Cinamet
Hey, I'm taking a 50/200 cinamet at 6:30 ... - Cure Parkinson's
Hey, I'm taking a 50/200 cinamet at 6:30 am and the ball does not affect two hours if at all. What do you think can be done? Does this happe
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Bdekel
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Please let us know: what drugs you are taking, their dose and the times you take the doses, how long you been on this regimen, your diet, your diagnosis, and the time since diagnosis.
John
I am taking azilect 1 peal. Sinemet cr 50/200 4-5 aday. 6.30, 10, 14, 17. 10 years with parkinson. Eat every thing without meat.
I assume that Cinamet is a local version of Sinemet (levodopa/carbidopa). Your doses are typical. But, there is room to increase your L/C. You should discuss this with your doctor.
If you find it difficult to see a doctor, you should keep a diary of when your medication is working and when it is not. It may be that you spot a pattern: e.g. the first dose in the morning is slow to work, but the rest of the day is fine. This suggests that the first dose needs to be increased, but the rest of the day can be left unchanged. If you change a dose, do it slowly (titrate), perhaps by changing the dose by 25mg/day.
John
I can only say to you that no medication has been designed to cure Pd or even affect the progression of Pd. So why do you take it?
This is an email I received form one man in Australia recently and it tells the whole story. My website is reversparkinsons.net. Contact me, it costs NOTHING!
John Pepper’s approach to PD is Simple Genius, and it works
As a health professional, and someone who is assisting a loved one to live with Parkinson’s Disease (PD), I can attest that what John has discovered through his own experience of negotiating a life with PD has been nothing short of profound. On the face of it, the techniques John has discovered through experimentation and determination appear very simple - and in fact to some, they appear so simple that they simply mustn’t be true or possible!
But they are now becoming increasingly understood and embraced, and I have witnessed, and continue to witness, their effectiveness first hand through the lived experiences of a loved one who has embraced them whole heartedly, and who is still able to walk, perform all of his own self-cares, and live a full and active life, despite having quite severe PD.
The cornerstones to John’s approach include:
Graded, alternate day fast walking - that is, starting with very short walks, slowly, and gradually building up over time to ‘fight or flight’ walking...as fast as is possible and safe to do so. The science behind this is..through fast walking, the brain releases “Glial Derived Neurotrophic Factor” (GDNF), which assists the brain to unearth and develop new pathways for producing dopamine, which is the crucial neurotransmitter in short supply in the brain of someone with PD. This is neuroplasticity in action! If you want to read more about neuroplasticity (what it is, how it works, case studies), then I’d strongly recommend reading Norman Doidge’s two books - “The Brain That Changes Itself” and “The Brain’s Way of Healing”, the latter of which shines a light on John Pepper’s remarkable story.
The process John used to gradually increase his walking (initially in an ingenious South African exercise group called “Run/Walk For Life”) is detailed in John’s book. It’s very helpful - and I would say essential - for people with PD to have people to support and guide them with the process of improving their walking (e.g., personal trainer, physiotherapist, exercise physiologist, family member, etc). Exercise is key! And because PD often affects a person’s initiation and organisational abilities, it is imperative to have others to support them as they get organised with their exercise routine. John recommends setting goals and keeping logs and times of exercise - I have used this to great success with my loved one.
Conscious walking technique - PD occurs due to a dysfunction of a part of the brain called the basal ganglia. One of the most important roles of the basal ganglia is to assist a human to put together many different movement components into a meaningful sequence of movements, in order to perform a particular function (e.g., walking, typing, writing, throwing a ball, etc etc). Walking is a complex knitting together of many individual movement components and John has developed a technique in which he overrides the dysfunction of his basal ganglia by using his brain’s frontal lobes (that is, he uses his brain’s powerful executive function), so that he can knit together all the complex movements involved in walking. John describes that people with PD need to focus on each and every step using their frontal lobes. I have witnessed firsthand the effectiveness of this technique through its use with my loved one. It takes lots of practice, but it is fun and satisfying, and most importantly, it works!!
Proper rest - It is vital to rest from vigorous exercise on alternate days, as tiredness/exhaustion through too much exercise can be as deleterious as too little exercise. Establishing an early to bed routine is incredibly important, as this allows the brain and body to rest and recover, and assists with neuroplasticity. Get plenty of rest!
Reduced/minimised stress - excess stress impacts badly on anyone’s function, but in the case of people with PD, undue or excess stress has an enormously negative effect. Keeping stress to a minimum (through lifestyle change, engagement in hobbies, connection with others, mindfulness, etc) helps to maintain brain and emotional health, and increases a person’s capacity to engage fully in life.
