Definitiely talk to a pharmacist. Many of the Parkinson meds cannot be taken within a certain length of time with something sugary and/or something with protein. I don't know the reason for this, but my client used to insist on hiding candy in her room, and then she'd take one of her pills and eat a candy bar and wasn't able to talk for a couple of hours. It is quite tricky to take the right doses of meds and then not eat with them, or right after. I think meds for each patient are special to that patient. My daddy also had Parkinsons and he took entirely different drugs than my client. Your pharmacist is your best ally in understanding what a medication can do and the s/e. Drs are often just too busy to explain it, and those inserts in the meds themselves are like a novel.
Check with your doctor and pharmacist on the side effects (actually they should have told you when they were prescribed). What you read here shouldn't supercede the informatiom they provide). If you weren't present when they were prescribed you can still ask a pharmacist.
My husband has had Parkinson's for over 20 years. The side effects he experienced that the doctors told him were from his medications were low blood pressure and the requip causes increased sexual urges and with some people the requip is blamed for gambling additions. Im sure they are different in each case. Check with doctor and you can research on line the side effects of medications too.
My dad takes an abnormal amount of carbidopa-levo 8-9 pills a day and he sleeps a little more but he was on 3 and that did not help and he has so much more flexibility with higher dose so it definitely depends on individual and if benefits out way side effects. Talk with your dr staff or pharmacy.
I agree with all the above. Parkinson's is different for everybody so no one will react the same to any meds. My mom has had Parkinson's for about 14+ years. She currently takes Rytary 4 twice a day. I've noticed, for her, it causes get to not be able to communicate. In other words, I am unable to carry on a conversation with her for 3-4 hours after she takes the meds. At least it gives her more mobility. I'll take that.
What are the medications? Asking what the side effects are without naming the medications makes it rather difficult to tell what the side effects of the specific medication are.
New research suggests that approximately 18% of patients treated with therapeutic doses of dopamine agonists to treat Parkinson’s disease could suffer compulsive behavior side effects, such as gambling and hypersexuality. Dopamine agonists are powerful drugs that are used to control tremors associated with Parkinson’s Disease. The class of drugs include medications such as Requip (ropinirole), Mirapex (pramipexole), Dostinex (cabergoline), Parlodel (bromocriptine), Apokyn (apomorphine), Neurpro (rotigotine) and Permax (pergolide). Researchers evaluated data for 267 patients treated at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, including 38 patients who were taking therapeutic doses of dopamine agonists. Seven of these 38 users developed a compulsive syndrome, with two starting pathologic gambling, two becoming hypersexual and three developing both conditions. The compulsive behaviors were not seen among those who were not treated with dopamine agonists, or 28 patients who were taking the drugs at doses that were not in the therapeutic range. The Parkinson’s drug side effects tended to resolve when the drugs were stopped or doses of the medications were decreased. However, some of the patients required extended psychiatric treatment, lost substantial sums of money and suffered damage to their family and reputation by the hypersexual and compulsive gambling behaviors. Several hundred dopamine agonist lawsuits are currently pending throughout the United States on behalf of users who have suffered damages caused by these compulsive behaviors. Many of the cases have been consolidated in a Multidistrict Litigation, or MDL, in the U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, where the first trial last year involving a Mirapex lawsuit resulted in an $8.2 million jury award
The gold standard is L-dopa which increases the amount of dopamine in the brain. You won't know the side effects until one takes it, and everyone is unique.
Carbadopa levadopa and requip are the ones he takes Then others for low blood pressure that these two cause are medidrine and fludecortisone. Not sure of the spelling on these without looking. Hope that answers your question. He also had DBS surgery but only got about a year's help from that. It is implants into the brain to stimulate the dopamine. Just in his case I don't think it was worth it but in others we have known it was very helpful
I think meds for each patient are special to that patient. My daddy also had Parkinsons and he took entirely different drugs than my client. Your pharmacist is your best ally in understanding what a medication can do and the s/e. Drs are often just too busy to explain it, and those inserts in the meds themselves are like a novel.
Dopamine agonists are powerful drugs that are used to control tremors associated with Parkinson’s Disease. The class of drugs include medications such as Requip (ropinirole), Mirapex (pramipexole), Dostinex (cabergoline), Parlodel (bromocriptine), Apokyn (apomorphine), Neurpro (rotigotine) and Permax (pergolide).
Researchers evaluated data for 267 patients treated at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, including 38 patients who were taking therapeutic doses of dopamine agonists. Seven of these 38 users developed a compulsive syndrome, with two starting pathologic gambling, two becoming hypersexual and three developing both conditions.
The compulsive behaviors were not seen among those who were not treated with dopamine agonists, or 28 patients who were taking the drugs at doses that were not in the therapeutic range.
The Parkinson’s drug side effects tended to resolve when the drugs were stopped or doses of the medications were decreased. However, some of the patients required extended psychiatric treatment, lost substantial sums of money and suffered damage to their family and reputation by the hypersexual and compulsive gambling behaviors.
Several hundred dopamine agonist lawsuits are currently pending throughout the United States on behalf of users who have suffered damages caused by these compulsive behaviors.
Many of the cases have been consolidated in a Multidistrict Litigation, or MDL, in the U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, where the first trial last year involving a Mirapex lawsuit resulted in an $8.2 million jury award
See All Answers