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SAM-e is S-adenosylmethionine, a dietary supplement (in the U.S.). It is not covered by my medical insurance. My family physician agrees with me that it helps with mood, maybe movement, and may help my body (especially liver) manage the other meds. I think that my neurologist is probably an agnostic about this. > I'm rather new to this and hate to sound ignorant, but what is "SAM-e?" > Nancy > > > ---------- > > From: Charles Countryman > > Reply To: Parkinson's Information Exchange Network > > Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2001 2:04 PM > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Subject: Re: Sinement CR > > > > [log in to unmask] wrote: > > > > > Charley, > > > > > > I read with great interest your timing of sinemet doses. Would you > > please > > > share with me what dosage you are on? > > > I am trying to relate sinemet to meals and snacks. > > > > > > Thanks Dean > > > > Dean, > > > > Here is where I am at after about 8 years of trial and error adjustments > > to my meds (under supervision of my family physician and my > > neurologist). My experience is that the meds. complement each other, so > > I did not separate the Sinemet CR from the rest. > > > > The bottom line for me is although the effects of PD and its meds have > > steadily progressed to the point that I took disability retirement (this > > time last year), I now have predictable "on" hours several times/day and > > tremor is almost never a problem. If there is such a thing as an > > "average day" for a PWP, I would say that my "on" times exceed my "off" > > times (Bradykinesia primarily) by about 25 per cent. Also, I usually > > get about 6 hours of good sleep/night. > > > > I found that Sinemet CR alone was not adequate for me to deal with > > Bradykinesia. Adding Ropinirole helped me a lot. (I have also tried > > Parlodel and Tasmar.) However, probably because my blood pressure has > > always tended to be on the low side of normal, I have to be careful with > > it. An experiment with increasing the amount of Ropinirole lowered my > > blood pressure level too much. Because of this, I always take Sinemet > > CR at least a hour before any Ropinirole. (see more about Ropinirole at > > the end) > > > > I take- > > Amantadine 100 mg x 2/day > > Selegiline 5 mg x 1/day > > Sinemet CR 200-50 x 4/day > > Ropinirole 1 mg x 3/day > > > > also SAM-e 400 mg x 2/day and standard multiple vitamins plus extra E. > > > > about 0600 Selegiline & Sinemet CR w/medium cup of orange juice > > 0615 SAM-e with a sip of orange juice > > 0700 Amantadine w/breakfast of fruit and cereal with reduced fat, > > lactose free milk or fruit and 2 waffles > > > > 0800 Ropinirole w/my concoction of 1/2 coffee and 1/2 lactose free milk > > > > I usually am moving pretty good between about 0830 and 1100. This is > > the best time for me to do T'ai Chi exercise and walk or garden. If I > > feel like it, I'll take a mid morning break with either coffee or black > > tea and something sweet to eat. > > > > When I start to slow down around 1100, I take another Sinemet CR and a > > Ginseng tea break or water if I am not at home. I usually get another > > good hour from about 1130 to 1230. I take another Amantadine > > w/vegetable juice, usually while making a low protein lunch. After > > lunch about 1300, I take Ropinirole, usually w/green tea at home or a > > coke if I am out and about. > > > > Early afternoons are usually pretty good for me, if I can do things at > > my own slower pace. But I am definitely much slower then than my wife, > > former work associates, and my ten year old son! I take another SAM-e > > w/water or juice about 1400. > > > > About the most difficult time for me (Bradykinesia again) is late > > afternoon. Since both of my doctors have advised me to moderate the use > > of Sinemet as much as possible, I use this time just to sit and listen > > to or watch the news on radio or tv. My son is still at school and my > > wife is a teacher at school then anyway, so it is a manageable > > inconvenience. > > > > I take another Sinemet CR about 1630 w/juice or a soda when it is hot > > and Ginseng tea when it is cool. > > > > Evenings are pretty good for me, unless I get into a crowded situation > > or something that requires multi-tasking. I take my last Ropinirole > > with dinner around 1800. > > > > I start getting very slow around 2130. So I take my last Sinemet CR > > around then w/Chamomile flower tea. I wait until about 2300 to go to > > bed. (Because I have found out that every time I take Sinemet CR within > > about 30 minutes, no matter the time of day or amount or type of liquids > > I have drank, I need to relieve my bladder.) > > > > Note about Ropinirole. It definitely helps me move. But it also causes > > me to have "sleep attacks" within 30 minutes, if I am not moving around. > > This caused me major problems when I had outside employment, because I > > did not have the freedom to just get up and move around. I would fall > > asleep at my work site. Also, it is not safe for me to operate a motor > > vehicle while using Ropinirole. It is connected to a near accident, > > when I dosed off about 30 minutes after taking it (in the morning and > > after a good night sleep). In another incident, I blanked out in the > > early evening about 30 minutes after taking it, causing an accident > > (fortunately no one was injured). I have since voluntarily given up > > operating motor vehicles while taking Ropinirole. > > > > Charley > > 50/PD diagnosed 1993 > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: > > mailto:[log in to unmask] > > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn