adding meds to sinemet

[Guest guest]

i've just added ritalin (2/day) to sinemet (9 day) and felt same as when added mirapex, comtan, eldypryl, amantadine..........first wonderful fluid movement for longer period.....then

side effects--------crying, constipation, incontenence, hot, weak, feeling faint, lethargic, metallic taste in mouth, twitchy eyes, red bumps on skin.

DR SAID STOP RITATLIN.....now that he has gone on vacation, i wonder why he never has said take less sinemet..always discontinues newer drug. anyone with any experience/thoughts?.

thanks in advance. nancy spires

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I have been wondering how you have been doing on your new meds.

My dad takes Ritalin and has for several years. He takes 7.5 mg per day (that

is one and 1/2). It works very well for him. He has never had any of those

symptoms but he does not take Sinemet. I don't know anyone else here that

takes Ritalin but someone takes Edderol.

((((hugs)))) Jean (Phx)

[Guest guest]

trying to go to maine for vacation over the 23rd.

i have had same "side effects" when have "too much sinemet" as when once he told me to take as much as i "needed" to get through an important occasion and i ended up ill.

tx for responding; hope to see you soon. nancy spires

[Guest guest]

,

If you do not have those symptoms when taking only Sinemet, that would

seem logical to me also. That is why you only start one new med at

a time, it tells you that any new side effects are most likely due to the

new med. Are you coming to the Moller's on the 23rd? We can

talk about that sort of thing then.

Take care, Bill Werre

TFPSteed@... wrote:

i've

just added ritalin (2/day) to sinemet (9 day) and felt same as when added

mirapex, comtan, eldypryl, amantadine..........first wonderful fluid movement

for longer period.....then

side effects--------crying, constipation, incontenence, hot, weak, feeling

faint, lethargic, metallic taste in mouth, twitchy eyes, red bumps on skin.

DR SAID STOP RITATLIN.....now that he has gone on vacation, i wonder why

he never has said take less sinemet..always discontinues newer drug.

anyone with any experience/thoughts?.

thanks in advance. nancy

spires

[Guest guest]

My father-in-law took Ritalin early on in the disease. He didn't take

sinemet though so I don't have anything else to add either. It seems

like someone else was taking Ritalin also. He didn't really do him any

good though so it was no problem to stop it.

I'm so sorry that it seemed like it was helping and then you crashed.

Sally in KS

[Guest guest]

& Sally,

Rob took Ritalin for a little while, but it didn't help so he stopped. Now

he takes ProVigil, which I didn't think did much at first but we did see a

difference when we discontinued it so we not only re-started, the doctor

increased the dose. I do now think it helps with alertness.

Carol & Rob

Lexington, MA

Re: adding meds to sinemet

>

> My father-in-law took Ritalin early on in the disease. He didn't take

> sinemet though so I don't have anything else to add either. It seems

> like someone else was taking Ritalin also. He didn't really do him any

> good though so it was no problem to stop it.

>

> I'm so sorry that it seemed like it was helping and then you crashed.

>

> Sally in KS

>

>

> If you do not wish to belong to shydrager, you may

> unsubscribe by sending a blank email to

>

> shydrager-unsubscribe

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I take dex-amphetimine 10 mg in the morning to wake up, I

don't need anything once I'm awake., in my case it is well-tolerated and

I have no side effects - I can even eat breakfast because I am alert

enough to remember to eat and have the energy to actaully eat it (this

would never work on me as a diet drug). Doctor says it is in his

experience better tolerated than Ritalin and Provigil is not available

here.

At Friday 6/14/02 05:30 AM, you wrote:

& Sally,

Rob took Ritalin for a little while, but it didn't help so he

stopped. Now

he takes ProVigil, which I didn't think did much at first but we did see

a

difference when we discontinued it so we not only re-started, the

doctor

increased the dose. I do now think it helps with

alertness.

Carol & Rob

Lexington, MA

Re: adding meds to sinemet

>

> My father-in-law took Ritalin early on in the disease. He

didn't take

> sinemet though so I don't have anything else to add either. It

seems

> like someone else was taking Ritalin also. He didn't really do

him any

> good though so it was no problem to stop it.

>

> I'm so sorry that it seemed like it was helping and then you

crashed.

>

> Sally in KS

>

>

> If you do not wish to belong to shydrager, you may

> unsubscribe by sending a blank email to

>

> shydrager-unsubscribe

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Aletta,

Your write (below) "I have no side effects".

Are you saying you have NONE of these symptoms: irregular heartbeat;

chest pain; fever, unusually high; skin rash or hives; uncontrolled movements

of head, neck, arms, and legs; difficulty in breathing; dizziness

or feeling faint; increased blood pressure; mood or mental changes; pounding

heartbeat; unusual tiredness or weakness; irritability; nervousness; restlessness;

trouble in sleeping; blurred vision; changes in sexual desire or decreased

sexual ability; constipation; diarrhea; dizziness or lightheadedness; dryness

of mouth or unpleasant taste; fast or pounding heartbeat; headache; increased

sweating; loss of appetite; nausea or vomiting; stomach cramps or pain;

weight loss?

If so, how can you have MSA as many are symptoms of MSA? AND all

of these ARE possible side effects of dex-amphetimine.

I am curious as to why you push these controlled substances for MSA patients

when the patient has constipation, OH, dizziness, along with other MSA

symptoms. I know you complain of pain which can be a side effect

of this medicine and is not a normal symptom of MSA until late stages with

dystonia..

