@A MyParkinsonsTeam Member

I think you'll find entacapone (Comtan 200mg) to be beneficial.... My Neurologist started me on just after starting Sinemet,,, Been on it over 2 years with great results and no negative side effects..... Except when you "pee" the first time in morning.... It will be really dark orange,,,, all literature says no problem Hope you're doing well with this cold winter... Have a wonderful weekend... Hugs, Alan

Hi Cindy, I take Azilect and Sinemet. My neurologist says Azilect isn't a be all prescription. Rather it paves with way for Sinemet and then boosts the effectiveness of Sinemet. I have not had any problems what-so-ever. With Sinemet though, you need to take it a minimum of 30 minutes prior to eating, or if you miss that window, then wait an hour. And...they suggest you don't take Sinemet with high protein foods as they tend to slow its absorption down. We attended a seminar put on by the folks that developed and now produce Azilet. Very informative. I have yet to hear very many negative comments regarding it. I hope this makes a big difference for you :-)

Gary

Hi @A MyParkinsonsTeam Member,

Okay, I admit I'm a bit frugal and try to make my limited resource last for as long as possible... but I tend to believe how this disease has suddenly changed our lives, you need to think smarter...

After reading 1000's of post over the past few months, I truly believe that many people with PD are under medicated to the therapeutic level their body needs to cope with this disease. Check the link below for a wealth of knowledge of how some "groups" of PD meds actually are causing their negative symptoms....

I truly count my blessing, and a believer in generic Sinemet (25/100mg) and Comtan (200mg) for getting almost immediate relief from many PD symptoms.... when they are properly prescribed the therapeutic amount their body need... Their are different "ratios" of Carbidopa/Levodopa with the "1 to 4 Ratio" seems to be ideal for me and many others, and is considered the Gold Standard for this disease

I also believe in properly prescribed medication to treat the "Anxiety, Depression, Apathy, and Stress" symptoms.... which when left unattended - makes our Parkinson's symptoms go off the scale !! I found for myself, that treating these items separately, outside of PD gave me the best results.

When one starts researching the various categories of antidepressants, I found that generic Buspar works wonders great for my anxiety and tendency to cry for no reason, and Effexor XL does the trick for Depression, and initially I used Wellbutrin which is in a class by itself, but after +3 decades no longer worked for me, so I dropped it.

By no means am I an Expert on PD... but there is a wealth of info out there... and I found a lot of it could be sorted out with common sense... I truly get the feeling that many of the doctors we initially turned to had known so little about Parkinson's, and were just shooting in the dark, by prescribing anything remotely connected to PD. New data on Sinemet has shown that aggressive treatment with this med has lead to much better quality of life, without the consequences once thought - that it would wear out, leaving you without a treatment solution.

I hope this helps.. creating desire to search for 2nd opinion to help achieve a better quality of life! Alan

Please go to this following link from Parkinson's Disease Foundation for a very helpful list of PD medications that you can print out... http://www.pdf.org/parkinson_prescription_meds

Recently summary shown at PDF about Azilect®)

MAO-B inhibitors — selegiline (also called deprenyl, with trade names Eldepryl® and Zelapar®) and rasagiline (Azilect®) — block an enzyme in the brain that breaks down levodopa. These drugs have a modest effect in suppressing the symptoms of Parkinson’s

What To Know
These drugs have a modest effect in suppressing the symptoms of Parkinson’s. They are used as alternatives to levodopa in the earliest stage of PD, and are approved for use in moderate and advanced PD to boost the effects of levodopa or dopamine agonists. Both rasagiline and selegiline have been studied for possible neuroprotection — i.e., whether the drugs can slow down PD progression. In the case of rasagiline, an FDA advisory committee has concluded that more studies are required before the medication can be approved for this indication.

Potential Side Effects
Depending upon the medication, possible side effects include agitation, dizziness, nausea, headache, rhinitis, back pain, stomatitis, dyspepsia, postural hypotension and indigestion. MAO-B inhibitors may aggravate dopaminergic side effects including dyskinesia and hallucinations. Insomnia is more common with selegiline; therefore it should be taken no later than 1:00 PM.

A full description of each medication is beyond the scope of this fact sheet, but can be found on PDF’s website at ( www.pdf.org/meds_treatments.)

I'm taking Azilect in conjunction with sinemet. I think the Azilect helps the l dopa work longer. It prevents its destruction. I started out on Azilect alone but soon discovered my body was producing little to no dopamine on its own so we added the Sinemet which worked like a miracle. I felt great. Unfortunately recently I have been experiencing a lot of pain. I'll address this with my new movement disorders specialist next week. Hope this helped and hope you are well. Heather