Klonopin, Sinemet & Mirapex & check out Ferritin Level!

[Guest guest]

Nat and Angie,

Angie, ditto goes for you in checking out with lab work the things below. If

the .5 mg of Mirapex has not done the job, perhaps you should check with you

doctor on increasing the dosage to see if this would help.

Nat, how much Sinemet are you taking a day? You could be among the 80%+ when

it goes over 200 mg that it produces augmentation or rebound during the

daytime or worsening of your symptoms so that taking other things to combat

this is not the solution -- the solution might be to switch to another drug

such as Mirapex. That is slowly decreasing the Sinemet while the Mirpex is

upped.

Plus having your ferritin level and B-12 and folic acid levels checked. The

RLS docs at Hopkins, among the best, recommend for an RLS patient, that

their ferritin level be at least 50 although for others, the lab might report

12-150 is normal or some such depending on your age. About 20% to 25% of RLS

patients are too low on ferritin levels, a measure of the body's storage of

iron which is needed for the dopamine receptors to take up what there is

(many suspect a lot of RLS/PLMD patients are too low on dopamine).

Many when the ferritin level comes up, my mother is one, there symptoms can

improve dramatically. Her RLS symptoms improved by 50% when her low levels

came up just a modest amount.

These tests are not included in the normal panels such as SMAC and CBC that a

doctor typically orders; they must be ordered separately. To find out more,

check out Dr. Elaty's write up at:

http://www.mlists.net/judson/Elaty.html

Below is what Dr. Elaty, the Medical Advisor for the Central Florida RLS

Support Group has to say on Sinemet.

Hope this helps!

Barbara

F. SINEMET (Carbidopa/Levodopa)

CAUTION! A recent study shows in 80%+, Sinemet can in time make your symptoms

worse; you might love the doctor who prescribes it at first only to perhaps

dislike him or her later! In doses 300 mg (Levodopa) a day or under, Sinemet

is less likely to cause augmentation or worsening of your symptoms during the

day. Protein can hamper the absorption of Sinemet.

One should not eat protein for 45 minutes to 1 hour after taking Sinemet nor

two hours or more previously. A small amount food such as crackers or a

banana eaten when taking Sinemet might lower the chances of nausea. Also,

supplementation with B-6, antiseizure and antihypertenisve drugs, antacids,

valium, dalmane and xanax may cause undesirable drug interactions; consult

your physician.