I have been having great success with Sinemet, Vitamin B1, and fast walking. I’m doing better now than I have for several years, and seem to have very minor side effects from PD meds. I do notice, however, that if I take my Sinemet dose on an empty stomach, I start yawning within about half an hour, and the effects last about 30 minutes. These are not cute little sleepy yawns, but rather huge, jaw splitting, orgasmic yawns that bring tears streaming down my face. What’s strange, too, is that I don’t feel particularly tired or sleepy. It’s not really that annoying, except while driving or holding a conversation. It’s hard not to close your eyes with a big yawn. It takes only a little food of any kind to greatly reduce this side effect, so I’m not very worried about it.
I’m just wondering if I’m the only one experiencing this? I’ve been following PD in HU now for several years and haven’t read or heard this from anyone else. I’ll sign off in good Canadian form with “Weird, eh?”
David
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Dpeachey
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Sinemet makes my foot twitch. I tried it because the mirapex made me yawn all evening and have wicked gas. Totally unacceptable. (Maybe because I took it on an empty stomach? ). Now I’m down to Azilect and b vitamins and am slower and less balanced than 6 months ago
I stopped taking sinemet for that reason. The neuro switched me to amantadine and ropinerole. They're both dopamine agonists. Nothing has helped the left hand tremor.
Amantadine is in a class of medications called adamantanes. It is thought to work to control movement problems by increasing the amount of dopamine in certain parts of the body.
David, I noticed this on clinical trials where I had to attend unmedicated and after assessment I was given sinimet. The nurse always commented positively when I began yawning. Ah its beginning to work now she would say (or similar). I hadnt connected it with empty stomach, thats interesting.
Hi Dpeachey, I still have that problem and I have not taken Sinemet for a long, long time. It is the Pd itself. My eyes water and I yawn and yawn, and then it stops. It is not life-threatening. You have to accept some symptoms and just get on with your life. Nothing is perfect!
I could have written your post! I have the same problem and after taking my sinemet which I take on an empty stomach 30 minutes before food I too can't stop yawning ! It stops as soon as I've eaten. Something I have been meaning to do is write a post regarding taking sinemet on an empty stomach.
I can't believe Doctors, Neurologist 's, even specialist nurses don't make people with PD aware of the benefits of waiting 30mins before food or 90mins after food.
It really does work. My Tremors are much more controlled since I started to do this.
when I was diagnosed with PD 2 years ago although I'm sure I had symptoms long before then, I was prescribed various meds but settled on sinemet and was told to take 6 x 25/100 daily 2 at breakfast lunch and dinner, unfortunately that dose was too high for me as I was very nauseous and often actually sick after 30-45 minutes of eating my breakfast.
I slowly reduced my dose down to 4.1/2 tablets a day. I still feel nauseous at times but I can cope with that even the yawning, it's a small price to pay to not be suffering all or most if not all day with hand, leg tremor, rocking jaw and even chattering teeth!
I'm actually waiting to join a trial which involves taking a new med that is hoping to stop the wearing off period and prolong the length of time without tremor. I don't know too much about it yet waiting to be called in but I'm not holding my breath as it seems everyone involved is very busy.
PS. I also take B1 ( 2x100 mg daily) and try to do a fast walk most days plus supplements.
I've been taking one 25-100 pill three times a day for the past 3 1/2 years. Balance and fatigue issues are what bother me the most. Tremors have increased but aren't yet a big deal.
When I first started taking medication, I added Inosine for a year and Mannitol for another. At the time, Inosine was entering stage thre trials and mannitol was getting a lot of favorable publicity. Neither did anything for me.
I can read through the posts on this website and convince myself that any number of supplements or prescription medications might help, but I'm not going there. For now, I'll rely on my neurologist to prescribe the right thing.
That's fine if you have a good Neurologist, mine is a lovely man but pointed out to me that he was not a specialist PD Neurologist and when I asked him if I could reduce my sinemet as the dose of six 25/100 was causing me problems like nausea and vomiting he said "feel free to play around with it" which I had already started to do because quite honestly we know our own bodies and what we can tolerate, also I know from experience that I need less of most meds/ pain killers etc than what is prescribed, I was once snapped at by one Dr who said when I told her I only took one paracetamol "who in their right mind would take one paracetamol that's the dose of a seven year old " I replied " because it works" she told me to go home and take eight a day.
There are a great number of people on this forum who are very knowledgeable and helpful and in my honest opinion have better advice and I have more faith in them than I do in some Consultants.
PS.look into supplements is my advice, there are many that will help without the side effects of prescribed medications.
Good luck, I hope you can get some relief somehow.
Something to think about..,.I believe it's a good idea to go to a movement disorder specialist or a neurologist well versed in Parkinson's.
1). It seems with PD meds, one type may not mix with another & could cause negative interactions.
2). Know more about new meds coming out.
3). Have more patients with PD so they are more aware of the different symptoms/side effects; therefore may be able to spot a problem sooner.
I say this now, but the first neurologist I had was not a movement specialist, but he knew a lot about PD & I felt be comfortable with him. So like I said above, just something to think about.
Just so you won't think I'm entirely hopeless, I do drink a large mug of senna tea each night to take care of constipation. It's quite effective but does cause stomach cramps.
No I don't think you are hopeless! But have you looked into Vitamin B1 hcl , I can't take it in a hi dose as recommended to help stop the progression of PD but I know I'm not the only one taking a low dose and it certainly sorts out constipation. Look up the posts on this forum they are very informative. ( my dose 100mg at breakfast and 100mg lunch.
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