Does Mannitol work only with (or also without) anti-PD meds?

[Somic67]

do we know if does mannitol work for PwP not taking anti-PD meds, yet?

or it is effective only for PwP taking anti-PD meds?

thank you in advance for any reply

[Farooqji]

It gives benefit in both the cases (at least in the restoration of sense of smell)

[Tacitus1953 in reply to Farooqji]

Hi! To restore smell: which dose mannitol do you need and how long to notice effect?

[Farooqji in reply to Tacitus1953]

Average dose is 10 gram a day. Sense of smell is improved with in a month

[Tacitus1953 in reply to Farooqji]

Thnx! I Will try to find mannitol

[Somic67 in reply to Farooqji]

Thank you for your comment. Yes I wish to try but if it’s role is only to let more substances enter the BBB then it is good but also concerns depending on which mix of food, supplements and meds is s.one taking

[Farooqji in reply to Somic67]

I don't know about the mannitol ability to enable other medicines to cross the BBB. I know from my own experience that it improves the sense of smell even if used as stand alone treatment

[reedboat2 in reply to Farooqji]

Do any of the other alcohol sugars work as well? Erythritol?

[Farooqji in reply to reedboat2]

I have heard about xylitol

[pdpatient in reply to Farooqji]

Yes, they use it in sugar free chewing gum. It's a diabetic sweetener too and cheaper than Mannitol but has zero benefits to PwP.

[pdpatient in reply to reedboat2]

@reedboat

@gwendolinej

Reedboat, the short answer is NO! Only Mannitol works and that too, only from specific manufacturers.

There is considerable research regarding this and there are plenty of posts on this forum where you can get more information.

Here are a couple of links below.

healthunlocked.com/parkinso...

parkinsonsnewstoday.com/202...

Gwendolyn is a great advocate for the sugar substitute and is a go to for all things Mannitol.

Here is the post in which she has shared her story.

healthunlocked.com/parkinso...

[Astra7]

If it’s going to work for you I doubt if the meds make a difference. I think it’s worth a try.

[Somic67 in reply to Astra7]

Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately i’m not sure I have understood your sentence.

Do you mean that if mannitol is working (effective) then meds should not have any impact (neg or pos)?

My question is right this one: mannitol is currently known to “open BBB“ (and let meds and nutrients enter more with the good and the bad of it) of and drain some liquid from cells (a-syn ?) with a soft detox effect (no need to have meds to see results)

I was asking to try to understand how it works (when it works)

[Astra7 in reply to Somic67]

Oh. I see what you mean.Sorry but I don’t know how it works. I take madapor and mannitol seemed to help with sense of smell and mental clarity (less stumbling over words). However my stomach couldn’t handle the gas so I’ve had to give up for now.

[1LittleWillow]

Mannitol has helped me, and I don't take any prescription meds yet.

[Somic67 in reply to 1LittleWillow]

Thank you for your reply. I remember your post where you wrote that with mannitol you were able to sleep at night without medical cannabis ... it impressed me. Can I ask you if you take any kind of levodopa (from mucuna or meds)?

(S.one considers levodopa in mucuna a supplement not a med)

[1LittleWillow in reply to Somic67]

The mannitol helped my sleep a lot at first, but eventually I had to start using the THC edibles again; however, I'm consistently falling asleep much more quickly and easily than before the mannitol. FYI, I also take magnesium glycinate at bedtime (I started that long before the mannitol).

I don't take any prescription meds yet. I've experimented with mucuna but have never taken it regularly. It either makes me horribly nauseous, or does nothing at all, depending on the brand/formulation. I have an appointment with my MDS in January to discuss starting meds, as my tremor and bradykinesia are starting to bother me too much.

Overall, I feel much better when taking mannitol. I sleep better, I have more energy, my dystonia is greatly reduced, and I can smell (and taste) again. I had been losing weight at a concerning rate without the mannitol because I couldn't smell or taste anything and had no appetite.

*Editing to add that B1 and mannitol both seem to help my memory a lot. I always had a VERY quick, sharp memory pre-PD, but PD brought word-recall problems. B1 reversed that, and mannitol seems to sharpen my memory even more. I remember things so quickly and easily now that it actually surprises me. I've been super aware of memory issues for quite some time because my mother developed Alzheimer's in her mid-to-late 70s (I just turned 55).

[Dragona]

Sorry but what is erythritol I brought some of this by mistake the other day thought it was my usual stevia, does it have any benefits thank you

[alaynedellow]

Look for Don McCammon on utube. He doc who sells Syncolein, mannitol with anti-gas agent. They say mannitol is also a protector n can be used by non PWP to maybe protect from. It is FDA approved as sugar sub for diabetic use so safe to ingest.

[Somic67]

Given the similar half life of levodopa (90 min) and mannitol (110 min) may it be that effectiveness of mannitol is also depending on timing of assumption vs levodopa meds?if so, better to take them together, or separate?

if separate, how much?

Thank you to anyone who will share his experience and thoughts.

Best regards,