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I feel compelled to respond to the recent posting regarding the side effects of
selegiline(eldepyrl) a drug many of us are taking as part of our PD medications.  In
the interest of brevity let me address just two points:

1. Side Effects

Reading the official list of possible side effects of any PD drug is truly a scary thing.
However, as my neuro said to me one time as he found me waiting in the
examination room reading a drug manual-"If you read the sheet on aspirin you
wouldn't take that either."  The point I'd like to make is that all PD medications
have some side effects but most patients learn to tolerate them and if not they
change medications.  But in my experience, the side effects actually experienced
don't come close to including all the possibilites listed on the drug disclosure
sheet -not! The drug disclosures read like a horror story because the drug
companies have to mention every possibility or risk a law suit.  In my case, I
started out on artane but switched to amantadine because of the bad side effects of
the artane.  The amantadine is just fine for me--but someone else might have a
different reaction and prefer the artane. When I started using eldepryl (5 mg per
day) 18 months ago I experienced no bad side effects and my blood pressure is just
fine.

2.Foods to Avoid

In my experience, none of the foods mentioned need be avoided.  I eat all of those
food groups with no ill effects.  I think the writer was confusing an MAO-A
inhibitor with eldepryl which is a selective MAO-B inhibitor.   This part of the
posting is just not factual.

Its very misleading to the readers of this list to post material which is not true or
exaggerated to the extent that members write in changing their drug doseage
before consulting their doctors.

Just wanted to set the record straight.


Fred Schaffert (53/1.5)