Proper diet - there is a lot of information around now about the importance of maintaining a healthy, balanced diet. The health of the gut is essential, particularly given the gut’s role in producing neurotransmitters. Minimise drug and alcohol intake, eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and consult a nutritionist and/or dietician if you think your diet could be better.
Keep your mind active - whether it’s through reading, doing crosswords or puzzles, playing cards, playing a musical instrument….whatever, it is vital to keep your mind engaged in life. A healthy mind is very important for improving your function with PD, because, as previously mentioned, it is required to compensate for a damaged basal ganglia. Good concentration is vital for helping to assist you to use your frontal lobes to knit together many movements to perform smoother, more effective walking.
Stay socially connected - we are social beings, and social connection is particularly vital with PD. Many changes seen in PD are secondary changes to reducing one’s engagement in life and community. So, stay connected with your people, your places, and your treasured activities!
Medications - This final pillar in John’s technique is one that I am regrettably yet to try with my loved one, and so I have no first hand experience with it (but I am very keen to try this, given John’s success with it). During his PD journey, John was taken off Levodopa medications by his neurologist, and instead was prescribed a new type of medication called an “MAOb inhibitor”. What’s the difference between levodopa medications and MAOb inhibitor medications? Well, levodopa medications are converted into dopamine by the brain, whereas MAOb inhibitors slow/reduce the brain’s uptake of its own dopamine, hence increasing the availability of the brain’s own dopamine. John explains this way more eloquently than me, and of course he has the firsthand experience of it, so I’ll leave him to do so here:
“Because all PD medication has serious side effects, some of which are worse than the PD itself, it is advisable to try to avoid taking any PD medication unless you cannot function properly without it. If you have been diagnosed before the PD is too far advanced, you may very well be able to start reversing your symptoms and avoid having to take any PD medication at all.”
“I was taken off levodopa medication, by my neurologist, and put onto a new type of medication called MAOb inhibitors, which have been shown to have the effect of slowing down the progression of PD. I cannot interfere with what your neurologist prescribes, but you are free to ask for an MAOb inhibitor before trying anything else. They do not exhibit any immediate effect on any of your symptoms, but in the long-run they are much more effective”
Things I might add to John’s techniques might include:
1.Early intervention - at the first signs of PD/diagnosis, engage in the techniques which John describes. Do not delay. I think over time we will see more and more evidence about the importance and effectiveness of taking action early to secure one’s health and maximise function.
2.Get help from exercise professionals - there are plenty of expert people out there to help, and there are even online courses to help you, such as the “Parkinson’s Booster Program” by Invigorate Physical Therapy and Wellness in the US.
3.Ensure that you deal with all health ailments, as much as possible, so that your underlying health is as good as possible. See your local health professional for a full health work up, and maintain a good relationship with them over time.
4.Yoga - find the right teacher, one who will tailor a program to suit you. Yoga helps to keep the body and mind limber, flexible and strong. It helps with balance, concentration, relaxation and, importantly, breathing. It’s an all of body and mind strengtheners! If yoga isn’t your thing, find out what is….swimming...riding (my loved one rides a static trainer and LOVES IT)...Tai Chi...Qi Gong...dancing...there will be something out there for you!
I for one can testify as to the effectiveness and brilliance of John’s approach to PD. It works! I've seen it work with my loved one first hand. John is a true pioneer - in the years ahead, we will owe him a great debt for what he has discovered and disseminated about living and prospering with PD.
There will be additional things which John has covered in his book which I haven’t covered here - feel free to contact John for any clarification as he is very approachable and communicates generously and readily with anyone who contacts him. I found John’s book to be superb - it is the guidebook to my approach to working with people who have PD, and it is easy to read and widely available (I bought mine online and read it on a tablet device).
Thanks ever so much John - your life is truly an inspiration!
Dave - Australia
JP, Beyond your questionable 'talent' for fast-walking and fast-talking (with an emerging talent for cutting & pasting for self-promotional purposes), your background as a print shop operator hardly qualifies you as a credible critic of the entire pharmaceutical industry. Offering advice on crafting tales of science-fiction may be a more suitable niche for you(?).
Exercise is good for your PD. I am not sure how therapeutic it is in terms of PD progression but what I do know is that my first dose of Sinemet and Rytary kicks in faster once I do my morning stretching and 0.5 mile treadmill walk at 2.5 mile per hour.
Thanks any spcial food with the peal?
