I found this is wikipedia
In the early 1980s, researcher Michael Liebowitz, author of the popular 1983 book The Chemistry of Love, remarked to reporters that "chocolate is loaded with PEA." This became the focus for an article in The New York Times, which was then taken up by the wire services and then by magazine free-lancers, evolving into the now-eponymous "chocolate theory of love."[13] However, as noted earlier, phenethylamine is rapidly metabolized by the enzyme MAO-B, preventing significant concentrations from reaching the brain, thus contributing no perceptible psychoactive effect without the use of a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI).
So if you take azilect (an MAO-BI) and eat chocolate you may get a phenethylamine rush. I know I ate A LOT of chocolate at one point, thought not now. Do people new to azilect find themselves eating a lot of choccies?
Turnip,
You may have come up with the answer to my previous post about recently developing a sweet tooth. I've also recently started taking Azilect. I think the problem existed before,but has got a lot worse since I've been taking the Azilect (1mg a day). I crave sweet things generally, but chocolate the most!
You may have come up with the answer to my previous post about recently developing a sweet tooth. I've also recently started taking Azilect. I think the problem existed before,but has got a lot worse since I've been taking the Azilect (1mg a day). I crave sweet things generally, but chocolate the most!
Part of my OCD whilst on DA's (thank you 'Requip' for 2 lost years of my life) was a serious chocoholism. 3 snickers a day was never enough. No more DA's, no choccie craving and 14 stone 4 is back to 12 stone 10 ! I still take my daily Azilect (1mg) but my box of Thornton chocolates bought on Valentine's day (Thank you O/H) remains half full (or half empty if you are a pessimist). Maybe it is just me coz we are all different...
Snap!
11 years lost life for my husband thanks to Requip!
All savings gone and marriage ruined but chocolate addiction now gone along with the DA /OCDs and weight reduced by over 1 stone!
Not all bad then?
GG
11 years lost life for my husband thanks to Requip!
All savings gone and marriage ruined but chocolate addiction now gone along with the DA /OCDs and weight reduced by over 1 stone!
Not all bad then?
GG
I see that there is another new member today "Toonarmy". He says he has only been dx'd for 3 years and is already on requip x 8mg!!! I hope to god that he gets good advice - i.e. the moment you feel some sort of OCD coming on (shopping/gambling/hypersexuality etc) because that is quite a big dose. If it does then TELL someone and STOP Taking DA's. There are too many of us out there with ruined lives/marriages/bank accounts who hid from the truth until it was too late. I just hope that Toonarmy is saved all that heartache and guilt...maybe he will be lucky and not be affected.
What do you mean by a 'rush'? My husband has found that if he eats a little chocolate he feels dizzy.He is on Azilect only
'Phenethylamine, similar to amphetamine in its action, releases norepinephrine and dopamine'
''Alcohol and THC increase phenylethylamine levels by a 4-fold'
so one might expect it to cause a bit of euphoria and wellbeing but not everyone likes alcohol for instance.
'When initial phenylethylamine brain concentration are low, phenylethylamine brain levels can be increased by a 1000-fold when taking a MAO Inhibitor' (this sounds too much to be true!)
If you are on DAs dont come of them suddenly as this can make you very ill.
007 - surprise you thing 8mg a lot, but then the effect is different on different people.
have to agree there is a link between choccies and requip - though I found it had to be MILK chocolate not dark so not just phenyl but also sugar? or fat? or both!
''Alcohol and THC increase phenylethylamine levels by a 4-fold'
so one might expect it to cause a bit of euphoria and wellbeing but not everyone likes alcohol for instance.
'When initial phenylethylamine brain concentration are low, phenylethylamine brain levels can be increased by a 1000-fold when taking a MAO Inhibitor' (this sounds too much to be true!)
If you are on DAs dont come of them suddenly as this can make you very ill.
007 - surprise you thing 8mg a lot, but then the effect is different on different people.
have to agree there is a link between choccies and requip - though I found it had to be MILK chocolate not dark so not just phenyl but also sugar? or fat? or both!
