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Hi Diana. I think you are writing to me. Just got back from out of town. I would have to check our voluminous daily notes to be preceisely accurately, but this is very close: Laureen was on Sinemet for a total of about 9 years, 1998 to 2007. Before that she tried about every non-pharaceutical approach we could think of. Dr. Abraham Lieberman at the Barrow Clinic diagnosed her in 1996 (after several other neurologists had diagnosed her as having MS or simply drew a blank (teh latter was the case at the Mayo Clinic). She did not just stop Sinemet abruptly. In late 2004 or someone suggesting an alterante regimijne advised her to reduce her Sinemet intake in order for a non-pharmaceutical method to be more effectve. By the summer of 2005 she had reduced her Sinemet from about two to three 50/200 CR daily to two to threee 10/100 (not CR) daily. By mid-2006 or so, she was taking just one 10/100 Sinemet daily, in conjunction with an organic therapy that looked promising. She gradually went off Sinemet completely after being told that the organic therapy would not work unless she quit the meds altogether. Her symptoms escalated. She discontinued the organic extracts and went back on 10/100 Sinemet 1-3x daily. Withdrawal symptoms during the Sinemet dropoff? All I can tell you is that what she exhibited was the worst I had ever seen with her. Whether it withdrawal or side effects or PD itself or whatever it was, it was severe. She continued the Sinemet until her DBS surgery a year ago. Her neurologist suggested she stay on Sinemet, so she took 10/100 once daily for a month or so before going on the Neupro patch. She misses the Neupro patch. Although she can function with DBS alone, it definitely helped. Hope I answered your questions. Scott >===== Original Message From Parkinson's Information Exchange Network <[log in to unmask]> ===== >Jeff, may I ask how long your wife was on Sinemet when she stopped >taking it; what sorts of withdrawal symptoms she experienced if any >at the time; how long it took to get off; what was the dose; and >whether she had the DBS BEFORE discontinuing the Sinemet. Thanks, >Diana Scott E. Antes Department of Anthropology Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5200 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn