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how can i get these lovely mucan beans i am growing, to be of benefit if they won't cross the brain blood barrier? On Jun 13, 2009, at 8:10 AM, Kathleen Cochran wrote: > Thanks, Jim! > > Kathleen > > 2009/6/11 Jim Slattery <[log in to unmask]> > >> (Levodopa is only one of the PD medications used to treat PD, but >> if I >> include data on all of them, we will be here all week!) >> >> Levodopa (L-dopa for short) has been used successfully in the >> treatment for >> Parkinson's Disease for over 30 years. It remains the most effective >> treatment for Parkinson's Disease. L-dopa is a natural chemical >> found in >> animals and plants. When L-dopa is formulated for drug use, the >> generic name >> levodopa is used. >> >> In patients with Parkinson's Disease the cells in the brain that >> produce >> dopamine die. Levodopa works by being taken up by the surviving >> dopamine-producing cells in the brain, and is converted by these >> cells into >> dopamine. >> >> People with Parkinson's Disease can't simply take dopamine tablets or >> vegetable products containing dopamine (e.g.fava beans) to replace >> the >> missing dopamine, because dopamine taken by mouth cannot get across >> the >> blood/brain barrier, and is used by parts of the body other than >> the brain, >> and can be "pirated". Levodopa on the other hand does get into the >> brain >> and, once there, it converts to dopamine. Levodopa combined with >> carbidopa >> (Sinemet CR, Sinemet) or benserazide (Madopar) is the main >> treatment for >> Parkinson's Disease. >> >> Combining carbidopa or benserazide with levodopa has several >> benefits: >> *Carbidopa or benzerazide prevent levodopa from being converted to >> dopamine >> outside the brain. >> *They allow more levodopa to enter the brain where it is needed. >> *They help to reduce or prevent the side effects of dizziness and >> nausea. >> >> Nausea and vomiting can be a problem, as they may result in the >> dose being >> ejected. Any bodily process that delays the passage of the >> medication to the >> small intestine may result in a reduced dose, or even a missed dose. >> Constipation is another bodily process that can affect passage of the >> medication, and prevent absorption within the "half-life" (approx. >> 30mins) >> of the drug. In PWP, constipation can have several causes, such as >> taking >> opiate-containing medication (eg Codein). >> >> "Wearing Off" - This happens when Parkinson's symptoms begin to recur >> before the next scheduled dose of the drug, due to progression of the >> disease. When this happens, it is easy to think that the drug is >> making your >> symptoms worse - for a while after you take the next dose, your >> symptoms can >> continue to worsen until the next dose "kicks in". This happens >> because the >> drug takes a while to be absorbed and reach your brain. >> >> "On-Off" - These are unpredictable fluctuations in response to drug >> therapy >> that may last up to several hours. They are thought to be due to a >> combination of levodopa dosage and progression of symptoms. The >> dopamine >> storage cells may lose their capacity to retain the dopamine >> delivered by >> the medication. >> >> Dopamine is one of the catecholamine group of neurotransmitters, >> which >> includes adrenaline (epinephrine) and noradrenaline >> (norepinephrine), the >> so-called "fight or flight" hormones. In times of stress, the brain >> can turn >> dopamine into these other hormones, thus depleting the store of >> dopamine. >> >> Sorry for the long-winded explanation, but it is as short as I can >> get it, >> and still make sense. >> Jim >> (Dr. James F Slattery, PhD Soc Sc) >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> 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