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On Sun 08 Feb, JG wrote: > > Does anyone take sinemet throughout the night in order to sleep? If so, > does anyone know if this is a bad thing to do? Bob has been doing this > for about six weeks and during his off time his disease if much worse. > Initally, it put him to sleep for about 3.5 hours, now 1.0 hour. So, he > is going to try to discontinue this, even tho it puts him to sleep like > a baby. Unfortunately, he can't sleep unless he is 'on'. > Currently Bob is taking: > > 10/100 reg. sinemet (two) every 2.5 hours; > > one 20 mg. paxil in the evening; > > twice a day, one 25/100 CR. > > Thanks for all of your help and for listening. > > Jackie > for Bob, 47 - 7yrs. > > > Hello Jackie, I think you are right to worry about using Sinemet to induce sleep. I have noticed that there are a relatively small group of PWPs, who respond to an excessive dose of Sinemet by becoming sleepy and withdrawn. ( I have rather envied them because their reaction appears to be preferable to the more common Dyskinesias.) However, it is a long way from occasionally getting it wrong and having the sleepiness, and deliberately setting out to produce the effect. At 7 years from diagnosis, the dosage rate of 200 mg of levodopa every 2 1/2 hours is (in my experience) very high. I don't want to put this at too worrying a level, because I am not aware of any clinical evidence that permanent damage can be caused by consistently over-dosing. In spite of that, I must admit that I feel instinctively that it is not a good thing. The other symptoms that you list - pacing the floor, etc. are more like the normal reaction to an overdose. I suggest that you talk to your neurologist along the lines of cutting the Sinemet dose to no more than 50 mg every 2 to 2 1/2 hours, and making up the difference with one of the Dopamine agonists. I use Permax myself, but it all depends on Bob's reaction to it. Most people find at least one of the agonists wich works for them. The transition from the current dosage to the new one would need careful management. I hope you find this useful - Does anyone have any data on 'Burnout through overdosing? Regards, -- Brian Collins <[log in to unmask]>