Excessive sleepiness

[Briskma]

Hi friends

My mother who is 75 was diagnosed with PD in 2004. She was on Syndopa plus 4 a day for past 4 years (with no major symptoms) , untill few months back when she started feeling extreme fatigue. Her neurologist increased her dosage to 5 and half tables in a day and a syndopa CR in the night. She has started having balance issues And daytime excessive sleepiness. As she is operated for stenosis (sciatica) few years ago and the surgery was not successful..she has been taking pregabLin with tramadol every night for her legs as if she sleeps without pregabLin her legs would become extreme cold and numb...burning sensation in feet . Problem is she cannot take pregabLin in the afternoon and daytime sleepiness is causing a major problem as her legs don't let her sleep and Parkinson's symptom (sleepiness) does not let her stay awake.

Due to stenosis her mobility was restricted to in house ...now balance issues are making it more difficult for her.

Neurologist has also prescribed her with dopamine antagonist (Amantrel) but she has notbstarter as yet . She did try taking but seems that made her daytime sleepiness worst.

Does anyone know any solution for daytime sleepiness

Please share your thoughts

Regards

[park_bear]

Selegiline might help and unlikely to hurt.

Prescribing a dopamine antagonist to a person with Parkinson's makes no sense to me. JMHO.

[Cagey84 in reply to park_bear]

You're right, but just looked it up and fortunately, Amantrel is amantidine, not a dopamine antagonist ciplamed.com/content/amantr...

[Briskma in reply to Cagey84]

Yes you are right I made a mistake. Will be starting her on amantrel soon

[nellie58]

My husband developed sleepiness after long time use of sinemet. It was debilitating as he is still working and he would fall asleep in meetings within minutes of sitting down. He takes no sinemet during the day now and the sleepiness is gone. He is following Dr C's B1 protocol which has energized him and fixed his balance and Atremoplus is supplying enough dopamine for the daytime and keeps him heathy and stable. The neurologist we saw was adamant that the sleepiness was not caused by sinemet and offered drugs to keep him awake. We knew it was the Sinemet but using it it is a necessary evil sometimes. Taking it in the middle of the night seems the answer for him for now. One thing I have learned about Parkinsons is that it is confusing and forever changing. We have had to adapt with the changes. What works great one month might not the next. Every day is a new day. I am always trying to make sense of it but it makes no sense.

When Sinemet starts to fail after long term use, it causes a range of annoying failings.

If her balance is a problem, then it will be the Sinemet aggravating it and I suggest giving B1 a try by talking to Dr Costantini first, otherwise if you just dose alone it will take a long time to get it right.

Good luck and kind regards

[M1tz1 in reply to nellie58]

Sinemet also made my husband sleep as if drugged. No doubt about what caused the sleepiness as it started with the first dose.

[veroniqueernest in reply to nellie58]

It has been the same for me, having been on Sinemet for 9 years now, I have noticed that if I take more than the dose required it get me sleepy at any time during the day.

[Briskma in reply to nellie58]

Thanks for your input. We are currently trying to get her adjusted to the right dose of syndopa ..once stabilise I am surely considering to contact Dr C to start her on B1

[HoJo-1]

Sinemet makes me sleepy and Amantadine does as well I believe. But Neupro patches were worse, and Ropinerol was the worst med I ever took (and made you fall asleep totally without warning at times).