levadopa use

Diseases & Conditions Parkinson's Disease
1
I'm writing on behalf of my mother who has PD and takes levadopa every 2 hours. At night she does not take any until she awakes but it takes several hours before she is feeling OK to move.

Would it help to take levadopa during the night at 2 hour intervals or should one only take the drug during waking hours?

Or if one wakes in the middle of the night to use the bathroom is it OK to take 2 pills at that time to help hasten the morning after?

Thanks
2
I would talk to her neurologist.Ask about other med possibilities such as sinemet or a sinemet comtan combo to increase effective time of levodopa.Seems like the meds need tuning up if she only gets 2 hrs out of her currrent meds.Another possibility is to add requip or mirapex.You can get info on these drugs from the national parkinson site .Hope it works out Ed
3
Thanks for your reply. By "tuning up her meds" do you mean a larger dosage? She went from 2 pills of Carbidopa and Levodopa,25-100 mg, every 3 hours to 2 of the same every 2 hours.

How long should the drugs last between dosages?

I will ask about drugs you mentioned next time we see the doctor.

Mick
4
Not necessarily upping the dose maybe adding another med .for example adding comtan to improve the effective time of sinemet.she is on sinemet 25-100 which is 25mg carbidopa and 100 mg levodopa.carbidopa increases the effectiveness of levodopa.Comtan is another drug that increases the effectiveness of levodopa,and has been recently combined with sinemet in a new drug out about18mos.known as stalevo.Stalevo doubled the effective time of sinemet for me may not work for all but should be checked out with the neurologist.Unfortunately drugs also can cause severe side effects different in all individuals.guess it comes down to the question is the cure worse then the disease.i wish you and your mother the best .Use the chat sites and talk to people that have been fighting pd for yrs they are a wealth of info.Also the parkinsons foundation.Ed    ps effective time between dosages depends on individual a low protein diet will help as will exercise and other factors such as adding comtan.Which I might add is wicked initially on the G.I.tract.When was your mother's diagnosis of pd?