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>it is funny how doctors can speak with >such authority on a subject and take >the exact opposite side of a question.. > >my doctor says breaking a sinemet in >half just reduces the amount of medication >by 1/2 spread out over the same amount >of time. > >who's right....who's to know....keep up the good work > > Everyone, The info below should resolve the question. It is from the Carbidopa-Levo-DOPA entry under DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION in the GEN-RX database of Physicians on Line. Sinemet CR Sinemet CR contains carbidopa and levodopa in a 1:4 ratio as either the 50-200 tablet or the 25-100 tablet. The daily dosage of Sinemet CR must be determined by careful titration. Patients should be monitored closely during the dose adjustment period, particularly with regard to appearance or worsening of involuntary movements, dyskinesias or nausea. Sinemet CR 50-200 may be administered as whole or as half-tablets which should not be chewed or crushed. Sinemet CR 25-100 may be used in combination with Sinemet CR 50-200 to titrate to the optimum dosage, or as an alternative to the 50-200 half-tablet. Your doctors apparerant confusion may come the don't crush or more likely from his experience with some other slow release preparations - for instance Ritalin-SR which use the membrane covering the pill to control the delivery of the drug into the gut. Doctors are only human even when patients often expect more than that. I think your doctor was misinformed. I would diplomatically tell him the data I have. If you give him the reference and information in the way you would want to hear it from a patient and you don't like the way he responds you might consider how he might act when the going gets tough and around issues that do not have a black or white answer that can be found in a book. Over my 20+ years in the practice of psychiatry I have learned alot from my patients- I try to admit when I have made an error which hopefully doesn't happen often but it does happen- and I thank them for the new information if I check and find out they were right. Good luck, Charlie **************************************************************************** ************************************* Charles T. Meyer Madison, WI [log in to unmask] **************************************************************************** ************************************