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Further to recent discussion,  my wife, Margaret, underwent an experimental
course of treament some two years ago.
For the trial she was hospitalised.  Her dosage of Sinemet was stopped, and
her other medications, Artane and Parlodel were reduced.  This rendered her
rigid and unable to move.
 
After two days of this almost cold turkey treatment, she was given about 5ml
( I think it was) of Apomorphine by subcutaneous injection.  About  15
minutes later, the specialist neurologist running the trial, said  "
Margaret, get up and walk" .   And she did... a little shakily but
completely unaided, and without using the walking frame she normally used.
 
Truely, we thought the age of miracles hadn't passed.  However, further
administration of Apomorphine showed the same dyskinetic side-effects that
have limted Margaret's daily Sinemet intake to 150 mg.
(She takes this in three doses of half a 100/10 tablet after meals because
she has found it causes less  dyskinesia that way.)  The test showed that
there was a rapid dramatic initial effect,  but that even with continuous
infusion (using a modfied insulin pump),  to be effective,  the dose had to
be increased to a point where dykinesia was unavoidable in her case.   The
only real advantage compared to Sinemet, in Margaret's case was the rapidity
and certainity of response, but this was more than counterbalanced by the
inconvenience of subcutaneous injection, to say nothing of the expense  ( I
think the daily cost of the quantity of the drug used, the actual tab was
picked up by our health-care system, thank goodness,  was between  $50 and
$100.)
 
Take Care,
Mark