Stress: I'm talking only B1 from March and... - Cure Parkinson's

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Stress

ion_ion profile image
33 Replies

I'm talking only B1 from March and helps a lot, including the tremor. Still, when under stress, the symptoms get amplified.

I want to know from people who take carbidova / levodoba or Sinemet if that medication controls symptoms when under stress? With other words I want to know if Sinemet helps to feel like before being diagnosed when I could handle stress with no problem.

I'm still working and I want to determine if I'll start Sinemet if that will help symptoms when under stress. Otherwise I'll just stay on B1 only.

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ion_ion
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33 Replies
Dingler profile image
Dingler

Don't know about Sinemet but I have been on Madopar (similar) for 3 years. When I get stressed or even excited (say watching sport) or cold the tremors really kick in ......... I have very little tremor usually. I just squeeze my arm/hand until it goes.

You're lucky to be on B1 only - what is your dosage ?

ion_ion profile image
ion_ion in reply to Dingler

I started on 2g / day in March and recently cut it down to 1g/day.

So it seems in your case the medication does not help against the stress.

ion_ion profile image
ion_ion

There are a lot of people here taking medication, levodoba based, like Sinemet, Madopar etc. Just I want to know if it does help against stress in order to decide if I start it or not.

Cons10s profile image
Cons10s in reply to ion_ion

Is it possible that Sinemet could actually add to the stress from the fear of the unknown, “the dreaded off times “ and not knowing what to expect while waiting to get back to where you were. This episode focuses on the disease.

I have found this mantra helpful, learned from Mingtong at the Chi Center.

I say to myself in capital letters silently. “I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care! And then I get back to doing what I was doing, and forget about it. I control the disease it doesn’t control me.

I’m using B1 and Mucuna.

ion_ion profile image
ion_ion in reply to Cons10s

And Mucuna helps against stress?

Iam59 profile image
Iam59 in reply to Cons10s

I am also on mucuna. Take 6 teaspoons a day. B1 has been suggested by many here. Could you please let me know how much mucuna you take and the dosage of b1. Has b1 helped significantly? Were you ever on carbidopa/levadopa tablets like Sinemet?

Juliegrace profile image
Juliegrace

For me it's a mixed bag. Mostly the Sinemet helps with the symptoms during stressful episodes, but I suffer from dyskinesia which creates stress and makes many things difficult, although not as difficult as being completely off meds. Mucuna is just the natural form of levodopa. You could try it at a 20% or 40% concentration and see how you do. The investment is pretty small and unless you are one of we unlucky few who suffer dyskinesia early on low doses, it should not affect you adversely.

I don't feel like I did before diagnosis when on meds, but I am more functional with them than without them. I am non-tremor dominant and am slow and stiff off of meds (carbidopa/levodopa).

billiards profile image
billiards

please follow Doctor's advice as the development of PD is different from person to person. regards , bye.

jeffmayer profile image
jeffmayer

Stress makes pd worse that is a well documented fact so it is advisable to avoid it if you can don't think sinemet helps with stress relief personally I take kalms day which seems to work coupled with regular vigorous exercise which I believe is very important to control symptoms as well as a positive outlook

Good luck

Gioc profile image
Gioc

It depends how much stress, if you live in a situation of constant anxiety and danger and better change your base of operations, otherwise if it is an occasional stress, do not notice that then the tremor passes by itself. I would only take it in case of other symptoms or continuous tremor. Sooner or later with old age comes the time of the ldopa.

ocathain profile image
ocathain

Yes yes yes.... any simple task that causes concentration or any aspect of multi tasking causes major shaking

ge1shh profile image
ge1shh

My answer is both yes and no! I found that Madopar eased my general feeling of stress. I am sure that I have felt better, and been able to deal with anxiety etc better since I started on Madopar (though of course cannot be sure how much is down to the medication, or how much just my own state of mind). The Madopar controls my tremor well. But, when under temporary stress, e.g. sudden strong emotion, my tremor gets worse (temporarily). I think it is difficult for you to base your decision on other people's experiences though, as it seems that we are all different, and we don't all get the same reactions to the drugs. It sounds that you are not too happy with the current situation at work, so perhaps it would be a good idea to give the Sinemet a go. I assume if you are not happy with it after giving it some time to kick in, you could come off it gradually, with medical advice. I have only taken Madopar, which I assume is similar to Sinemet. Hope it works out well for you.

Cjbro2000 profile image
Cjbro2000

Same here. It is a major problem because normal everyday occurrences like speaking in a small group setting like a Bible study or book club send my tremors out of control. They become almost spastic; tremor is too mild a word for it. I take just carbidopa-levodopa 25/100 2 pills 3X a day.

ConnieD profile image
ConnieD

No sinemet doesn’t help me with stress. I met someone who takes sinemet but through rigorous exercise no longer has tremor. He said it only comes back when he is stressed.

Johnboy46 profile image
Johnboy46

Hi ion

I take Sinemet 25/100 three time a day. No it does not work with stress. I am retired (9 years ,in January I'll be 69) . I used to work for the Probation Service for 13 years as a night Manager in a Bail Hostel (Halfway house for American friends) and had no problems with stress, but since being diagnosed in April 2017 I have found stress to be my #1 tremor trigger problem. I have given up driving as that was my big stress factor (I was a truck driver for 25 years before Probation Service) ,so you can see I had no stress problems before PD, but I do now. Whether it is the meds. or the PD I don't know, I do try to steer away from stressful situations . Good luck .

