Grapefruit reduced carbidopa-levodopa? Please UPDATE

[Esperanto]

Still relatively new on HU, I’m also searching through the old posts looking for positive experiences to optimize C/L efficacy. In doing so, I came across the multiple posts from 3 years ago about the beneficial effects of grapefruit juice. In particular, wriga's scientific findings and experiment seemed promising to me because the results were impressive. So you would think a glass of GJ a day is now a tasteful standard supplement for many of us… Although it became clear that there is a risk in combination with other medications, I may have missed the posts discouraging further application of GJ when using C/L. It is more than 2 years back there were some posts, basically asking the same question I am asking now: What are the further experiences of the pioneers at the time and any followers (wriga, reedboat2, flyingfloxone, johntPM, etc.). By the way, it is a phenomenon I encounter more often on HU that initial optimistic messages do not get an update. After all, we can also learn from the bad experiences. Thanks in advance for your responses! 🍀

[wriga]

Hi Esperanto, This was work on Grapefruit juice I did more than 3 years ago and I still believe is valid. I wrote an article about that which I put on Researchgate and is the most read article I ever posted.

You must be very careful about what other drugs you take. Grapefruit juice inhibits the Cytochrome p450 enzyme, CYP3A4 which protects against toxic substances. CYP3A4 acts to partially remove levodopa from the gastrointestinal tract and the liver. Drinking GJ reduces that capacity. For some other drugs like statins, CYP3A4 is very effective which severely reduces the bioavailability of the drug. In consequence the drug is prescribed at a very high dose. If you drink Grapefruit juice before taking the drug, this results in an overdose. The article is here.

researchgate.net/publicatio...

Why am I not following this up?

Because that research is finished and I'm now fully occupied researching a different subject : The action of sulforaphane from broccoli seeds to slow the progression of Parkinson's disease. This has now reached a very active experimental stage, mostly in the UK and USA under the heading of The Broccoli & Sulforaphane Research Group.

See : patientresearcher.com

We have also created Facebook Group to increase visibility and encourage discussion.

m.facebook.com/groups/64587...

I see that you also live in France.

Maybe we're neighbours.

Wriga

[gaga1958 in reply to wriga]

hi

Did you happen to suggest the timing of drinking the grapefruit juice to the ingestion of C/L? Is it best done simultaneously? Thxs for your research.

[Esperanto in reply to wriga]

Merci for your message Wriga.It is good to get a confirmation that your research and use of GJ is still effective. So I have started using it! It remains remarkable given the interest on Researchgate and HU that so few other user feedback in the last 3 years is reported. It is also rarely mentioned in the numerous "good to do" lists on HU. I have had the same experience with the significance of vitamin B6 on the use and effect of the C/L medication. Hardly any responses while it has given me a 75% reduction in my Sinemet use in 2 months....

Of course, I am also following your current research on the effect of broccoli seeds. Very very interesting. I just signed up on patientresearcher.com. If you need any test persons in France, I would like to be recommended! After all, we are indeed practically “neighbors”. It's only 300 km to the Southern Vosges.

Our vegetable garden will be full of broccoli next year!! 🍀

[Smittybear7 in reply to Esperanto]

Do you take the B6 Plus the medication or a different times?

[Esperanto in reply to Smittybear7]

Yes. How the precies influence works is not known to me, but it is probably safe to keep the same margin as your meals. At least an hour. To be on the safe side, I respect the 2-hour margin. Last C/L medication at 21h. The B6 and melatonin at 23h before bed.

[nychengm in reply to Esperanto]

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

Just wondering if GfJ's working for you and using it still to reduce C/L reduction?

In addition, please kindly indicate the quantity and when to take it please!

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

[nychengm]

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

Just wondering if it's working for you and using it still to reduce C/L reduction?

In addition, please kindly indicate the quantity and when to take it please!

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

[Esperanto]

The aim remains to optimise the functioning of the C/L medication. I succeeded quite well, but in December the chronic partly allergic ‘hay fever-like’ complaints became so serious that there may have been a link with the new therapies with melatonin, grapefruit juice and cinnamon. The melatonin gave demonstrably good results with the sleep through, but I suspected the other 2 of them contributing to too high a histamine level. It could also have been the stress of the holidays with too much visitors, too much food (sugar) and drinking. The temporarily threaded histamine-poor diet improved the situation, but sugar, cinnamon and grapefruit juice are not recommended here. So for now, the experiment has been stopped...

[Esperanto in reply to Esperanto]

An update. I have since 3 months started drinking small amounts of grapefruit juice again when taking the C/L medication. It is possibly one of the reasons, besides the “summertime” experiences, that the effect of the Sinemet is optimal and I can keep the dosage to a minimum.