If I don't take sinament for my pd,will low dopamine make me feel depressed or anxious?

[wrench]

[soup]

Very likely if your depression is linked to dopamine levels. Is sinemet a problem for you of are you just concerned about your depression when you have forgotten a tablet?

[wrench in reply to soup]

I take 1/2 twice and 1 tab at nite of 25/100 c-l-d.for mild pd.I could just not take it.But don't want low dopamine problems with my mental health.

[wrench in reply to soup]

I'm thinking c/l/d may prevent depression.

[froggatt55]

I have been diagnosed 11 years and when my drugs cocktail - including Sinemet - is running low, I do get feelings of anxiety and nervousness (which I would akin to depression)

These feelings go once I top up my medication

[gurdeep11 in reply to froggatt55]

are you fully functionl on meds, how much have you increased them

[wrench in reply to gurdeep11]

Yes,with or without

[gurdeep11 in reply to wrench]

you mean without meds you are fine? amazing how do you do that

[wrench in reply to gurdeep11]

At rest no shake.Use left hand for drinking &txting.

[PatV]

Depends on whether that is your tendency already. I haven't been depressed since menopause, but I do cheer up when meds kick in

[etterus]

A great question... I wonder if c-l dopa doesn't cause increased anxiety/depression overtime. It's possible that while it helps mobility in the brainstem , it creates a deficit in the reward centers due to negative feedback.

[soup in reply to etterus]

If L Dopa caused depression people wouldn't get depressed as the meds wear off., they'd get it at peak dose.

[wrench in reply to etterus]

I'm thinking the pd causes the depression

[soup]

I assume you are tackling your depression at the same time as exploring your Parkinson's meds? I think you should try to treat them as independent conditions to some extent even though the depression might be aggravated or even caused by Parkinson's. If you truly don't need Parkinson's meds then go with treatment for depression alone, but make sure any medication is safe for people with Parkinson's regardless of you not taking L-Dopa.

[wrench in reply to soup]

I take depression meds.hv years before had pd.

[Hikoi]

I think low mood when meds wear off is common. Don't know if it still happens when you are on antidepressants though.

[DeParkiePoet]

Low dopamine levels will definitely contribute to depression, I feel it's a matter of symptoms versus side effects. The side effects of sinemet are numerous and serious including but not limited to:

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

restless muscle movements in your eyes, tongue, jaw, or neck;

worsening of tremors (uncontrolled shaking);

high fever, stiff muscles, sweating, fast or uneven heartbeats, rapid breathing, feeling like you might pass out;

seizure (convulsions);

painful or difficult urination;

severe nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea;

uneven heart rate or fluttering in your chest;

confusion, hallucinations, anxiety, agitation, depressed mood, thoughts of suicide or hurting yourself;

chest pain or heavy feeling, pain spreading to the arm or shoulder.

Less serious side effects may include:

mild nausea, dry mouth, loss of appetite, heartburn, diarrhea, constipation;

headache, dizziness, drowsiness, blurred vision;

sneezing, stuffy nose, cough, or other cold symptoms;

sleep problems (insomnia), strange dreams;

muscle pain, numbness or tingly feeling; or

skin rash or itching.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088

It's enough to depress me just reading the list because it sounds worse than the disease itself. I try to wait as long as possible before I take my meds in the AM...

Keep on trucking

[racerCP in reply to DeParkiePoet]

soooo....isn't it better not to take medications if you can tolerate your symptoms ????? I'm one-year post-diagnosis with moderate tremor and very mild one-sided stiffness. The meds sound worse than the disease.