Re: Stalevo (Parkinson's drug)

[Guest guest]

Dianne,

Stalevo is a combination Parkinson's drug that has the active medicine levodopa

(Sinemet) that is the main medicine used to treat Parkinson symtoms. It also

has another medicine called Comptan which helps the Sinement work longer. I

know from experience (mother has had PD for 35) that all Parkinson medicine have

side effects. Some of the side effects are annoying like dry mouth and

tolerated. My mother has used some of the combination medicines over the years

with really good results. One she took for about five years but she was finally

taken off it when her legs started to swell. We have tried her on several

others in the last few years but the additional medicines have increased the

hellucinations and anixity to where the benefit just wasn't worth it. Now she

is just on really high doses of Sinemet (she has stimulators so she has take

more). Its my opinion (and only opinion) that our older Parkinson patients have

more side effects with the medicines. I believe

my mom has lost so many brain cells that water would probably cause

hellicinations. .

If you feel that he is not tolerating the Stalevo too well, you could talk to

his doctor. There are other combination drugs available and new ones are always

being developed. There may be another one that will work better. I think the

newer ones have less side effects but we know everyone is different. I once

downloaded a side effect chart to one of the combination medicinces mom was

taking and I printed out three pages of side effects. She was behaving very

strangely so we took her off it and three days later she was back to her regular

(less strange) self.

Good luck

Vallerie

[Guest guest]

Thank you, Vallerie, for responding with information about Stalevo. My dad goes

back to the neurologist in November, so I may talk to him about the increase in

hallucinations and agitation over the past couple of months. He'll be 'fine'

(seeing some people, but not aggressive) for quite some time and then have an

episode--the last time he said the house was full of strangers, he didn't want

them there and threatened to " hit them all over the head " --starting with my mom.

I was on the phone with him and told him that he didn't want to do that. My

husband talked with him as well and he kept talking about peeing on the floor.

My mom finally got him into bed, he went to sleep, and the next day was quiet

(kind of sheepish) when she asked him about his behavior. Those episodes don't

happen often--but they do happen. We really can't decide what we should do

since he seems to be 'with it' most of the time--should we get help (and if so,

when? all day, just nights, every

night...). The episodes seem to be so random. My mom really doesn't want him

in a NH, but when he gets like that we worry about her safety and the stress of

having to deal with it all. We don't live in the same town (we're about 3 1/2

hours away) but we try to get down there as much as we can. And we do talk by

phone at least once a day.

Thanks again for the info,

Dianne P

Daughter of Bill, 83

Vallerie Edmonds wrote:

Dianne,

Stalevo is a combination Parkinson's drug that has the active medicine levodopa

(Sinemet) that is the main medicine used to treat Parkinson symtoms. It also has

another medicine called Comptan which helps the Sinement work longer. I know

from experience (mother has had PD for 35) that all Parkinson medicine have side

effects. Some of the side effects are annoying like dry mouth and tolerated. My

mother has used some of the combination medicines over the years with really

good results. One she took for about five years but she was finally taken off it

when her legs started to swell. We have tried her on several others in the last

few years but the additional medicines have increased the hellucinations and

anixity to where the benefit just wasn't worth it. Now she is just on really

high doses of Sinemet (she has stimulators so she has take more). Its my opinion

(and only opinion) that our older Parkinson patients have more side effects with

the medicines. I believe

my mom has lost so many brain cells that water would probably cause

hellicinations. .

If you feel that he is not tolerating the Stalevo too well, you could talk to

his doctor. There are other combination drugs available and new ones are always

being developed. There may be another one that will work better. I think the

newer ones have less side effects but we know everyone is different. I once

downloaded a side effect chart to one of the combination medicinces mom was

taking and I printed out three pages of side effects. She was behaving very

strangely so we took her off it and three days later she was back to her regular

(less strange) self.

Good luck

Vallerie

[Guest guest]

Hi Dianne,

In response to your question about whether or not to get help, I

would suggest that if your parents are agreeable and financially

able, then I would definately encourage it.

As to when, it might be beneficial to your mother to have someone

during the day to give her a little time to do something for

herself, or she may want some help around dinner and leading up to

bed time. You may have to experiment and the times may change. You

can always add time as the need arises, but it would probably be

beneficial to get the process started. Chances are, in the long

run, it will be good for both of them.

Establishing a routine is also helpful as it reduces stressful

situations.

Best of luck,

Daughter of Bill, 91

> Dianne,

> Stalevo is a combination Parkinson's drug that has the active

medicine levodopa (Sinemet) that is the main medicine used to treat

Parkinson symtoms. It also has another medicine called Comptan which

helps the Sinement work longer. I know from experience (mother has

had PD for 35) that all Parkinson medicine have side effects. Some

of the side effects are annoying like dry mouth and tolerated. My

mother has used some of the combination medicines over the years

with really good results. One she took for about five years but she

was finally taken off it when her legs started to swell. We have

tried her on several others in the last few years but the additional

medicines have increased the hellucinations and anixity to where the

benefit just wasn't worth it. Now she is just on really high doses

of Sinemet (she has stimulators so she has take more). Its my

opinion (and only opinion) that our older Parkinson patients have

more side effects with the medicines. I believe

> my mom has lost so many brain cells that water would probably

cause hellicinations. .

> If you feel that he is not tolerating the Stalevo too well, you

could talk to his doctor. There are other combination drugs

available and new ones are always being developed. There may be

another one that will work better. I think the newer ones have less

side effects but we know everyone is different. I once downloaded a

side effect chart to one of the combination medicinces mom was

taking and I printed out three pages of side effects. She was

behaving very strangely so we took her off it and three days later

she was back to her regular (less strange) self.

>

> Good luck

> Vallerie

>

>