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Ed, I do have personal experience with Wellbutrin. It wasnt a good one either. After a couple of weeks, it seemed like I was on Requip again because I startedto pass out again with Sleep Attacks like what the Requip caused with me.I know it does work well for some though . Your article pretty well say what is needed. Do you have a link for the St. Louis Parkinson Newsletter. I'm always interested in new sources of information. Rob ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ed Grskovich" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Saturday, January 19, 2002 1:57 PM Subject: Re: Wellbutrin/Depression/Claustrophia > Emily, > I have no direct knowledge about Wellbutrin [bubroprion], but one very > interesting study suggested that besides acting as an antidepressant it might > also help persons with early stage Parkinson's. > > "BOSTON, Sep 27, 2001 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Preliminary > laboratory studies suggest the antidepressant bubroprion may help slow the > degenerative Parkinson's disease, but whether the approach works in humans > remains to be seen. " > See: <A > HREF="http://www.lef.org/newsarchive/disease/2001/09/27/up/0000-3137-bc-us-p ar > > kinsons.html">Antidepressant May Slow Parkinson's</A> > Or: > http://www.lef.org/newsarchive/disease/2001/09/27/up/0000-3137-bc-us-parkins on > > s.html > > However, after you see the neuro and get PD meds, a warning comes into play. > > See the following from the St. Louis Parkinson Newsletter: > > Does Wellbutrin, an antidepressant, relieve PD symptoms? > Wellbutrin (buproprion) inhibits the reuptake of dopamine at the nerve cell > terminal. Thus, it can strengthen the effect of the remaining dopamine. > That is, in the PD patient, the remaining dopamine nerve cells release > dopamine (but not enough of it). Then Wellbutrin inhibits the nerve cell > from taking it back out of the synapse (gap between the nerve cells) where it > acts. This ìreuptakeî is one of the ways its action would usually be > stopped. So the remaining dopamine can have a ìstrongerî effect because it > is allowed to work longer. This is not a very strong effect. If you give > Wellbutrin alone to a PD patient, he is not usually noticeably better with > respect to his parkinsonian symptoms. Wellbutrin also inhibits > norepinephrine and serotonin reuptake which are probably important for its > antidepressant effect. My chief concern is that when it is given with > levodopa it may enhance the effect of levodopa a little but it has an even > greater chance of enhancing the potential side effects of levodopa. I would > agree with the warning put out by its maker, Glaxo Wellcome, in the Physician > Desk Reference that ìlimited clinical data suggest a higher incidence of > adverse events in patients receiving concurrent administration of buproprion > and levodopa. Administration of Wellbutrin SR tablets to patients receiving > levodopa concurrently should be undertaken with caution, using small doses > and gradual dose increases.î I would also point out that Zyban, marketed as > an aid to help stop smoking, is the same thing as Wellbutrin. It is just > another name for buproprion. > > To repeat, if the patient is also being given levodopa, Wellbutrin "may > enhance the effect of levodopa a little but it has an even greater chance of > enhancing the potential side effects of levodopa." > > ed g > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > 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