Dear List Friends,
Today I returned to hospital to be re-assessed following the 2 week
"drugs holiday" I have taken. I was given the opportunity to extend my participation in the trial
for a further 2 years, which I agreed to do. From discussions with the research nurse who usually
examines me, I discovered that I am taking what is considered to be a low dosage of meds for the
development of my PD. Although we still do not know what I am taking, and from the description of my
symptoms during the "holiday", an educated guess is Pergolide, but I won't find out for a further 2
years. My meds come in small, brown, unmarked capsules, which contain either 0.25 mg Pergolide, or
50 mg Sinemet. Prior to my "holiday" I was taking 10 capsules each day, so I was taking either 2.5
mg Pergolide or 500 mg Sinemet. I started the trial 3 years ago (after a 3 month meds build up of
very small dosages) on 3 capsules per day, and gradually, as the need arose, increased to 10 each
day. Tomorrow I start again on 5 capsules for 1 week, then 6 for 2 days, 8 for 2 days then back to
10. Once I have resumed my previous level for 2 weeks I should phone the hospital to tell them how I
am feeling.
There is a scale of dosages which starts at letter A(3 caps) and
goes up to letter J(12 caps). After this levels K to P use capsules which contain a higher dosage,
possibly 1 mg Pergolide or 100 mg Sinemet. So if I was on level J, taking 12 capsules and I needed
an increase in meds, I would take level K, which would have 4 capsules. From now on my hospital
appointments will be every 6 months, instead of 3 months, although I can contact them and go in at
any time, if I need to.
Martin Purchase (44/3)
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