Camilla,
I don't know anything specifically about Liquid Sinemet, but I have
heard over and over again from our Neurologist, who is a movement disorder
specialist, that Sinemet should NEVER be taken with meals - and at least a
half hour before eating. It has to do with the fact that Sinemet competes
with the same transporters that protein uses to get across the blood-brain
barrier. The result is that the Sinemet really doesn't work as effectively
because it's not all getting to the brain. That is why it is recommended by
some physicians that protein be avoided during the day and saved up for the
evening meal. Perhaps your friend could try altering the time he takes his
meds to avoid taking them so close to meals.
For those of you interested in the Pallidotomy program at Emory
University, you might want to know that the waiting period is over two years
if you are not in their research protocol (only PD patients living within 250
miles are eligible for that). We were there in August, 1995 and have been
told it will be two years before my husband can have the surgery there (they
originally said 1 year but keep increasing the waiting time), and they have
HUNDREDS of people just waiting to be evaluated. For that reason we are
going to Dr. Lauri Laitinen in Stockholm, who will be doing the procedure on
Stan on April 10. There are a lot of places starting to do them around this
country, but not many sites have done very many of them. It seems that this
is one procedure that I would want somebody who has done MANY of them.
Regards,
Susan Hamburger CG for Stan, 61/PD 14+ years
Susan Hamburger
