Good morning everyone, I started taking Macuna pruriens capsules yesterday as I needed help with the tremors in my right arm, terrible pain and cramping in the same arm and bilateral shoulder stiffness. Today I don’t feel so stiff and achey, could they work that fast? The only other meds I take are Pramipexolw 1.0mg, which I’ve taken for nearly a year with no obvious benefit. It’s too soon to say whether they will help long term but just to be pain free right now is a bonus. Has anyone else tried these capsules?
I have not taken capsules, but I have taken the mucuna powder. It takes effect within 30 minutes or so, for me. I should warn you that if you suffer from unwanted movements, also known as dyskinesias, when you take mucuna, it might be because the levodopa within the mucuna is being broken down by your body before it gets to your brain. If this happens, I would suggest you drink green tea, it reduces such movements.
I would suggest you speak to your neurologist in case your medication needs to be changed.
Thanks for that, it’s good to know. I’m just day 2 on these capsules at the moment and have a huge amount of scepticism, but will try anything once.
What dose are u taking?
Hello Costa 16
I have been taking the Now Dopa Macuna capsules which have 120mgs of LDopa per capsule. How much passes the blood brain barrier though is anyone’s guess. I take one in the morning and another mid afternoon and they do seem to help with pain. Hope this helps. Kate
Hi kate i haven’t been diagnosed - usi ng this as a diagnostic aid - but i have been having increased body stiffness and now one sided shoulder pain. I have been trying the same tablets as you. I definitely feel more upbeat after just one tablet (placebo as this is quite a low dose?) and the effect seems to last up to 2 days but my shoulder pain is intermittant so its hard to tell if its effecting this. I will keep you updated. Best wishes chris
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We buy Pure Selva on Ebay Uk from a seller in Scarborough. It really works. I/2 teaspoon dose gets my husband ‘on’ in 20 to 30 mins. He also sells capsules 500mg. All very reasonably priced. I make flavoured ice cubes with 1/2 teaspoon of the powder in each to make it easier for him to take.
Well I saw my Neurologist who wasn’t particularly interested in the Dopa capsules I’ve been taking. He only said that the blood brain barrier would make them virtually ineffective, and perhaps any benefit I perceived was maybe psychological? Anyway he has now started me on Sinemet Plus (25/100) on half a tab TDS for one week, then whole tablet thereafter. I’ve only been on them 2 days and haven’t had that awful cramping so hopefully I’m now on the right meds. I hope you all are Ok and are managing this dreadful disease as best you can. Regards Katie
Better than capsules is Pure Selva 100% Mucuna from Ebay Uk. My husband has half a teaspoon to kick start his meds. It really works. Put in a glass with small amount of flavoured drink and drink through a straw. Need to experiment to find your correct doseage.
Hi everyone i was taking mucuna pruriens for 2 months made no difference at all with my symptoms i dont take meds at this moment in time mucuna was 120mg
Anyone tried the ‘Macuna Extract’ from British Supplements? Www.british-supplements.net It’s advertised as ‘clean mucuna extract’ 99% l-dopa. 483mg in a capsule. I’m on a bundle of meds at the moment so I’m trying one tablet at night which is when my meds are at the lowest and find turning over in bed as easy as pie.I don’t find myself dozing off during the day. I don’t know how to compare dosage of artificial l-dopa in madapar and this. Any experiences would be of interest. I would dearly like to. Ditch the meds and no side effects sounds bliss.
483mg of L-Dopa in a capsule seems a lot to me but I am just on a trial of L-Dopa for Dystonia not Parkinson’s so I am not sure what an average dose for Parkinson’s would be.
I have just gone up to 3 x 100mg of Sinemet but I am sure one tablet of 120mg of Dopa Mucana was far more effective and didn’t seem to wear off over the day. However maybe it just seemed that way because when I first took it I had such a great reaction but now my body has got used to it so maybe I don’t feel it kicking in as much.
Before the Sinemet I took 120mg once a day for a week and I have never felt so well. I would love to go back on the Dopa Mucana full time but like you say trying to work out the dosage is very difficult.
The thing with the 120mg tablet was it was a 800mg tablet so there was 680mg of something else is there as well, I think that’s the key what other herbs are in there that seem to make it work better. I also tried a different brand but that didn’t work as well but the capsual wasn’t as big so there was less “other stuff” in it.
Hi does he take antidepressants with manuca
Hello , I was taking sinamet for nearly five years and I stopped a few weeks ago as I couldn’t stand the side effects. I bought macuna mixed with mannitol from Israel and find it works very well, you take two teaspoons twice a day not sure how much dopa that is, it’s very expensive though, but I got it into my head that it may affect my kidneys . I took a sinamet today and all the old side effects came back and I feel really awful and anxious., only after one tablet. I wish I had never started these meds in the first place I wish I was better informed. The worse symptom for me is my tremor in my left side of whic I felt the macuna has a better result for. I may try yours but I wish I knew what the dose was equivalent too, thank you
Hi do you take antidepressants with Manuca
Hi @Margar57,
I’m sorry to hear that you experienced some unpleasant side effects when you started using Sinemet again. If you haven’t done so already, I would urge you to discuss your treatment with your GP, neurologist or Parkinson’s nurse, as only medical professionals are qualified to advise you about making any changes to your medication regime. You can discuss any concerns you have with them and they may help you with any plans to try alternative therapies, but please, only make changes to your medication under the supervision of the medical team looking after you.
I hope your medical team helps you find a suitable treatment soon that helps with your tremor with the minimum amount of side effects.
Best wishes,
Mara
Moderation Team
Hi. I have a measure which I think is half a teaspoon which I add to a small amount of fizzy drink. He drinks it through a straw because it is easier. Like everything with PD you have to experiment with the dose. The one I buy is very reasonably priced. He takes it with his meds . You could take less sinemet with it if you want. In our experience taking too much Sinemet gives all the side affects and reducing your dose might give some improvement. There is also Madopar to try. If you don’t have a PD nurse you really should ask for one. They are so knowledgeable and are dealing with PD patients everyday. Give the Mucuna a try. I buy it on Ebay Uk and the seller is based in Scarborough. Good luck.
No. Thankfully he does not get depression. He takes one Silegiline tablet when he gets up in the morning and he wouldn’t be without it. He has had PD 26 years and was given Silegiline a year into his PD by a neurologist. His regime only consists of Mucuna, Sinemet, Sinemet CR(slow release) and Silegiline.