Mucuna Puriens or natural Dopamine and Grapefruit juice

[ccr69]

Does anyone have experience is using the natural source of Dopamine ( Mucuna Puriens) ? A few questions pop to mind, how do you decide on the dose? How do you time taking it in relation to eating? Can you take it as a supplement to your other Parkinson's medications? What frequency do you take it ?

[cshamb]

I am taking Zandopa along with siminet. I started out a few yrs ago with mucuna capsules by NOW> Then after talking to a IndianDoc. he changed me to Zandopa. have done well until recently Not feeling so well.I think I may need more meds. But its hard to judge what to take, I am hoping my meeting with Dr. Mischley will give me help on what and how much to take. The problem is that most neurologist are not familier with taking Mucuna along with seminet.

[Juliegrace]

If you search it here there are many posts/threads about Mucuna and several members who take it successfully.

[albachiara2 in reply to Juliegrace]

Mi farebbe piacere sapere se qualcuno la coltiva (per essere sicuro della provenienza) come la usa e con quale dosaggio. Concordo con cshamb sul fatto che i neurologi non hanno familiarità con l’assunzione della mucuna, per questo preferisco consultarmi con voi. Vi ringrazio anticipatamente

[pdkid]

It is quite the trial and error in a way if you are doing it on your own. I think even when working with a neurologist you have to really be in tune with your body to get a sense of what works and what doesn't.

In case you haven't read this yet, here is a paper written by Dr. Maldonado, based in Grenada. He does overseas consultations. This talks extensively about mucuna, including what doses are.

intechopen.com/books/parkin...

There is A LOT about mucuna on this entire site, and it works differently for different people. Some take powder, some take extracts of varying potency. Others follow the hinz protocol.

Currently, my dad takes 8 grams of mucuna powder with 1 sinemet 100/25, every 2 hours and 45 minutes (so totalling 6 times a day). This is almost the same timing as when he was just taking sinemet. Mucuna has allowed him to reduce his sinemet intake from 2.5 tablets every 2 hours, to 1 tablet every 2 hours and 45 minutes. You can't just add it to your current pd meds. In doing this, you are just adding more levodopa to your current regime. So you would need to SLOWLY reduce your pd meds while you add mucuna. Reading about slowly reducing is another thing that really needs to be done. Its dangerous to just stop your pd meds if you have been taking them for a long time.

My dad can't drink grapefruit juice because of GERD, but we discovered that CBD oil acts in the same way as grapefruit juice. It inhibits the CYP3A4 enzyme that breaks down levodopa into your body before it reaches your brain. He takes 5mL first thing in the morning and it seems to help him a lot. He also adds matcha green tea to every other dose, as well as tyrosine and quercetin.

In relation to eating, its like sinemet, 30 minutes before a meal, and 2 hours before a meal.

Honestly, going the mucuna route has really helped make my dad's life easier. We have started to further reduce his sinemet intake.

Best of luck.

[Rosenmu in reply to pdkid]

I have read that the pharm version of ldopa loses effectiveness over time, how long has your dad been taking mucuna and do you have to up it or see it as losing effectiveness too. I've only been taking mucuna for 3 years and have had to up it per my Dr but wondering what it will be like in 10 years. Glad you said something about the grapefruit juice and CBD oil, I didn't know that.

[pdkid in reply to Rosenmu]

My dad only started mucuna in January, out of desperation from the Sinemet not working anymore. I do wish we knew about it sooner. Though the mucuna works for him, its not sustainable, and surgery is sort of the best bet for him at this point. He's had pd for 14 years. PD, mucuna, meds, they all work differently on different people so who really knows. Glad Mucuna is working for you. What dose are you taking? Do you supplement it with anything?

[Rosenmu in reply to pdkid]

I'm taking 650mg 3 times a day right now, working very well for me, been on it 3 years now. I take other supplements like B1, glutathione, B vits, etc, no pharms ever.

[nychengm in reply to Rosenmu]

Hi, how are you doing and hoping all is well!

