Dennis Greene wrote:
> >Brian, I would like to add my voice to Charlie's, particularily as every
> neurologist I speak with belongs to the "start levodopa as late as
> possible"<<
Dennis, Brian, Charlie, et als:
I have previously posted during this "Sinemet timing" debate on the side of
Brian's position. The neurologists with whom I consult (3 movement disorder
specialists) including Dr. Matthew Stern, M.D., the head of the Movement
Disorders Clinic, formerly at the Graduate Hospital of Penna., all advise their
Parkinson's patients to start levodopa therapy as soon as possible, after
diagnosis, with Sinemet or Sinemet CR.
About 50% of the newly diagnosed patients at first resist levodopa therapy
(me included). They are under the mistaken impression (in my case gleaned from
the several patient authored books and pamphlets I read) that the effective
therapeutic life of levodopa is 5 to 10 years. The clinical evidence is to the
contrary.
Dr. Stern reported that the statistics are that about 10% of the patients
he sees do reach their maximum therapeutic benefit from levodopa after 5 years,
for reasons yet unknown. However, the overwhelming majority of PD patients
continue receiving a therapeutic benefit from levodopa until they die.
Stephan 53/7
