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Regarding a PD patient suddenly getting worse after a med schedule change, it should be noted that changing BRANDS of Sinemet/generic (and presumably other PD related drugs) may cause problems to the patient, as well! I know the generic is SUPPOSEDLY made up of exactly the same componants as the brand name drug, however, after having been on the brand name product for a coupla years, I then became a member of an HMO (shuddering) <DO NOT *EVER* JOIN F.H.P. HMO!>, they would ONLY give me a generic Sinemet. There were many side effects from it which I hadn't had from the brand name product. When I returned to to the brand name, there were no further or additional side effects. Two years later, after joining Kaiser Permanente (have been pleased with 'em after being a member for over one year now) <Tho I know more about PD treatment/drugs than the neuro they sent me to!) <'nother story!>, I was given a different-than-the-former-generic Sinemet, and had no problems with it. However, after a year on that brand, they switched generics on me, and WOWIE!! The darn thing knocked me out! It made me SOOO sleepy that I actually fell asleep right in the middle of a conversation, while sitting up!!!! (blush) Boy, was I embarrassed! Kaiser's pharmacy swears the generics are all alike, but I go by what my own body tells me, and it's telling me Kaiser's wrong. I'm now taking 1/2 of the same generic with no residual drowsiness, but do have to take 'em more frequently because of the lesser dosage. I can't help but wonder why so few neuros, pharmacists, hospital/other care facility nursing staff aren't more savvy about PD and it's medicants, and what the PD patient goes thru with the disease. The majority seem abismally (sp?) ignorant about it, world-wide. Heck.. if I had a PD-related question and wanted the CORRECT answer, I'd go to Alan Bonander with it before I'd ask a neurologist! <grin> Barb Mallut, [log in to unmask] ---------- From: PARKINSN: Parkinson's Disease - Information Exchange Network on behalf of V. R. Peyton Sent: Tuesday, July 23, 1996 6:45 AM To: Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN Subject: Medications and nursing homes At 01:30 PM 7/20/96 -0400, in a reply to Glenna and Don C, Marjorie Moorfield wrote about the difficulty she had in a nursing home. >I NEVER EVER got my MEDS. on time--usually several hours off--they had >time to chase a woman who kept taking her clothes off & running down >the hallway--but never time to get the MEDS to the patients on time!!!! This has been my experience too. My father is a nursing home patient and they tell me the law allows them to give meds 1 hour before to 1 hour after the designated time. So if you are on a time-scheduled dosage of sinemet and have to go to a nursing home, you can be sure you'll always be going off the sinemet for at least an hour or have side effects from it because they give one dose late and the next dose early. The dr. changed his sinemet to CR, and this has helped some, since it lasts longer and requires much less attention from the nursing home staff. Marjorie also said: >NEUROLOGISTS are the ONLY Doctors who know ANYTHING about PD I have to agree here, too, but with a qualification. Some neurologists don't know anything about PD and if you live in a rural area like we do, it's very hard to find a neurologist who does. I have forbidden my dad's family doctor to consult with or take any advice from the one here in town since he is crazy - put dad on a medication that said right on the medicine "do not give this drug to PD patients since it inhibits the absorption of levadopa" and refused to discontinue the medicine when I pointed this out to him and that dad had gotten much worse suddenly, and then had the gall to bawl me out because I wanted the med discontinued! Be very careful. If a PD patient suddenly gets worse right after a med change, it could be the meds! Marjorie, hope you're better soon. Vicki