My husband has parkinson and is taking mirapex and sinement and drinks beer and jack daniels every weekend...is this safe?

[pumpkinpie1]

[alllowercase]

youmust be in the usa? see if you can find a beer around 2.1% ABV, and use a spirit measure so he has small, measured doses. but, more than that, read the instruction leaflet that comes wiith the meds. if any say no, then it is NO. all you do is destroy the effect of the meds for 24 hours or more, and any that require a cumulative effect will be out the game for a week or more.

[rons]

If it makes him feel better not worse then it's fine - if it's making him worse then he should stop. I can manage half a pint of Bitter (british beer - 3.7% around) or half a bottle of beer. I don't really tolerate more than a sip of wine so I don't bother. I'm on Stalevo. He'll know what's right for him. IMHO

[PatV]

if he has an addictive nature and is taking mirapex, watch out. but yes, what allowercase says!

[harding55]

I take 6 sinement (carbodopa/levodopa 25/100) a day and I love my beer. I drink 4-6 beers daily. It's something I enjoy and I'm not stopping because I have PD. When I drink my meds don't wear off as quickly or if they do - I don't care. If your husband can handle the alcohol - let him enjoy it. Having PD is no picnic - we need some enjoyment.

[srarndt]

yup...what they all said! The only thing i can think to add that might help is to have him watch for a diminished tolerence. These days I can have a max of 2 beers in one night without falling asleep on the couch (or behind a steering wheel?!?!)

Otherwise just keep a supportive eye on him...IF he has a pattern of being less than forthcoming on such issues.

Prost!

Steve

Bisbee, AZ

[JHLambert]

Diagnosed 2010 / Symptoms Since 2008 / DBS complete 5/22/2013

First, have you asked yourself why is his doctor giving him both Mirapex and Sinemet at the same time? One is a dopaminergic (a dopamine supplement; Sinemet), the other is an dopamine agonist (a drug that works on the dopamine producing sites of the body to cause them to produce more; Mirapex). Many doctors mix these together thinking that the meds work best when they give the patient the LDopa they need (Sinemet) whilst making their body wring out all the LDopa it can (Mirapex) - the drugs really aren't made for this. They are however for, when the Agonist isn't enough any more, titrate off it while titrateing on the LDopa (Sinemet).

Next, it becomes very difficult for the physician to tell what the medications are doing or are not doing when enough alcohol is in the body to produce its own medicinal affect.

Now, I absolutely refused to shake, tremor or encounter gate freezing in front of anyone. Its just something I simply will not do. That said, I originally was going to local neurologist in Hickory, NC because it was someone my local doctor recommended - I told him to get me someone else, and I specifically asked for any physician at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center - a teaching facility. This was the start of a huge turn around for me.

I worked in a stressful environment and always felt that the amount of stress I encountered on a daily basis made my symptoms worse. Everyone handles stress differently, some can internalize some can't. When I did, I literally ate the medication - going up to 13,14, and 15 dosings daily with an average of 13 dosings daily. Eventually I combined the Sinemet with small dosings of caffeine to get it started sooner and give it a slight punch (about 50 mg) all with my new doctors knowledge - not always his blessing though. He knew I was on the receiving side of Parkinson's however and he was not. I also took an LDopa supplement called Mucuna Pruriens, which is a natural LDopa (about 40% of the product is LDopa) which he was in favor of because it supplemented the LDopa needs. Mucuna Pruriens has been used in India for thousands of years.

Even doing all that I did, I still began to experience the dyskinetic symptoms of the medications. I knew about DBS, but didn't understand the fuller meaning of what it could do for me specifically - but because the dyskinetic symptoms had started it was my only way out - so I took it. I hope you find yours too.

[Hidden]

I take sinemet and myripex and I enjoy 2 glasses of red wine most every night. I feel fine and my neuro doesn't object

[isis6361]

Alcohol is fine but not I. Excess and weekends are not excess binge drinking is worse though than drinking little every day than nothing and. Then binging.

[Pelley]

First to answer allowercase..... PD meds are quick moving through you system. Most beer is also quick moving through your system... I've never bought a beer, I just rent them for awhile!.

I have been in AA for 21 yrs. I was diagnosed with PD 11 years ago. Thank someone/something/some higher power somewhere that I had 10 years sober before finding out about the PD.

I have my spirituality to calm myself in this peripatetic state left me by PD.

Somedays I wish I drank, even 20 some years later, but the same problems I drank to forget last night would be back in the morning. So why bother?