Sinemet is out of stock here in NZ and pharmacies say it might be quite a long time before its back. The new substitute called Kinson which they say is the same but I think the product that disperses the levodopa ect is not good.It does not help me the same and I get headaches and feel down on it. Has any one else had this happen. I also have tried amatadine and benzotropine but they were worse. I tried mucuna but that didnt help enough either. I take B1 , cbd , mannitol with sinemet. I was doing well on all this and the tremor has gone, arms swinging, pull test perfect but stalling is quite bad and I have had alot of falls. So am concerned now that the sinemet wont be available as everything together so far has helped and I dont want to regress.'Also does any one know if I could order sinemet on line from India or somewhere? Is this a world wide shortage?
Any suggestions
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20fatcats
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You need to find a new pharmacist who is better informed than the one you are dealing with.
Merck stipulated back in August of 2018 that only Sinemet 25/100 would not available in NZ and wouldn't be until early 2019, which is now or sometime very soon (call Merck NZ). Their Sinemet 25/250 and 50/200CR have always been available everywhere, even in NZ.
KInson was an alternative, but not necessarily identical since I don't believe it is available as a CR (controlled Release). So, if you were on Sinemet CR, you will get a different result when using Kinson.
I'm not a big fan of Sinemet (i.e. Levodopa/carbidopa) for PD for long term use (to many negative side effects), but Sinemet is available from multiple online sources. Figure Sinement 50/200 CR will cost roughly $90 USD plus shipping, (generally shipped from the UK) somewhat less (about $60) for the "half" Sinemet.
Your problem isn't finding Sinemet online. Your problem is whether NZ customs will allow a prescription drug from the UK/EU/India into NZ. It all depends on how the supplier labels the package. I would check with NZ customs as well as your supplier as to how they will label it. In addition, you will need to email your prescription (required) to your supplier.
Remember, NZ will require you (probably under their Medsafe program) upon receipt of your package (if labeled as a drug) to show your prescription (it must be current) and that you have received no more than 3 months supply of your medication.
If you chose to do so, you can also generally order the generic Sinemet, which is levodopa/carbidopa from India, from the same supplier. Of course the generic L/C is much cheaper than Sinemet, nor is it CR.
It is a generic, with the advantage generally of lower cost, and most importantly, availability in AU and NZ. The downside is generally lower standards of quality control which is true for most generics (see TEVA's monumental QC problems).
See if you can order the real Sinemet online from Canada ... assuming you can afford the higher price.
It all depends on how far along you are in your progression and whether you think the "brand" is worth it. Sometimes it is; sometimes it isn't. It is if you need a specific formulation of Sinemet which can override anything else. Kinson is a very limited (1) formulation.
And whether NZ customs isn't obnoxious about allowing pharmaceuticals in.
Thanks so much . Really helped me with this info . I haven't been on medication to date. However my neurologist prescribed Kinson but didn't say why. I am reluctant to start on it . Want to investigate a bit further. Thanks so much xx
Think about starting with Macuuna, perhaps Zandopa (powder) direct from India or from Amazon.com. You may want to add ECGC tea (caps) and Seligiline (a very old line prescription MAOi for PD).
Inexpensive.
Keep a journal of what works in terms of dose, time of day, etc.Avoid taking the Zandopa (or other MP) with any other protein, such as milk for at least 1 hour.
You can always go with Kinson if you don't get any relief from the above.
Try to find a neuro who actually knows something (treated) females with PD and will run you through a a comprehensive UPDRS. Get your baseline # and go from there. If your # is low try to avoid the pharma route as long as you can.
Yescexactly what has happened to my husband we have had to go over to madopar but not as good as the MSD sinemet. He takes mucuna as well. I rang the Msd supplier in australua and he said there is a world shortage of that product and can see it being available for some time. I asked about the Kingston replacement and he said yes he had had the same conversation over the past weeks with many. So kingston is not doing the job. It is so frustrating when peoples lives are affected and it doesnt seem to matter.
The only other idea would be to half the 250/50 .
Matopar has disrupted my husbands sleep he had no problem on the original sinemet but now has difficulty sleeping.
Thank you for your reply. Luckily I have found 1 bottle in a small town pharmacy which we can drive to collect. Hopefully that will get us through. They are saying sometime in march for the sinemet now so heres hoping.
I double checked today the availability online. Available from several online suppliers in the US, Canada, UK, and Australia. Varying prices, but available.
I admit I am somewhat puzzled by this situation since the supply online seems readily available.
Try to find someone in your area who is willing to teach you how to search using your computer. If not, search under .... Sinemet where to buy ......using your browser (I use Duckduckgo for privacy). Northdrugstore.com is Canadian and they sell it, but you should be able to find many others as I did.
Before going to that trouble, make sure you have a VISA credit card account and/or a Paypal account which are generally preferred by most online retailers. If you don't have one of these, you can send a E check but it will make things more difficult. Also, you will need your prescription (current) so that you can send a copy via email (find someone who can help you with this).
Prices will vary so shop around. Australia is probably not the cheapest. Make sure you get a supplier who provides a tracking number on all orders and who will take responsibility for an order held in customs (f going international). Some will; some won't. READ their fine print or email them for specifics on that issue.
Importing meds is a real hassle and not cheap. Also it often gets checked by boarder control. You can only get 3mnths supply at a time. The Canadian pharmacies are generally considered best and they source the drug from around the world.
You cant replace long acting for Short acting, in my experience they work quite differently.
Like Sharyn I find it strange that it is available by mail order.
20fatcats, there is a world wide shortage of Sinemet CR at this time due to manufacturing problems, it happened for a few months late last year, and now has occurred again. Be wary of making purchases online, and then being told that stock will be sent when available. See apps.tga.gov.au/prod/MSI/se... for the news that the shortage is expected to last in Australia until December 2019. There was also a shortage last year for a few months. I suspect it has to do with problems in Puerto Rico. Kinson may be your only choice. It is not controlled release, and you have to have it 30 minutes or more before eating. The shortage of Sinemet CR is so bad, that many websites would be unable to supply it, regardless of allowing you to purchase online.
Dr has just replaced my sinemet with generic version called CÒ-CARELDOPA It is extended release and supposed to be equivalent to sinemet plus. Not taken it ye. The reason is cost
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