 |
 |
Ron Vetter wrote: > the correct understanding is that eating sufficient low protein > non-fat carbohydrates to start digestion and carry the medicine from > the stomach to the duodenum should occur after 15 or 20 minutes. the > digestion of sugars and the bulk of fruit pulp is excellent to move > the levodopa out of the stomach to where it can get absorbed. > eating that large dinner may keep things in the stomach long enough > to metabolize more of the medicine into useless excreta also. Thank you! Has anyone ever received such clear details from either a physician or a pharmacist about the need to get the pills through the stomach to where they are absorbed and how to go about doing this? I never did, and I can't be the only one. And I don't recall seeing anything written on this very basic and important matter that was not incomplete at best, misleading at worst, and in general confusing. For example, the advice sheet I get from Rite Aid with a sinemet CR prescription says in this regard only "Take this drug as directed. ... If stomach upset occurs, this drug may be taken with food or milk." Occasionally the pharmacist has affixed a sticker that says "Take with food." The phrase "with food" could be assumed to mean "with a meal." For many years it didn't matter much how I took my pills. Usually I took them with water some time before meals. This doesn't work as well for me any more. I just read that PD in the later stages impairs gastric emptying. Perhaps this is now part of my problem. > I will often note a start of nausea after 45 minutes post taking > levodopa/carbidopa - this tells me that it has disolved and should > be moved on. that can be done via a few swallows of fruit juice or > crackers and warm water et cetera. then wait a bit longer to eat > the usually too large evening meal. hope this helps some, ron Phil Tompkins Hoboken NJ age 60/dx 1990