That's what is so much fun about this disease-you never know what the next day will bring! Sharon H. On Sat, 24 Apr 1999 18:23:51 -0500 Phil Tompkins <[log in to unmask]> writes: >Ever have one of those bad pill days, when it takes hours >before your levodopa starts working? Here's what I mean: >(view with Courier font to make columns line up) > >Good pill day schedule as per neurologist: > > Sinemet CR Regular Sinemet Eldepryl Permax > 50/200 25/100 5 mg .25 > > 7 am 1 1 1 1 >11 am 1 1/2 1 1/2 > 3 pm 1 1/2 - 1/2 > 7 pm 1 1/2 - - > > Bad pill day, (or Where, oh where, has my Sinemet gone?): > >8 am 1 1 1 1 > OK, it's Saturday. The doses will be an hour later. >8:30 Breakfast - Low fat cereal with hot water instead of > milk. >9:30 ON. Pill(s) kick in. >11:30 OFF. Much earlier than expected. Did the CR start > working yet or not? Did it reach the small intestines > where it is absorbed? Need a snack to provide evidence. >noon Plain oat bran muffin to stimulate gastric activity. >12:30 ON again - Aha! That's the CR, just a bit late. >12:45 Too early for the 2nd Sinemets, so I take just the 11 am > Eldepryl and the Permax. >1:00 pm Lunch: Assorted cold salad appetizers (takeout) from a > nearby Turkish restaurant. Not really loaded with olive > oil, but some is present. >1:15 - Start afternoon nap. That's what Saturday's for. >2:50 OFF when I wake up. >3 1 CR, 1 regular Sinemet (2nd Sinemet dose of the day). >3:30 - 4:30 Various snacks and beverages to get the old innards > to move the pills out of the stomach. >5:30 ON. > >And so it goes. Levodopa works well enough once it gets to where it >functions. The delivery mechanism stinks. Comments anyone? > >Phil Tompkins >Hoboken NJ >Age 61/dx 1990