Sister was diagnosed with PD last year. H... - Cure Parkinson's

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Sister was diagnosed with PD last year. Her Dr at the University of Washington prescribed AZILECT 1 mg. Does it work to slow progression?

GLENNM profile image
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GLENNM
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28 Replies
etterus profile image
etterus

I started it before it was FDA approved. I as well as my Doc's think it was helpful. The only real test would be to clone an individual and concurrently give a drug to one and not the other... every person presents and degrades so differently.

GLENNM profile image
GLENNM in reply to etterus

Thanks

landman profile image
landman in reply to etterus

Well put.

Hikoi profile image
Hikoi

No conclusive proof. The jury is out on that one.

GLENNM profile image
GLENNM in reply to Hikoi

Thanks

Gladyscon1 profile image
Gladyscon1

It made me nauseous. I had to stop. On my Specialist's recommendation I tried the same drug weeks later and then again months later, with same result. He believed in Azilect. It may be great for some, not for me.

inkyorion profile image
inkyorion

I had to stop too because it caused very bad nightmares (of the screaming variety!) Pity because my consultant thinks it does help.

jonroberts profile image
jonroberts in reply to inkyorion

Same thing happened to me.

froggatt55 profile image
froggatt55

Hi Glenm

I started taking Azilect 2MG about 5 years ago and it changed my life. Today, I'm better than I was pre Azilect - I'm now into Year 11 since diagnosis. I was taking Sinemet Amantadine and Requip a the time but nothing really worked well. With the Azilect, WOW, I understood what On's were - it was fabulous. I give the credit to Azilect but my current Neurologist insists it is the combination - whatever is true I believe strongly that Azilect is a neuro-protective. Whilst Hikoi is correct that the Jury is out on this, I have absolutely no doubts

tlongmire profile image
tlongmire in reply to froggatt55

What is the dosage of Sinement, Amantadine, and Requip? I was on 1 MG of Azilect and Sinement 25/100 mg (x4) the only time I notice needing meds is when my toes and feet start to cramp. I feel the best in the morning for a couple hours, assuming my muscles haven't contracted all night. What if any side effcts have you had?

hilarypeta profile image
hilarypeta

No drug slows it down...if you give your body dopamine you block it from producing the little it does...better trying drug free natural remedies in my opinion! Better than harmful chemicals...

etterus profile image
etterus in reply to hilarypeta

I agree that this is a tenable position. The proof would be in a clone study with the drug free control group pitted against the drugged experimental group living the exactly the same life... how do we do this???

hilarypeta profile image
hilarypeta in reply to etterus

It would begood if someone did research on those who have recovered naturally. Rather than blocking out symptoms with toxic drugs.

Jbcourcy profile image
Jbcourcy in reply to hilarypeta

Is there anyone who's recovered from Parkinson's disease yet and by means of natural remedies

hilarypeta profile image
hilarypeta in reply to Jbcourcy

Quite a few. John coleman. Book Stop parking and start living,.

Howard shifke web site..Fighting parkinsons drug free.

Bianca Molle ebook and website.

Look on amazon books there is a good one reversing parkinsons .

I follow howard shifke who has helped several to recover. You can pay monthly for mentoring if you want with all of those mentioned. It does take hard work ..exercise and diet and dedication and avoiding stress!

Im battling with home problems for now so have put off the mentoring until im settled.

Pheonixalight profile image
Pheonixalight in reply to etterus

Is there 'A drug free control group? Information would be appreciated - thank you.

Pheonixalight profile image
Pheonixalight in reply to hilarypeta

What do you suggest? Would like to know - Thanks

hilarypeta profile image
hilarypeta in reply to Pheonixalight

I believe we are alll individuals..we have to work outwhat works best for us. Howard shifke makes most sense to me. Just look at the page full on google of side effects of Azilect. You have to decide wthether doing that to your body is worth it.

soup profile image
soup

Azilect is not an L-Dopa medication so you wont be running into the difficulties described by Hilarypeta. It acts by trying to slow down the breakdown of dopamine which occurs normally in everybody. By keeping it available for longer, the dopamine that your sister does make will be more effective for longer.

This anti symptomatic action does rather depend on how much dopamine your sister is still producing and which can be available for protection by Azilect. I think this is where the variability of results against the symptoms comes in. This is why it is given quite early in treatment while the person with Parkinson's is still making dopamine.

However, in drug trials the 1mg dose of Azilect seems to have another result in that people on it see a slowing of the worsening of their symptoms compared with no Azilect or 2mg of the same. Apparently this dose oddity is common in drug trials and is not proof of spurious results. However, I would always welcome more evidence to make it clearer to clinicians who need to be convinced of its positive effects.

Ask yourself whether any side effects, and they are not common, or the cost, outweigh the possible advantage of slowing down the progression of symptoms. You can always stop taking it in the future but you can't get back the neurones if you might have saved if it ultimately proves effective.

The choice, as always, is your sister's.

Susie01 profile image
Susie01 in reply to soup

Soup, very well written and factual.

Jbcourcy profile image
Jbcourcy in reply to soup

You got the cost aspect right Soup

JeanetteCW profile image
JeanetteCW

I've told Teva representatives that I should be the poster woman for the positive effects of Azilect. I started taking 1 mg. when I was diagnosed nine years ago. It definitely helped with symptoms and I did not experience any terrible side effects. I was most interested in the neuroprotective qualities of Azilect. I only recently started taking Sinemet and will continue taking Azilect. People who meet me are surprised to hear I have PD and I give credit to Azilect.

dvlsh255 profile image
dvlsh255 in reply to JeanetteCW

Just started taking 1mg Azilect last week along with Mirapex - don't know which is causing fuzziness in my head, nervousness, and increase in shaking?

cshamb profile image
cshamb in reply to JeanetteCW

Do you have to watch what you eat with azelect? I was just diagnosed and am afraid of the side effects

sjannie profile image
sjannie

me too, i am very glad with azilect. am taking it for 5 years now and i am more or less the same as 5 years ago. i am also taking neupro and sinemet both for the last 6 month

JohnPepper profile image
JohnPepper

I am a great believer in either Azilect or Eldepryl. They are very similar, both being MAO-b inhibitors. There is also the generic - Parkilyne. MAO-b inhibitors stop the natural breakdown of Dopamine in the brain. All chemicals produced by the body must be broken down and remeoved, if they have not been used within a certain period of time. Why would we want to allow an important chemical to be proken down, if we are short of that chemical? You must never abdicate your control over your own health to any form of medication! It is there to help you, but it cannot work on its own. You have to exercise, every second day, for one hour, in addition to managing your stress levels and eating the correct food. All these aspects of my daily life have helped me to overcome most of the movement problems associated with my Pd and for the past ten years I have lived a perfectly normalm life, without the need of any further Pd medication. Look at my website - reverseparkinsons.net for more information. With regard to the exercise, you cannot start at the level of one-hour every second day, walking at near maximum speed - you must start slowly, even for as little as five minutes and build up to one hour over a period of time.

Coblrman profile image
Coblrman

I remember talking with a PD patient that was on Azilect exclusively in one of the studies. He complained that nothing changed over the 18 months. I told him that was good. Later he commented that his hands hurt before taking the azilect and now didn't (after the 18 months trial). Overall his PD progressed much slower than I although I am on azilect. He did get on the Azilect earlier than I by about 2 eyars.

fronya69 profile image
fronya69

No it does not. My dr. put on it. After a yr. i srtill progressed. It was recalled 4 packaging correction. There was a big write up about it but can't remember how long ago or who did the stry on it.Maybe usda?