----- Original Message -----

From: [log in to unmask]>ronald

To: [log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]

Sent: Monday, November 29, 1999 12:39 PM

Subject: Re: Medication confused

on 11/29/99 9:41 AM, Parkinson's Disease Foundation at [log in to unmask] wrote:

Tasmar, Mirapex and Permax are all drugs under the classification of agonist.  These drugs, very simply put, stimulate the cells that receive dopamine, making them more sensitive to the limited amounts of DA available in the brain.  This allows most patients to take less Sinemet than they otherwise would taking Sinemet alone.

Tasmar is a COMT-inhibitor. it extends the residence time of levodopa from Sinemet in the bloodstream. this slows the metabolic activity that converts levodopa into inactive chemical.
ron
Ron Vetter 1936, '84 PD dz
mailto:[log in to unmask]
http://www.ridgecrest.ca.us/~rfvetter