kate, you mentioned the drying effect of sinemet. i've never heard that before. 1. i've been thirsty since i started sinemet and drank alot of oj and sodas until my body couldn't handle the sugar. i gave up both of those plus desserts, lost 20 lbs and shed the diabetes label assigned the end of june. 2. i have what i call "snap, crackle, and pop"--whenever my med isn't working right for me one symptom i have is noisy joints--knee, back, neck, arm. has anyone heard of this silliness? i wonder if it is cartilage, connective tissue? nancy spires