Just wondering if you've ever tried Grapefruit Juice and if it's working for you and using it still to reduce C/Levodopa reduction?

In addition, please kindly indicate the quantity and when to take it please if you are using GfJ still?

May I thank you in advance as a carer & my wife (diagnosed with PD 3 yrs. ago) will be grateful as well!

[albachiara2 in reply to pdkid]

Grazie, hai toccato diverse problematiche relativamente alla mucuna dandomi tanti spunti di riflessione 👋🏻

[pdkid in reply to albachiara2]

yes, and you can look on this site, so much about mucuna. the problem is that pharmaceutical companies have so much money and put so much money into researching and developing other drugs, and not enough into natural medicines. also, natural medicines are not studied by most western doctors. so people with parkinson's are not usually given the option of taking mucuna, and have to search for the information themselves. meanwhile, mucuna is soooo helpful, and less harmful to the body.

[albachiara2 in reply to pdkid]

Grazie, ho trovato molto interessante l’articolo che mi hai consigliato

[pdkid in reply to albachiara2]

dr. maldonado who wrote the paper does overseas consultations too.

[nychengm in reply to pdkid]

Hi, how are you & your father doing doing and hoping all are well!

Just wondering if you're father ever tried Grapefruit Juice and if it's working for him and using it still to reduce C/Levodopa reduction?

In addition, please kindly indicate the quantity and when to take it please if he's using GfJ still?

May I thank you in advance as a carer & my wife (diagnosed with PD 3 yrs. ago) will be grateful as well!

[pdkid in reply to nychengm]

Hello nychengm!

we actually never got to fully trying the grapefruit juice, but this is a great reminder!

he suffered from gerd, and had to keep the acidic stuff to a minimum. he does mix vitamin c in with this water when he consumes his 1/2 sinemet and mucuna... supposed to maximize intake.

as far as i know, i think one cup of grapefruit juice in the morning is supposed to help? but this needs to be verified by someone else!!

[Little_apple in reply to pdkid]

“My dad can't drink grapefruit juice because of GERD, but we discovered that CBD oil acts in the same way as grapefruit juice. It inhibits the CYP3A4 enzyme that breaks down levodopa into your body before it reaches your brain. He takes 5mL first thing in the morning and it seems to help him a lot. He also adds matcha green tea to every other dose, as well as tyrosine and quercetin. In relation to eating, its like sinemet, 30 minutes before a meal, and 2 hours before a meal.”

Such excellent info! Thank you! Is the meal spacing due to protein interference?

[chartist in reply to Little_apple]

This may be of help for your dad's GERD :

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl....

sepalika.com/gerd/melatonin...

Art

[pdkid in reply to Little_apple]

youre very welcome!! meal spacing is due to protein interference, yes.

[Ariaoliphil]

Mucuna Pruriens allowed me to half my prescribed dose of Madopar, ie 62,5mg instead of 125 mg 4 times a day. I was diagnosed with PD 7 years ago. I take one caps of Mucuna with a hard caps of Madopar and sometimes add in between doses half a dispersible tablet of Madopar. I have been taking Now Mucuna for the last 3 years

I also have a 6mg Neupro patch and rasagiline 1 mg.

Good luck. PD is a nasty bore!!

[ccr69 in reply to Ariaoliphil]

If you are taking Mucuna in capsule form is that more concentrated than the powder? Do you have grapefruit juice with it?

[Ariaoliphil in reply to ccr69]

I don’t drink grapefruit juice as I am also on BP pills for hypertension. Can’t comment on powder as I only use Now ldopa which is standardised. Hope Mucuna will help.

[Rosenmu in reply to ccr69]

In the article Pdkid shared, mucuna is more concentrated that the pharm version

[nychengm]

Hi, how are you doing and hoping all is well!

Just wondering if you've ever tried Grapefruit Juice and if it's working for you and using it still to reduce C/Levodopa reduction?

In addition, please kindly indicate the quantity and when to take it please if you are using GfJ still?

May I thank you in advance as a carer & my wife (diagnosed with PD 3 yrs. ago) will be grateful as well!