On Tue 11 Aug, Gil Lieberman wrote:
> Does anyone have guidelines for taking Tasmar with Sinemet CR,
> and Sinemet?
> For example:
> 1.Should Tasmar be taken simultaneously with Sinemet CR?
> 2.How does one know whether to reduce Sinemet CR and/or Sinemet when taking
> Tasmar?
> 3.How does one know if the Tasmar dosage is too much or too little?
> 4.If one takes three 100mg Tasmar pills,what is the best time to take it?
> 5.If one takes six 100mg Tasmar pills per day,is it better to spread the six
> pills evenly over the day or is it better to take two pills three times a day,
> and when during a day is best?
> 6.How long does the effect of the Tasmar last on the average?
> 7.What PD symptoms are most commonly helped?
> 8.What are common Tasmar and/or Sinemet over-dosage effects?
>
> Aliza's Neurologist has not offered guidelines.
> He is leaving it to Aliza to choose based on her symptoms.
>
>
I don't have answers for all your questions, Gil, (I dont expect that many
people do yet, with Tasmar being relatively new) and of course we all know
how individual experiences can vary , so I thought a few guidelines might
be worth discussion. I am not laying down the law here, just exploring
ideas.
Tasmar is one of those sneaky drugs which , rather than try directly to
boost the quantity of Dopamine in the substantia nigra, tries to inhibit
one of the chemicals which can break down the dopamine, thus prolonging
the effective life of what little we have left. Logically, this means
that each tablet of Sinemet/Madopar that we take should produce a larger
peak dose of Dopamine, and the effective duration of each tablet should be
increased.
So basically we are looking for symptoms which we all know and love -
Not enough levodopa
Just right levodopa
Too much levodopa
I assume that we are all more or less proficient in that game
I am dependant, like most of you, on advice from the neurologists to
describe what is going on here, but so far I have not seen answers to
my questions, such as : What is the COMT which we are inhibiting doing
there in the first place? How does the brain react to a sudden reduction in
COMT? Do PWPs brains contain more COMT than normal people? (I don't think
so)
So once again, we are looking for possible side effects, this time perhaps
a side-effect resulting the presence of Tasmar OR the effects of not enough
COMT (Catechol O Methyl Transferase so they tell me). We all know that
when we talk side effects it's a case of one man's meat being another man's
poison, and I can only suggest that you keep all your senses at red alert
during the transition.
Regards,
--
Brian Collins <[log in to unmask]>
