Re: What is a low dosage and should I stop giving Sinemet?

[Guest guest]

,

 

If I were in your shoes I think I might not give her more.  She hasn't been

taking it long enough for there to be a problem,  I wouldn't think.  I don't

know how much you have read in our files but that med will interact with others

I think.  Sorry I am not an MD.  You might call where you got the meds from

and ask their opinion if you can't get a hold  of your MD. 

 

What is a small dose for us, isn't always one for the MDs .  But it sounds like

she is getting a lot  of meds .  Has anyone evaluated her meds lately? 

 

My Mom just couldn't take meds and we ended up with blood pressure pills and

thyroid.  Later I gave her a half a low dose of anxiety pills, twice a day.

 

This is just my opinion and you will get others I am sure.

 

Good luck.

 

Hugs,

 

Donna R

[ LBDcaregivers ] What is a low dosage and should I stop giving Sinemet

?

 

Hi everyone, I was holding out as long as possibe as I dreaded adding a new

medication for my mom (already taking Lisinopril , Remeron , Prozac, Aricept ,

Xanex , and various vitamins) but last week my mom's shaking got to the point

that she wanted me to have the doctor prescribe something. He prescribed Sinemet

at 100 mg 2 times a day. I have tried following the directions on the page that

came from the pharmacy and have been giving it to her either one hour before or

2 hours after eating. The two times we tried giving it one hour before breakfast

she ended up very emotional and sick feeling so I decided to only give it 2

hours after eating. Anyway, she started it Tuesday night and now, Sunday morning

she is pretty bad (didn't want to get out of bed, has only said a couple of

words today and was crying but couldn't tell me what was wrong. Finally, I got

from her to indicate that she wanted to go back to bed. She had had breakfast

and her normal morning meds but not the Sinemet . My question for any of you

with experience is is this a low dosage? I specifically asked for a low dosage.

Also, what is your opinion about stopping the drug without being able to contact

the doctor (Sunday). There is a sticker right on the bottle saying not to skip

doses or discontinue unless directed by doctor.

(daughter and caregiver of Lois--86)

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

My mom was put on Sinemet this past summer. The neurologist said to watch

her the first 3-5 days for side effects - lowest dose given. Within a few

days she stopped walking and talking almost completely. The Dr. stopped

it immediately - no gradual decrease. I think because she had only been on

it a few days. I looked at my mom's prescription and it says Carb/Levo

(Sinemet) Tab 25-100 mg. Not sure what that dosage means. I think the

nurse was breaking it in half. But the neurologist did say she was

prescribing the lowest dose.

She too takes several medications, Lisinopril and Aricept among them. I

find it interesting that both our moms didn't tolereate Sinemet and are on

some of the same drugs. Perhaps the problem is a drug interaction.

Best of luck to you. It's been hard balancing treating the Parkinson's and

the dementia since the meds for one part make the other part worse. My mom

is really going down hill in all areas and I try not to think what the

future holds and take one day at a time.

Marcie (daughter of Marjorie - 82 next Sunday)

_____

From: LBDcaregivers [mailto:LBDcaregivers ]

On Behalf Of wilbur1635

Sent: Sunday, November 20, 2011 1:13 PM

To: LBDcaregivers

Subject: What is a low dosage and should I stop giving

Sinemet?

Hi everyone, I was holding out as long as possibe as I dreaded adding a new

medication for my mom (already taking Lisinopril, Remeron, Prozac, Aricept,

Xanex, and various vitamins) but last week my mom's shaking got to the point

that she wanted me to have the doctor prescribe something. He prescribed

Sinemet at 100 mg 2 times a day. I have tried following the directions on

the page that came from the pharmacy and have been giving it to her either

one hour before or 2 hours after eating. The two times we tried giving it

one hour before breakfast she ended up very emotional and sick feeling so I

decided to only give it 2 hours after eating. Anyway, she started it Tuesday

night and now, Sunday morning she is pretty bad (didn't want to get out of

bed, has only said a couple of words today and was crying but couldn't tell

me what was wrong. Finally, I got from her to indicate that she wanted to go

back to bed. She had had breakfast and her normal morning meds but not the

Sinemet. My question for any of you with experience is is this a low dosage?

I specifically asked for a low dosage. Also, what is your opinion about

stopping the drug without being able to contact the doctor (Sunday). There

is a sticker right on the bottle saying not to skip doses or discontinue

unless directed by doctor.

(daughter and caregiver of Lois--86)

[Guest guest]

Thanks. I did stop the Sinemet (after the service paged her Dr and I got

permission) and she got a little better during the day to where she could speak

and move around a little without me by the end of the day. Our moms are very

similar. My mom had big losses in communication, coordination, cognitive tasks

(like TV remote), mobility, direction following, etc. this summer. And shaking

makes it hard to work a fork (she's pretty much done with knives) but it looks

like we may not be able to address that with meds. Is your mom at home with

you? I am a teacher and have a " nurse " with her during the day and sometimes

she goes to an adult day care for variety but I think she's ready to give that

up as getting ready to go out exhausts her.