NOTE from drug info on the med: "Amphetamines should not

be used for weight loss or weight control or to combat unusual

tiredness or weakness or replace rest. When used for these purposes,

they may be dangerous to your health.

Sorry to be a "Nay-sayer", but this advice does not compute

to me!!!! It may make sense to you and your doctor, but I do NOT

understand giving it to a MSA patient. And that is MY opinion

as a former caregiver whose patient lived almost 12 years with a movement

disorder which several movement disorder specialists called MSA.

Charlotte took Sinemet which got her going in the morning. Baclofen

has also helped people get a "jumpstart" in the morning. Two glasses

of water or juice can help you get going in the morning.

Take care, Bill Werre

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aletta Mes wrote:

I take dex-amphetimine 10 mg

in the morning to wake up, I don't need anything once I'm awake., in my

case it is well-tolerated and I have no side effects - I can even

eat breakfast because I am alert enough to remember to eat and have the

energy to actaully eat it (this would never work on me as a diet drug).

Doctor says it is in his experience better tolerated than Ritalin and Provigil

is not available here.

[Guest guest]

I'm not the one saying I have MSA. Doctors have only said I

have Shy-Drager.

all of the symptoms you mention I had well in advance of ever

taking dex-amphetamine, or any drug for that matter

it was prescribed (and still is, by one of two concurring

physicians)

I was unable to remain awake - at all, and living alone, that most

certainly was not an option, nor was it an acceptable quality of life

the medication wears off in four to six hours and I take it only on

waking, at that point if it makes my BP go up that is a good thing

not one medication I have ever taken has had any affect on my moods

(and I have a psychiatrist who monitors that regularly)

pain (especially headaches and extremities), was a feature at least

10 years before taking anything at all

I don't give a rat's ass whether you consider me to have MSA

or not, I don't care if I have it or not, I do care that I survive

and get through the day without great harm coming to me, and it is

quite obvious to me and my physicians that I have little to lose and much

more to gain.

two people never experience neurological degeneration quite the same

way

I am hardly the only one taking meds with side effects, so why

contually pick on me? (methadone is more potent and more addictive

than anything I am currently taking)

I am trained in mental health counselling, psychiatric pharmacology,

psychology and kinesiology - I'm not and uninformed individual with no

life or educational training

there is also a very long list of medications which worsened my

symptoms (side effects, for example; novo-quinine, sialor, Wellbutrin,

Modulon etc.), these same medications have merit for use in others

most of my medications are 'off-label' they were originally designed

to deal with other conditions (Neurontin was first a psychiatric drug,

Buscopan is most prescribed for Meniere's)

I take very few medications compared to many, and more than others

there are limits in access, if there are better medications they are

often not covered by Pharmacare, too expensive or not available in

British Columbia (including Sage and Citrucel which are commonly

over-the-counter elsewhere)

we each do what we can to keep an acceptable leven in the quality of

life, I do not need your approval, but I do expect a certain level of

respect for being open and honest in sharing what I go through day by

day

I take great offence to you accusing (last paragraph of your email)

me of 'pushing' these medications, I would like an apology

not once have I suggested others'should' take the medications I am

taking, howeve, I always mention it should be physician prescibed, that

this is my personal experience, and that each one of us should be

informed and use all medications responsibly

At Friday 6/14/02 04:35 PM, you wrote:

Aletta,

Your write (below) " I have no side effects " . Are

you saying you have NONE of these symptoms: irregular heartbeat; chest

pain; fever, unusually high; skin rash or hives; uncontrolled movements

of head, neck, arms, and legs; difficulty in breathing;

dizziness or feeling faint; increased blood pressure; mood or mental

changes; pounding heartbeat; unusual tiredness or weakness; irritability;

nervousness; restlessness; trouble in sleeping; blurred vision; changes

in sexual desire or decreased sexual ability; constipation; diarrhea;

dizziness or lightheadedness; dryness of mouth or unpleasant taste; fast

or pounding heartbeat; headache; increased sweating; loss of appetite;

nausea or vomiting; stomach cramps or pain; weight loss?

If so, how can you have MSA as many are symptoms of MSA? AND all of

these ARE possible side effects of dex-amphetimine. I am curious as

to why you push these controlled substances for MSA patients when the

patient has constipation, OH, dizziness, along with other MSA

symptoms. I know you complain of pain which can be a side effect of

this medicine and is not a normal symptom of MSA until late stages with

dystonia..

NOTE from drug info on the med: " Amphetamines should not be

used for weight loss or weight control or to combat unusual

tiredness or weakness or replace rest. When used for these

purposes, they may be dangerous to your health.

Sorry to be a " Nay-sayer " , but this advice does not compute to

me!!!! It may make sense to you and your doctor, but I do NOT

understand giving it to a MSA patient. And that is MY

opinion as a former caregiver whose patient lived almost 12 years

with a movement disorder which several movement disorder specialists

called MSA. Charlotte took Sinemet which got her going in the

morning. Baclofen has also helped people get a

" jumpstart " in the morning. Two glasses of water or juice

can help you get going in the morning.

Take care, Bill Werre

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aletta Mes wrote:

I take dex-amphetimine 10 mg

in the morning to wake up, I don't need anything once I'm awake., in my

case it is well-tolerated and I have no side effects - I can even

eat breakfast because I am alert enough to remember to eat and have the

energy to actaully eat it (this would never work on me as a diet

drug). Doctor says it is in his experience better tolerated than

Ritalin and Provigil is not available here.

If you do not wish to belong to shydrager, you may

unsubscribe by sending a blank email to

shydrager-unsubscribe