John

mbrittell profile image
mbrittell

Before diagnoses any stress I experienced brought on high levels of anxiety. Whether it was from giving a presentation or driving at night in the rain (I was a wreck when I would get home). After diagnoses in April of this year, I began to take Stelevo. I have been very responsive and do not experience the anxiety that I was before.

ion_ion profile image
ion_ion in reply to mbrittell

So in a stressful situation are you like before or just better than without medication? Thank you.

mbrittell profile image
mbrittell in reply to ion_ion

I have attributed my reduced levels of anxiety in stressful situations to the PD medications I have been prescribed. My primary PD symptoms were non-tremor oriented; lack of arm swing, shuffling gait, sleep disorders, facial mask, incontinence, and increasing feeling of anxiety brought on by stress. All these symptoms have been greatly reduced while I am on the medication, including a reduced sense of anxiety. I am definitely better with the medication than without.

Giovi1960 profile image
Giovi1960

In my case, meds didn't help to control stress or anxiety. On the contrary, I think they made those symptoms worse. I am much better now without meds and just B1. Take care, ion_ion.

ion_ion profile image
ion_ion

It seems the most of the people do not get help from PD medication when in stressful situations. So the medication mostly helps with motor symptoms.

Gioc profile image
Gioc in reply to ion_ion

Against stress it helps a lot to take a walk, extrovert yourself by putting out your attention on external things by looking, and after looking again. ten minutes may suffice, and nothing else. This makes the subjective space larger and relieves stress. Of course not? :-)

Here in Italy is a beautiful autumn day, I go to the park where there are children's games, in particular a sort of cableway, where the children compete to climb screaming, then there are all around hungry squirrels, and there a lot of good people. In a small pond the ducks still wallow noisy ....

ion_ion profile image
ion_ion in reply to Gioc

Hi Gio!

Here in USA there is a nice fall day. I'm going to a plant office where I deal with indolent people. That's why I hoped the medication would be helpful. But I'll try to avoid stress as much as I can.

Gioc profile image
Gioc in reply to ion_ion

oh yep, at least I tried ...:-)

Elya7 profile image
Elya7

Hi. Thank you for sharing. Could you elaborate a bit more on B1. Is it in form of supplements? Any particular brand you could recommend?

ion_ion profile image
ion_ion in reply to Elya7

I'm taking SOLGAR from Amazon, 500mg pills, 2 times a day. I started with 1g, 2x/day but cut it down in a half.

francis6 profile image
francis6

I found that Sinimet increased my anxiety (particularly after switching to a keto diet 8 months ago) and ended up cutting back on it significantly. There is a school of thought that it is not just dopamine that is depleted in PD but also GABA (the "GABA collapse" theory). Dopamine is an excitatory neurotransmitter and GABA is a calming neurotransmitter. I now take L-theanine (a GABA booster) and feel calmer (and less shaky) and sleep better than for years. Everyone is different and will not work for everybody.

MMmm7 profile image
MMmm7

Woukd be good to start on Mucuna Pruriens which us the natural counterpart of Sinemet.

Sinemet will help for 1 or 2 years then the neuroligist will keep increasing the dose only to suffer side effects of dystonia,dyskinesia,etc.

My husb.had his dose increased to 600 mg.then we were able to bring it down to 300 mg.already augmenting it with Mucuna.

He also takes Ashwaghanda.

Livin_MY_life profile image
Livin_MY_life

I have a job that can be very stressful and demanding at times and internal tremors were one of my very 1st pd symptoms. I thought the tremors were stress and my Dr. tried me on Xanax with awful results. Long story short I ended up on a very low dose of propranolol and my stress/internal tremors were, and still are, gone. I take LD 25/100 2xperday and B1 IM injections 1x per week at 20mg (for now) Dr. C initially suggested 50mg and for me that was way to much! My B1 results at 20mg IM have been amazing! Not perfect, but still a work in progress. We messed with oral since June and couldn’t get it right. I think there are too many variables in place like metabolism, manufacturers, ect... I went the IM route and am so amazed with the results. I am early young onset with right side bradykinesia, ratcheting (resolved) reduced arm swing, reduced smell, and micrographia (resolved with LD) - i exercise some, mostly yoga and biking. I hope this helps some. The feeling of stress/anxiety is awful. explore with your Dr options that may work for you. My LD does not help with the “feeling”, but I am thinking the B1 may. Time will tell. Good luck to you! Your stress feeling is real but can be managed.

PDFighter13 profile image
PDFighter13

Sinemet definitely helps me feel more like I did before PD but under stress, my symptoms are worse, with or without meds. Now to figure out how to get rid of stress.

Erniediaz1018 profile image
Erniediaz1018

I'm mostly on Mucuna, B1, magnesium, and a mix of herbs. I'm rarely stressed, but the tremor of course surfaces under pressure. I rarely take sinemet, amantadine and or gabapentin which I think don't help with anything, so I would recommend stay the course and congratulations.

Jenzo profile image
Jenzo

I work full time. I manage a department at an insurance company. It's stressful. I can usually cope. I'm only 48 this year and have been taking Sinemet almost 3 years I believe. Recently I've gone through extreme stress and was jetlagged badly (stressor lasted 3 weeks) my medication is almost useless now a week later. My slowed movement, dragging leg, dead left arm and horrible (increased) tremor left arm and hand all returned. I'm hoping it's a blip and with rest and time I will go back to manageable as it's frightening. It also took almost a week to manifest this badly and I spent two weekends so exhausted I couldn't leave the house. I really hope I can bounce back.

Goldencbc profile image
Goldencbc in reply to Jenzo

Rest is so important with PD. Hope you get some good sleep and bounce back.

patricprobley profile image
patricprobley

You could increase your brain power to reduce stress and it can increase your intelligence and important skills for your life to become relaxed with a free mind. Don't read education materials every day and some stupid forums. Try medicalcbdoil365.com/the-pi... and learn only on trusted sources.

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