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RE: Roberta Nelson's inquiry - drug induced dyskinesia possibility.... I read an article in Movement Disorders Literature Review (vol 2. No. 2. 1994) which discusses the subject raised by Roberta Nelson. Dr. Jesse M Cedarbaum outlines his findings in a report presented at the Sixth Annual Symposium of Neurodegenerative Disorders. He outlines his findings on the causes of motor response fluctuations, methods for smoothing response to levadopa, efficiency of new agents and new drug research. He talks about the half-life of levadopa and suggests that a different receptor may be involved in generating involuntary movements than in producing a motor response to levadopa. The rate of levadopa absorption depends on the rate of gastric emptying since levadopa is mainly absorbed in the upper GI tract. He hypothesizes that dopamine receptors in the stomach, which are being bombarded with fluctuating plasma concentrations of levadopa and dopamine become dyskinetic. Intravenous levadopa can smoothe the response but irritation to blood vessels may make it impracticable. He concludes by commenting on the drugs entacapone and NBQX and their role in inhibiting the action of COMT and offering a glutamate receptor antagonist which may serve to smoothe out the fluctuations with on/off switching at medication intervals. Also, he mentions amantadine hydrochloride which has been shown to be involved as a glutamate receptor antagonist. Well, for my own part, I have experienced a bit of what Ms. Nelson desribes - only toe curling but without pain. I also wake up "ON" and without dyskenisia. The jolt of medication producing toe curling seems to be lessened when I let my evening sinemet dissolve slowly in my mouth and have nothing in my stomach for a half hour pre and post dose. Dunno why.....maybe it's all in my head (!), but actually I think this particular phenomenon derives in the absorption process in the stomach. That suggests to me contemporaneous food intake considerations and the time releasing of the meds into the stomach to smoothe out the digestive and distributive process. Hope this rambling discourse helps someone. :) Art [log in to unmask]