Bad pill day

[Phil Tompkins <philtomp@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ever have one of those bad pill days, when it takes hours
before your levodopa starts working?  Here's what I mean:
(view with Courier font to make columns line up)

Good pill day schedule as per neurologist:

      Sinemet CR  Regular Sinemet  Eldepryl   Permax
       50/200        25/100          5 mg      .25

 7 am     1             1             1          1
11 am     1            1/2            1         1/2
 3 pm     1            1/2            -         1/2
 7 pm     1            1/2            -          -

 Bad pill day, (or Where, oh where, has my Sinemet gone?):

8 am      1             1              1          1
         OK, it's Saturday.  The doses will be an hour later.
8:30     Breakfast - Low fat cereal with hot water instead of
         milk.
9:30     ON.  Pill(s) kick in.
11:30    OFF.  Much earlier than expected.  Did the CR start
         working yet or not?  Did it reach the small intestines
         where it is absorbed? Need a snack to provide evidence.
noon     Plain oat bran muffin to stimulate gastric activity.
12:30    ON again - Aha! That's the CR, just a bit late.
12:45    Too early for the 2nd Sinemets, so I take just the 11 am
         Eldepryl and the Permax.
1:00 pm  Lunch: Assorted cold salad appetizers (takeout) from a
         nearby Turkish restaurant.  Not really loaded with olive
         oil, but some is present.
1:15 -   Start afternoon nap.  That's what Saturday's for.
2:50     OFF when I wake up.
3        1 CR, 1 regular Sinemet (2nd Sinemet dose of the day).
3:30 - 4:30 Various snacks and beverages to get the old innards
         to move the pills out of the stomach.
5:30     ON.

And so it goes.  Levodopa works well enough once it gets to where it
functions.  The delivery mechanism stinks.  Comments anyone?

Phil Tompkins
Hoboken NJ
Age 61/dx 1990