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On Wed 13 Nov, Cindy Birk Conley wrote: > The story of Dorothy, who got deathly ill from one Sinemet CR, doesn't seem > so far off my Mom's current experiences. After 2 1/2 weeks on regular > Sinemet she is MUCH worse, and I'm not sure which way to turn. > > Since the first weekend, when she took 4 25/100 pills at meals and bedtime > and OD'ed on the stuff, we have followed Judith Richard's advice and started > her on 1/2 pill at each meal the first week, a full pill and two half pills > the second, with the plan to have her do 2 full and 1 1/2 doses on a full > stomach tomorrow. While her nausea has abated somewhat, she has a headache > that is resistent to aspirin and other painkillers, and is keeping her from > reading (the last joy in her life), seems to have a lot of pain in her arms > and shoulders, is very depressed, seems more rigid than loose, and is > drawing up on her left side. > > Concerning another thread, whereas last fall and winter she was always hot > and never wanted much cover, now she is always cold and starts hurting if > her shoulder gets uncovered. > > Last night she did something I have long been dreading, and asked for the > bedpan rather than "be shook" going to the potty chair. We got along okay, > but it marks a boundary between a sick person and a really badfast one. She > did walk for the paid caregiver and nurse. > > Questions: Once the sinemet level increases will mom start to do better? > Is this normal? Should I get her some zoloft or another anti-depressant? > Does it sound like mom isn't going to be able to tolerate the PD medicine? > Today the nurse said she was planning to call her doctor but I haven't heard > from either, nor from her CT scan and EEG last week (I guess they weren't > too bad or the neuro's office would have called me?)? > > Thanks for all your help. > > Cindy Birk Conley > [log in to unmask] > >From Southeastern Illinois to your modem!! > >>http://www.midwest.net/scribers/cbconly > > Hello Cindy, You are having a most distressing time with your mother. It appears the attempt to gradually build up a tolerance to the levodopa is working., and I think that is good news. However, a point that you must remember is that while you have been slowly ramping up her Sinemet intake, she has been effectively in the Off condition. ( It rarely works on a simple 'half the tablets: half the effect' sort of system: More usually you can find nothing happening at all, until a certain level is reached, and I would hope that at that point, you should see a significant improvement- Brian Collins <[log in to unmask]>