Questioning the use of alcohol while on medication

[Btsnipes]

.My neurologist told me drinking beer, etc is fine , just don't overdo it.  My future is questionable!  Enjoy life while you can.  Have a beer/drink/joint if you choose!

[Hidden]

Irony

Great, green light from MD, time to do what ever you want, you do not drive any more anyway and then:

One beer makes you so sleepy that you have a nap right in the middle of the party.

Oh you can drink as much as you want HAHAHAHAHAHA , you just cant keep your eyes open.

[Alistairs in reply to Hidden]

How right you are! I find also that alcohol negates the meds,  so you can end up frozen at the bar !

Could end up expensive

[Beckey in reply to Hidden]

You nailed it, Gymbag. That's me all over.

[NanCyclist in reply to Beckey]

Same for me gym bag. A sip and in 5 minutes I'm not there. 

[BUZZ1397]

I found it to be true about the beer, at least with the med Sinemet. To elaborate, if I need to medicate but I recently ingested some protein, then if I sip some beer to swallow a dose of Sinemet that little bit of beer helps to get the effect of "medicating" that is often somewhat defeated by the protein in the stomach. Not a perfect solution but beer has apparently helped me regain control/manage PD symptoms on many occasions when I waited to long to medicate and had just eaten protein. I've heard from my neuro that just about anything that raises dopamine in the brain (gets you high) may be considered therapeutic if used in a therapeutic dosage. But I have not tried weed or any other illegal drugs to test that observation. If Texas ever legalized weed I still would hesitate to use it because of its negative effect on memory. I think PD already has caused enough harm to my memory. The last thing I'll do is risk speeding up the eventual emergence of dementia. I know, everybody has different responses to therapy and ideas on what is acceptable. 

[grower in reply to BUZZ1397]

The memory loss is only temporary with weed. 

[Beckey in reply to BUZZ1397]

Buzz, the element in weed that stems the symptoms for many parkies is cannabinoid (CBD). The psychoactive element is THC. For us, the products that are rich in CBD and very low in THC are the ticket. 

I once ate some chocolate candy laced with weed before I knew anything about the difference between the two to see if it would stop my tremor. I had the most miserable night of my life, psychologically speaking. 

But here's the kicker: When I woke up the next day I was not shaking, and so it continued throughout the day. The last time I looked at a clock, it was 22 minutes after midnight and I STILL was not shaking. I thought I didn't have PD after all, and was awash with humbleness and gratitude. However, the day after that, my clattering claw was quivering away again. Sigh. 

BTW, as you may know, weed is legal in San Francisco -- and all of California.

Here's a link to a documentary on the subject by Dr. Sanjay Gupta:

youtube.com/watch?v=-SZzgfy...(Not working as expected?)

[BUZZ1397 in reply to Beckey]

Thanks. My interest in weed has been stimulated. But a trial will have to wait for legal access to it.

[rhyspeace12]

agree!

[vhardiman]

Great philosophy . I certainly follow that and I LOVE the painting

[BillDavid]

A perspective.....I would recommend reading the info that comes with your RX.  The one I have take for years, had an alcohol warning.  I have not consumed any since.  Point being this drug increases dopamine.  There are consequences to decisions

BillDavid. 

[glenandgerry]

Which drug has the alcohol warning BillDavid? 

[mistydog1]

I found when I was on Sinemet 1-2 beers or a glass of wine was fine.  Having said that

if you get into an accident and your driving with alcohol and drugs in your system you are screwed !  Unless you can definitively prove the medication did not impair you.  You'll be found at fault.  I know somebody who is undergoing Chemo who was given this warning as well.

BTW I tried the liquid form of medical weed it did nothing to help my PK.

[stevie3]

Unfortunately I drank my lifetime allowance of alcohol (and probably some of yours) by the time I was 25. Haven't touched it for 32 years, and I thought, apart from a few interesting scars and a slightly wonky nose, that I'd escaped relatively unscathed. Since getting PD, I'm not so sure. I do sometimes wonder if my earlier escapades mopped up all my dopamine...

[Beckey in reply to stevie3]

Nah! The articles I've read tend to show no link between alcohol and Parkinsons, and some suggest it may have some neuro-protective benefits. I did read one report that those who drink beer only have a lower-than-normal risk for PD.

[answerseeker]

Nice artwork!!!!!

[Beckey]

Btsnipes, what's your medium? At first it looked like pastels to me. Oils? Acrylic?