Hi

Thank you all for taking time to reply to my question. Your replies have been most helpful

Birding

Thanks Goldilocks, I haven't made contact with the pd nurse, I believe she is supposed to contact me, but...that's NHS and up top me to be pro-active!
My own GP just dishes out the pills the Consultant dictates, so I'll have to wait to see the Big C in a couple of months' time. I have taken Thyroxine for some years after removal of my thyroid with cancer, but nothing else. The whole thing seeems to be a minefield but I've found the Forum comments very informative and I thank everyone for taking the trouble to share their own experiences. I feel very fortunate in being able to use the internet, as there must be an awful lot of people out there with very little support. We are the lucky ones!

Pat,I would like to add an observation: you write you started on Sinemet plus in Nov '08, that's only 4 months ago and that you have increased(doubled) the dose recently without much benefit. More is not always the answer,any increase should ideally be the minimum effective dose. GP's generally do not have much PD experience, so have to go by what the neurologist suggests, but you, the patient, know your body and your own PD symptoms best, so you are also the best judge/critic of the effectiveness of any medication. You could see yourself as the executive director making the final decision(maybe after some minor adjustments) based on the advice of the consultant. I do not suggest, however,that you go beyond any advice.In your shoes I would ask for some alternative to an increase in levodopa if possible, especially as you do not seem to have much relief of symptoms so far. In the end the decision what and how much to take is yours, based on the quality of life you want/accept. If the prescribed medication doesn't work there is little point in taking it, after all there is no cure, only symptomatic treatment.

Thank you Kate. I must admit, after reading Goldilocks' comments it sunk in that she is only taking 3 Sinemet Plus and a Sinemet cr at night and I've been wondering about my own situation. I understand that the Consultant will 'up' the dose until symptoms are relieved.
I take the point that there is no cure, so perhaps I have to acccept a dicky hand.
Back to the drawing board!!