(daughter and caregiver of Lois-86_

>

> Hi ,

>

>

>

> My mom was put on Sinemet this past summer. The neurologist said to watch

> her the first 3-5 days for side effects - lowest dose given. Within a few

> days she stopped walking and talking almost completely. The Dr. stopped

> it immediately - no gradual decrease. I think because she had only been on

> it a few days. I looked at my mom's prescription and it says Carb/Levo

> (Sinemet) Tab 25-100 mg. Not sure what that dosage means. I think the

> nurse was breaking it in half. But the neurologist did say she was

> prescribing the lowest dose.

>

>

>

> She too takes several medications, Lisinopril and Aricept among them. I

> find it interesting that both our moms didn't tolereate Sinemet and are on

> some of the same drugs. Perhaps the problem is a drug interaction.

>

>

>

> Best of luck to you. It's been hard balancing treating the Parkinson's and

> the dementia since the meds for one part make the other part worse. My mom

> is really going down hill in all areas and I try not to think what the

> future holds and take one day at a time.

>

>

>

> Marcie (daughter of Marjorie - 82 next Sunday)

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> _____

>

> From: LBDcaregivers [mailto:LBDcaregivers ]

> On Behalf Of wilbur1635

> Sent: Sunday, November 20, 2011 1:13 PM

> To: LBDcaregivers

> Subject: What is a low dosage and should I stop giving

> Sinemet?

>

>

>

>

>

> Hi everyone, I was holding out as long as possibe as I dreaded adding a new

> medication for my mom (already taking Lisinopril, Remeron, Prozac, Aricept,

> Xanex, and various vitamins) but last week my mom's shaking got to the point

> that she wanted me to have the doctor prescribe something. He prescribed

> Sinemet at 100 mg 2 times a day. I have tried following the directions on

> the page that came from the pharmacy and have been giving it to her either

> one hour before or 2 hours after eating. The two times we tried giving it

> one hour before breakfast she ended up very emotional and sick feeling so I

> decided to only give it 2 hours after eating. Anyway, she started it Tuesday

> night and now, Sunday morning she is pretty bad (didn't want to get out of

> bed, has only said a couple of words today and was crying but couldn't tell

> me what was wrong. Finally, I got from her to indicate that she wanted to go

> back to bed. She had had breakfast and her normal morning meds but not the

> Sinemet. My question for any of you with experience is is this a low dosage?

> I specifically asked for a low dosage. Also, what is your opinion about

> stopping the drug without being able to contact the doctor (Sunday). There

> is a sticker right on the bottle saying not to skip doses or discontinue

> unless directed by doctor.

> (daughter and caregiver of Lois--86)

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

, it looks to me like your mom is on a lot of meds. Rather than adding the

Sinemet I would look into decreasing what she is already on. Yes, I would stop

giving it to her now. For one thing, I'm not sure that Prozac is recommended in

LBD. Perhaps someone can jump in here in that regard. I don't have first hand

experience there. Our loved ones tend to reach a stage where less is better

than more and often improve with fewer meds. Some even need to have all

possible removed, a new baseline established and then slowly reintroduce low

doses, one med at a time, to determine effect. We sometimes end up giving meds

to counteract side effects in given meds rather than the condition itself.

All the best to you and your mom as you figure this out.

>

> Hi everyone, I was holding out as long as possibe as I dreaded adding a new

medication for my mom (already taking Lisinopril, Remeron, Prozac, Aricept,

Xanex, and various vitamins) but last week my mom's shaking got to the point

that she wanted me to have the doctor prescribe something. He prescribed

Sinemet at 100 mg 2 times a day. I have tried following the directions on the

page that came from the pharmacy and have been giving it to her either one hour

before or 2 hours after eating. The two times we tried giving it one hour

before breakfast she ended up very emotional and sick feeling so I decided to

only give it 2 hours after eating. Anyway, she started it Tuesday night and

now, Sunday morning she is pretty bad (didn't want to get out of bed, has only

said a couple of words today and was crying but couldn't tell me what was wrong.

Finally, I got from her to indicate that she wanted to go back to bed. She had

had breakfast and her normal morning meds but not the Sinemet. My question for

any of you with experience is is this a low dosage? I specifically asked for a

low dosage. Also, what is your opinion about stopping the drug without being

able to contact the doctor (Sunday). There is a sticker right on the bottle

saying not to skip doses or discontinue unless directed by doctor.

> (daughter and caregiver of Lois--86)

>