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On Tue 16 Dec, Ivan M Suzman wrote: > ^^^^^^WARM GREETINGS FROM^^^^^^^^^^ > Ivan Suzman 48/10 [log in to unmask] > Portland, Maine land of lighthouses 40 deg. Fsunny > *********************************************************** > Hello again, Listfolks, and good day to you from woodstove-heated Maine! > > Do you ever wonder WHICH Sinemet is best for you??? Has anybody had > experience with BOTH Sinemet 10/100(blue) and Sinemet 25/100(yellow)? > > Which Sinemet should a PWP take? How did you feel on blue Sinemet? On > yellow Sinemet? I use sunny yellow, but am wondering if I should switch > to blue. > > Thanks again, > > Ivan Suzman 48/10 > > *********************************************************** Hello again, Listfolks, and good day to you from woodstove-heated Maine! Do you ever wonder WHICH Sinemet is best for you??? Has anybody had experience with BOTH Sinemet 10/100(blue) and Sinemet 25/100(yellow)? Which Sinemet should a PWP take? How did you feel on blue Sinemet? On yellow Sinemet? I use sunny yellow, but am wondering if I should switch to blue. Thanks again, Ivan Suzman 48/10 This question was partly answered by Joyce44: Perhaps I could add a little background ... Everyone knows that sinemet tablets consist of a mixture of Levadopa (Or L-dopa as it is sometimes called) and Carbidopa. Lets talk about the most popular tablet, the Sinemet 25/100 Yellow and 10/100 (Blue. The most inportant part of the package is the Levodopa, which is the 100mg constituent. Levodopa is called a pre-cursor of Dopamine, which means that it is the last but one stage in the comlplicated process of making Dopamine. When the levodopa reaches the substantia nigra, where the brain's supply of Dopamine normally comes from, the remaining system still has the capability of processing this into Dopamine, albeit without the control of the proper system. Now what about the Carbidopa? When the capability of affecting the balance of Dopamine by taking quantities of levodopa discovered, it was hailed (rightly) as a breakthrough. However, neurologists found that to get enough levodopa to the brain, it was necessary for the patient to take very large doses of levodopa which, caused unpleasant side-effects in the body, (including colouring the urine black!) the problem is that levodopa is one of many different Large Neutral Amino- Acids (LNAA), whose sole function is to interact with other chemicals, producing energy, protein, etc. This minefield was what the levodopa was exposed to in its travel from the lower intestine to the brain. Now we come to the clever bit: The addition of Carbidopa into the mixture protects the levodopa quite effectivelyNot only that, when the levodopa/carbidopa combination reaches the blood/brain barrier, the carbidopa (which is too big to pass through is stripped off by the BBB, leaving the levodopa loose in the brain. The Carbidopa is now free, and sets off to find some more LNAA to protect, and it will protect it even though that is the last thing that the LNAA wants. In the process it makes a mess of the bodie's internal functioning. This is known as 'Carbidopa poisoning'> It turns out that about 100 mg of levodopa can perform the protection job: any more simply goes to fuel the Carbidopa poisoning. So, if you are on say 4 Sinemet 100s, you would take the yellow tablets giving: Levodopa 400 mg) : Carbidopa (100 mg On the other hand, If you need more levodopa, say 800 mg per day, it would be Levodopa = 800 mg : Carbidopa 200.mg Some people might get away with 200 mg without side effe. On the other hand, the patient could take the blue 10/100 tablets, and have 80 mg - Perhaps a bit low, but if you wanted to, you could start the day with two Sinemet 25/100 then 6 Sinemet 10/100 :- Carbidopa 110 mg. I hope the story makes sense; if not, I have probably got something wrong- there is nothing controversial in this subject, all the neurologists whom I and others have checked agree that this is the true story.