's true that it's more of a hassle to use liquid Sinemet, as it must be made up fresh each day, and must be taken about every 60-90 minutes for most people. But it does allow for a finer titration, and some people have even found that they need less Sinemet overall, and have less dyskinesias, with liquid form. Your doctor may not agree, but I think it's worth asking about. Best regards, Kathrynne -- Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD Author: "Eat well, stay well with Parkinson's disease" "Constipation and Parkinson's" -- audiocassette & guidebook "Guidelines for Medical Nutrition Therapy for Parkinson's disease" & Risk Assessment Tools "Risk for malnutrition and bone fracture in Parkinson's disease," J Nutr Elderly. V18:3;1999. http://www.nutritionucanlivewith.com/