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On Thu 01 Jan, Marjorie Moorefield wrote: > I have recently been suffering with what turns > out to be an adverse reaction to the Carbodopa > part of the Sinemet, and my ND changed me over to Larodopa. > > I'm on a forced drug holiday, since none of the pharmacies > stock Larodopa anymore, but it is possible for them > to order it. However, I won't be able to get it before Friday > after work. > > I'm not going to say a drug holiday is bad for everyone, > but I will say from personal experience, that for me > at least, its a torture which I really don't need at this > time!! > > Larodopa is Levodopa with out the Carbodopa, it was used > widely in the 70's and it will cross the blood/brain barrier alone, > but it will require twice the dosage of what I had to take of the > Sinemet. > > Maybe one of the reasons Brian Collins is lucky enough to not > have had problems is that he is fortunate enough to have a product > which doesn't contain Carbodopa. Unfortunately it isn't available > in the U.S. How I wish it were!!! > > Now, my question is, since I can't take anything to counteract > the nausea, because it would bind with the levodopa and stop > it from working effectively, and since Levodopa taken alone, and in the > quantities > I will have to take, will cause nausea, can anyone who has taken > it give me any suggestions? My ND said to take it WITH meals. > > BTW, I can't take a PD agnoist because of other health problems, > so I'm not able to even try Mirapex or Requip. > > > > Thanks in advance, > Marjorie Moorefield, > just another librarian > with PD 65/9 > > > Hello Marjorie, I am sorry to read of your problems- the meds really do seem to be ganging up against you. The last thing I want to do is cause you excessive worry, but from what I can find out about using levodopa on its own it should be considered as a last possible option (Page 43 of McGoon's "The Parkinson's Handbook" has a good summary. I am not familiar with US law, but I was wondering if there might be a way of arranging for someone to mail you the necessary Madopar tablets from (for instance) Canada? I have spoken out before about the stress and harm resulting from a drug company deciding not to clear their new drug in a particular country. Accepting that these anomalies will happen, there ought to be a procedure available for special cases like yours, to allow the import in small experimental quantities. Now that might be a possibility: Could your Neurologist declare you a one-person experiment, and send off for Madopar as part of the experiment? I am not being silly - I think it is a real possibility, and fully justifiable in the light of your unusual allergy. By the way, I have at various times used Sinemet and Madopar together and separately, and have found them completely interchangeable in my case. However, without having any formal evidence to go on, I do get the impression that Madopar users appear to have fewer adverse reactions than Sinemet Users. The chemical which we are talking about is of course Benserazide. I have no idea how it is mixed with the levodopa, but I wondered if perhaps Benserazide alone is available in the USA for some totally different reason. After all, if Cabergoline can be unappproved for PD, and yet freely available for drying-up the milk of lactating women, anything is possible! Good luck with your problem. Regards, -- Brian Collins <[log in to unmask]>