levodopa and sleep

[rebtar]

I've been struggling with sleep for a couple of years (actually a couple of decades, but it got worse a couple of years ago. after going down the medication hole (with no lasting help) I remembered that a couple of folks had mentioned here that reducing bedtime levodopa helped with sleep.

I cut back my 50.200 CR to 25/100 CR -- voila. MUCH better sleep. Now I have to taper the sleep meds!!!

One of my doctors told me at some point which I don't remember, that 50/200 , might help my sleep -- and I just kept taking it.

I hope this will be helpful to someone else with trouble sleeping...

[alaynedellow]

I agree with you. I stopped my eve madopar C/R and i sleep all night again. Otherwise i too wired to sleep.

[Enidah]

I only take immediate release C/L at night and I just take one if I wake up and I am sleeping so much better....a happy discovery.

[Angelhawk in reply to Enidah]

How much do you take before you go to sleep? And how long do you sleep before you wake up again ?

[Enidah in reply to Angelhawk]

I take one immediate release if I am off just to be more comfortable.

[LAJ12345]

my theory:

If you function fairly well first thing in the morning before the first dose it probably means you are still producing of your own overnight if you haven’t taken any in the night. I think that means you will need less in the evening and more later in the morning as the natural cycle has a high point at midnight and low point at midday.

As you take each subsequent dose in the day the remains of the tail of the previous one underlies lies it so blood levels climb with each subsequent dose so you can feel worse in the evenings. You can feel agitated and restless.

Decreasing or missing the evening one means when your natural dopamine kicks in it doesn’t push you over the edge.

Dopamine

[ion_ion]

Interesting. Levodoba makes me sleepy.