Morning all!
Turnip, you have just solved my mystery too, thank you! I've never had much of a sweet tooth but have been taking Azilect for nearly 10 years and have gradually developed a 'liking' for chocolate. I can now legitimately tell friends I've got an excuse - 'it wasn't me'! (only joking...)
Thanks again, really useful information.
Turnip, you have just solved my mystery too, thank you! I've never had much of a sweet tooth but have been taking Azilect for nearly 10 years and have gradually developed a 'liking' for chocolate. I can now legitimately tell friends I've got an excuse - 'it wasn't me'! (only joking...)
Thanks again, really useful information.
10 years on azilect is a long time! you must have been one of the first. do you feel it has slowed the progression?
Hi everyone.
I've been on Azilect for about 5 years now and have found it to have little or no effect, positive or negative. I do love chocolate but put this down to simple greedy piggishness!
I used to use pmt as an excuse but am post menopausal now so can't use that one anymore!!!
Changing tack, did anybody see Holby City earlier in the week? A pwp was taking ecstasy to relieve symptoms. This is a new one on me. Is it genuine and, if it is, is any research looking in to if or why it works?
I've been on Azilect for about 5 years now and have found it to have little or no effect, positive or negative. I do love chocolate but put this down to simple greedy piggishness!
I used to use pmt as an excuse but am post menopausal now so can't use that one anymore!!!
Changing tack, did anybody see Holby City earlier in the week? A pwp was taking ecstasy to relieve symptoms. This is a new one on me. Is it genuine and, if it is, is any research looking in to if or why it works?
re : ecstasy read
http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/advice/publications/treatments_and_therapies/ecstasy_and_parkinsons.aspx
http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/advice/publications/treatments_and_therapies/ecstasy_and_parkinsons.aspx
Just a bit of devil's advocate here, but as stated before, I still take Azilect but lost the chocolate craving. Mind you that might just be me being awkward!
Thanks Krugen68, an interesting article. I wonder if research into serotonin continues as I get the impression the work looking at ecstasy happened quite a while ago.
I think I was one of the first to be honest and I do think it has slowed the progression. I haven't increased my other medication for several years now although it is probably going to need to be adjusted in the next year I think.
The only thing that is a nuisance is the dyskinesia (sorry if the spelling is incorrect) on my right arm which is caused by the sinemet plus as far as I know.
The only thing that is a nuisance is the dyskinesia (sorry if the spelling is incorrect) on my right arm which is caused by the sinemet plus as far as I know.
Just to add my tup'mpse worth in. I have been hooked on chocolate all my life, I have taken Azilect with no signs of slowing down the progression, or maybe it has, who's to know. Oh and I'm perimenopausal.
Roll on 8th April when I stop being agnostic and positively bathe in the healing light reflected by foil on chocolate eggs. After eating the egg the foil can be kept and sniffed forever.
St Honoratus of Amiens is Patron Saint of Confectioners, but according to google there is no patron saint of chocolate. His feast day is May 16th, I'm off to mark that down - and I'm not tied down to just eating egg shaped chocolate either.
Roll on 8th April when I stop being agnostic and positively bathe in the healing light reflected by foil on chocolate eggs. After eating the egg the foil can be kept and sniffed forever.
St Honoratus of Amiens is Patron Saint of Confectioners, but according to google there is no patron saint of chocolate. His feast day is May 16th, I'm off to mark that down - and I'm not tied down to just eating egg shaped chocolate either.
