When I was initially prescribed Madopar (and Selegilin) I was told to take with or after food. “With food” certainly didn’t work. For a year or so I took meds after meals. At this time I wasn’t displaying many symptoms but could not walk more than a few hundred yards without my toes curling under making walking impossible.
I decided to try taking meds half an hour before breakfast to see if it would work more quickly enabling me to walk earlier. While the meds worked more quickly they also knocked me out – but I stuck with it for a while.
Months later I decided to switch back to ‘meds straight after breakfast’ and was shocked by how much my symptoms had advanced during the ‘off period’ which I experienced while I prepared breakfast.
Currently I am preparing and eating breakfast (and going up and down stairs – cleaning my teeth etc) before meds. I have to concentrate on walking and be very careful to avoid losing my balance. I suppose, before long, I may well deteriorate further and have to wait until meds are working before attempting to walk. Does anyone move around much during morning off periods?