At 08:35 PM 11/8/96 -0500, you wrote: >Subject: Who's Afraid of Levodopa > >Hello folks, > I keep seeing comments in mail to the list along the following >lines: > >* Has anyone (not on sinemet) had success in reducing tremor....etc > >* I do not wish to use Sinemet as yet but would like to try an agonist.... > >* Once a person starts Sinemet there is no turning back... > >* He feels that a person builds a resistance to it .... > >I Would like to set the record straight. The following comments have the >agreement of many neurologists, and I discussed the subject today with a >highly respected neurologist,in the course of a long conversation. None >of what I say here is new - in fact the same subject was debated in this >forum only a few months ago. At that time, several people felt that what I >was saying was so far out that they went straight to their neurologists >to get their comments, and several of you were good enough to report back >to me that their neuros had endorsed what I said. Nobody came back with a >dissenting comment from am authoritative source. > >Nonsense no.1 Put off the introduction of levodopa for as long as you can > because it will be of more use later when things are getting worse. > WRONG : Early introduction of levodopa has nothing whatever to do > with difficulties in getting the dosages right in later years. The > simple fact is that PD is a Degenerative disease: It always gets > worse: It never gets better, and as the number of functioning dopamine > -producing cells gets ever smaller, so the difficulty of bridging the > gap with tablet-derived levodopa become more difficult. ( I have > produced a chart which illustrates this process - many of you already > have copies.) > >Nonsense no. 2. Once started,there is no turning back. Let's accept that > there are a few people who have the misfortune to have a bad reaction > to levodopa. Fortunately they are vey few, and thhey have my sympathy. > I don't know of anyone else voluntarily giving up levodopa once > started , for the simple reason that it works! And don't forget that > it is replacing a missing substance (Dopamine) with ....more Dopamine. > Why oh why are people happy to tank up on alien chemicals with lists > of potential adverse reactions as long as your arm, and yet shy away > from a chemical which occurs naturally in the brain? > If you are one of those people who think that it is not "natural" > unless you take the chemical as part of your diet, then go ahead and > eat Fava beans. They contain the genuine article, just like in the > tablets. The only snag is that you must eat about two buckets full > a day, and you won't have many friends left...... > Levodopa is not addictive, unlike Selegeline for example (- produces > amphetamine in the brain) > > >Nonsesense no.3. The brain builds up an immunity to levodopa, requiring > more and more levodopa. WRONG. All the available evidence shows > that the minimum quantity of dopamine required by the brain to > function correctly remains essentially constant ( it may rise very > slightly). Of course, as more brain cells die, so more 'external' > levodopa will br required to compensate. > >Nonsense no. 4 I can get by without levodopa, just using Artane, Permax, > Bromocriptine, Amantadine, etc.... > WRONG. OK, inthe first year or two or maybe more if you are 'lucky' > enough to have the slowly deteriorating type of PD, you can manage > (just) to combat the symptoms. However what have you achieved by this > great effort? For the first ten years after I started on levodopa, I > played a fairly good game of Badminton to keep fit. ( Finally had to > stop with an inflamed rotator cuff tendon). The simple fact is that > a lot of compounds will allieviate the symptoms, simply becuse it > only needs a little push to top up the missing quantity. AND don't > forget those side effects !! > > Of course, dopamine agonists have their place in the game: used as an > adjunct to levodopa, they seem to take the place of Dopamine in a > relatively small small number of cells, allowing a slight reduction > in levodopa, thus widening the target 'window' that we are aiming at. > However, the effect is small compared to levodopa. > > I know that I must sound like a commercial for Sinamet, but I am just > putting the facts in their proper perspective. I know that I can expect > some lively debate so come on all you doubters - my cards are on the > table. > >Regards, Brian Collins > Brian: Most of us on the listserv would be basket cases without Sinemet. I know I would be --if still live, warm, & breathing. It is hard and frightening to think of a week without Sinemet.. A day would be bad enough and a month could well be curtains. WILL JOHNSTON 4049 OAKLAND SCHOOL ROAD SALISBURY, MD 21804-2716 410-543-0110 Pres A.P.D.A. DelMarVa Chapter 63 Dx1991 Symptoms 1971 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + + + Repeal the 23rd Amendment before 2000 + + + ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++