Hi everyone,
We found that all the people with pd we knew which are in the hundreds over the years all have a sweet tooth especially chocolate, they also have a great sense of humour and are good at poetry. Tinker the dyskensia is a direct result of simemet maybe you need a slight reduction in tablets. My husband had really bad dyskensia for eleven years, so bad he couldn't even sit in a chair without wriggling out, but he had a brain operation when he was 51yrs old and that was the end of dyskensia, he has had pd since he was in his thirties and is now coming up to 69yrs.
good luck and best wishes
vivian
We found that all the people with pd we knew which are in the hundreds over the years all have a sweet tooth especially chocolate, they also have a great sense of humour and are good at poetry. Tinker the dyskensia is a direct result of simemet maybe you need a slight reduction in tablets. My husband had really bad dyskensia for eleven years, so bad he couldn't even sit in a chair without wriggling out, but he had a brain operation when he was 51yrs old and that was the end of dyskensia, he has had pd since he was in his thirties and is now coming up to 69yrs.
good luck and best wishes
vivian
Hi Vivian, thanks. I take amantidine for the dyskinesia but it has a fairly short life span and I've taken it now for a couple of years. The problem is if I take less sinemet plus I don't feel quite as 'On'. I could probably do with taking a bit more sinemet really but the dyskinesia prevents it. Its not dreadful but it is very obvious at times. I can't complain though, I am pretty well and don't let it stop me doing anything.
I've been reading about the deep brain stimulation operation, is that the operation you are referring too? I've been told it is better to have it done younger as it is more likely to have a successful outcome. I'm 54 in May.
I've been reading about the deep brain stimulation operation, is that the operation you are referring too? I've been told it is better to have it done younger as it is more likely to have a successful outcome. I'm 54 in May.
Hello Tinker,
I am 49 and had DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation) at Frenchay Hospital 11 weeks ago. The results were spectacular. I've had a bit of a technical hitch, which means being re-admitted whilst they adjust the program but apparently that's nothing new.
When it actually works the DBS is fantastic and I was almost sympton free. It's a big decision to have brain surgery and we're all different, but I know that it's going to work for me. Try and talk to your neuro about it, because since DBS, I've had no dyskensia at all. Whereas, before DBS, my whole left leg used to react like mad!
Regards,
007 (shaken but not stirred)
I am 49 and had DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation) at Frenchay Hospital 11 weeks ago. The results were spectacular. I've had a bit of a technical hitch, which means being re-admitted whilst they adjust the program but apparently that's nothing new.
When it actually works the DBS is fantastic and I was almost sympton free. It's a big decision to have brain surgery and we're all different, but I know that it's going to work for me. Try and talk to your neuro about it, because since DBS, I've had no dyskensia at all. Whereas, before DBS, my whole left leg used to react like mad!
Regards,
007 (shaken but not stirred)
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Has anyone noticed the similarity between Azilect and Aztec? They are the ones who gave as chocolate. Don't know if it has any effect on PD but it certainly cheers me up. Must be at least 70% cocoa solids though.
Hello Tinker and 007,
My husband had a palidotomy back when he was 51yrs he had pd for fifteen years then, they don't do that operation now instead they do the dbs. All I can say is that his dyskinesia was really dreadful and he was just the right age according to the docs to have the operation. I think it is something to really think about but everyone needs to make their life better now rather than wait. There is also apomorphine pen jects and then the pump which my husband has had both over the years, they certainly helped to smooth out the days I know people get really worried about the long term effects of these drugs but you have to live a life of some sort and we certainly can't wait for a cure, these are choices people have to make for themselves. I just find it so frustrating that you are all having the same problems as we did and still do and it will be thirty years in August that my husband was diagnosed,however I feel that the research teams are doing their best with what is a very difficult condition.
Best wishes to you all
vivian
My husband had a palidotomy back when he was 51yrs he had pd for fifteen years then, they don't do that operation now instead they do the dbs. All I can say is that his dyskinesia was really dreadful and he was just the right age according to the docs to have the operation. I think it is something to really think about but everyone needs to make their life better now rather than wait. There is also apomorphine pen jects and then the pump which my husband has had both over the years, they certainly helped to smooth out the days I know people get really worried about the long term effects of these drugs but you have to live a life of some sort and we certainly can't wait for a cure, these are choices people have to make for themselves. I just find it so frustrating that you are all having the same problems as we did and still do and it will be thirty years in August that my husband was diagnosed,however I feel that the research teams are doing their best with what is a very difficult condition.
Best wishes to you all
vivian