Newly diagnosed.

[christinehulmes]

I have been taking zopiclone to helpp me sleep at night and without it i can go for nearly a week with no sleep. Can zopiclone affect my Parkinson's medication? I will be prescribed medication next week when i have an appointment with my GP after he receives a letter from my neurologist.

[Norton1]

Hello Christine,

I had a similar experience and am improving gradually. Before I can make any helpful suggestions I would like to ask if you follow a low carbohydrate diet? Secondly, what strength of Zopiclone tablet are you taking And for how long have you been taking them? I do not know know if Zopiclone adversely affects Parkinson's symptoms, but as you will be aware not sleeping certainly does! Zopiclone is not meant to be a long term medication and I am down to one quarter of a tablet each night with the intention of dropping it entirely in due course. I believe that other neurotransmitters are involved other than a deficiency of Dopamine, the one that Parkinson's medications address.

If you don't mind answering these questions it should be possible to improve matters for you with diligent application and of course the support of your GP.

Regards

Norton

[christinehulmes in reply to Norton1]

Thank you Norton for answering my question. I take 1 zopiclone tablet a night at a strength of 7.5mg. I have been taking it for sleep problems for 3 & 1/2 years. I can go without my using the tablet for a week but then i cannot get any sleep at night. The issue with Zopiclone will be discussed with both my GP and pharmacist next week when i am prescribed medication for Parkinson's. As to my diet that is another issue. I have big problems with swallowing and have had an oesophagectomy operation done in the past to remove my oesophagus due to a rare eating disorder called Achalasia. However in the last couple of years my swallowing has got worse again and i was fitted with a jejunostomy feeding tube which i use every night and have a well ballanced feed that way. But i still have to eat during the day and eat 3 small meals that have a variety mixture with protein and carbohydrates mixed. Have seen my regular dietician this morning and talked about my diet and how it will affect my Parkinson's. But i will have to see what medication i am prescribed by my neurologist and GP. Also when to take them. Bit confused as to when to take my medication 20 to 30 mins before a meal containing protein or what. As i have said i am newly diagnosed and as yet do not know what meds. i have to take until next week. I find the whole disease confusing and will have to take care of my dosages of the medication and how they will affect me.

[Norton1 in reply to christinehulmes]

Christine,

Your neurologist will tell you to put some time between eating protein meals and taking your parkinsons medication as they compete with each other in your digestive system making the medication less effective in respect of 'on time'. Indeed, I don't take any food at all until 45 minutes after I have taken my medication. Although you will be advised of the time lapse between taking your medication and eating, you might find from personal experience that this may need adjusting further.

Norton

[christinehulmes in reply to Norton1]

Thank you for getting back to me again. I will abide by what the doctors or pharmacist says about the time lapse between taking the meds and eating. My dietician says the same thing so i will get expert advice although from what i have read about this it all depends on what meds they are and what you are eating.

[Hidden]

Always check with your Neurologist about any medications! Or questions on side effects you can ask the Pharmacist. Everything effects each person different! A whole week? Wow! How do you even function at all? That's awful! I will say a prayer for you.

Blessings,

Carol

[PatV in reply to Hidden]

me too. tried to take myself off klonopin but after 2-3 weeks of sleeping lightly 3-4 hrs I'm exhausted.

[Hikoi]

Hi Christine

you do have alot to contend with! I wonder if some of your symptoms are pre diagnosis Parkinsons especially sleep problems. But thats just my thoughts on a tangent!

I agree with the advice you have been given re protein and meds but just add it wasnt a problem for me in the early days, first two years of taking L Dopa. It became significant with time. The interaction is with sinimet or madopar. If you are put on an agonist you may find you tolerate them best with food. All very complicated!

You sound like you have good medical support. Also Parkinsons UK has a helpline which is excellent if you feel unsure at anytime and need suppot or advice. On their main page.

This is my drug bible

parkinsons.org.uk/PDF/B...

Hope you find it useful.

Pob lwc

[christinehulmes in reply to Hikoi]

Thank you for your advice. I have been in touch with Parkinson's UK and they have sent me a pile of leaflets to read. At the moment i am still digestive what is involved with eating and taking your medication safely. You are right Parkinson's is complicated. I have that leaflet from Parkinson's UK about the different drugs prescribed and in what form but there is very little information about the timing of these medications. I will see what i am prescribed and if necessary i will talk with someone on the phone at Parkinson's UK or my pharmacist or GP. I just want to be able to sleep without all the associations of sweating, movement, stiffnes and waking up every minute during the night and the dreaded tremor and wobliness of my legs during the day.

[honeycombe3]

Hi Christine,

I'm so sorry to hear of your complex conditions & especially about PD. I'm a 64 yr old woman living near Worcester diagnosed nearly 9 yrs ago. I'll message you on this site with my contact details so we can chat about your condition(s) if you like & give you a short biography of my life before & after PD.

Remember, especially after finding this site, 'YOU ARE NOT ALONE'

Angela

[christinehulmes in reply to honeycombe3]

No need to message me with contact details as yet as i am still coming to terms about PD and find it difficult at this time to talk about it to anyone even my family. Only those family members that i have regular contact with and see on a day to day basis know about my PD and a few of my chosen friends. Please message me on this site about yourself then i can message you back. I think that is the beest way for now.

[honeycombe3]

Christine,

It must have been a tremendous shock. I do hope whoever delivered it did so in a sensitive way & gave you time to listen to your immediate concerns. Do you have a Parkinson's nurse? They are very knowledgable & experienced & form a key part of our support networks along with GPs & consultants. I see your consultant is a neurologist but that doesn't always follow - mine is a gerontologist & many work with movement disorders.

I'll contact you via 'messages' on the site. I respect your feelings regarding communicating your condition I still haven't felt the need to join a support group but sites like this are invaluable.

Best wishes,

Angela

[christinehulmes in reply to honeycombe3]

Thank you for messaging me and for being there and for being understanding. I am still in shock but am gradually coming to terms that i have Parkinson's and i know that it will take time. Yes, i do have a Parkinson's Nurse but she/he covers a big area and is not always available to talk and answer any questions that i may have but contacts me in return if i leave a message that i need to talk. It was my neurologist that told me that i had Parkinson's and he asked if i minded 2 medical students being present. I said no and in fact i learnt more about the PD while they were present if you know what i mean and i took everything in. The fact that i have Parkinson's is still sinking in and i have an appointment to see my GP on Thursday to receive my medications for Parkinson's and i shall of course bring up a few questions then. Support sites are very important to me as they allow me to write and ask any questions that i have and on the whole they are swift in answering any questions or queries that i may have. I have reached and i suspect that i maybe depressed and shall mention this to my GP. I have had a few episodes where i want to weep and maybe feel a little sorry for myself and that is one reason why i would preferre it if we kept to the support site message boards, at least for now anyway. Thank you for being understanding about that as friendship is very important to me.