Hi, Is it common for some people to experience a worsening of their symptoms when they first start taking Madopar, and does it improve over time? My 89 yo father started about 3 weeks ago and as his dose has increased his symptoms seem to be worse and more frequent. he is now on 25mg 3 x per day, has been on this dose for 5 days now. I’m very concerned he is going to fall, even with someone around with him most of the day and night.
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It sometimes takes a few weeks for a new drug to take effect and it is common to experience side effects initially. But, if things are still not improving after 3-4 weeks I would suggest seeing the neurologist and asking to try something different. Different people respond to different medication and it can be a case of trial and error.
Hi @Amanda2, 
I’m sorry to hear that your father’s symptoms have worsened recently. Whilst Parkinson’s affects everyone differently, there are certainly some similarities when it comes to Parkinson’s related drugs and there side effects. However, the best way to manage side effects of Parkinson’s medication is to talk to your Parkinson’s nurse or specialist about adjusting your father’s treatment regime. We have more information on this via our website here.
For more support on this; please give our helpline a call on 0808 800 0303, our advisers would love to speak to you about this in more detail. 
Best wishes,
Reah
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Thank you. I have left a message on the helpline and also spoken to Parkinsons nurse. She is due to come and assess him 11th but I’m so fearful of him having a profound fall due to the severity of his freezing now.
She suggested speaking to GP as dad has a question mark over cognitive decline which i think she suggested can result in freezing on madopar but I’m not sure I fully understood.
Hi @Amanda2,
I’m happy to help. I would definitely advise you to speak to your dad’s GP and raise any questions you have with them.
Best wishes,
Reah
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Hi Amanda,
Really sorry to hear that your dad’s symptoms have worsened since starting Madapor.
I do not know the answer to your question but I can tell you I was only diagnosed 3 or 4 weeks ago. Went straight on to 50 mg 3 x per day. It didn’t have any effect. I called the doctor who said to double the dosage to 100 mg 3 x per day. Within this short time they have increased my meds twice. I now take 100mg x 4 per day, which is having a good impact on reducing my symptoms.
I wish I could help but I would definitely recommend speaking to his doctor as soon as possible. Good Luck x
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A bit of a follow-up from me. Now June and it would appear that Dad’s worsening symptoms were actually related to low sodium levels and not his PD or medication. He was hospitalised for 3 weeks with a sodium level of 122, since coming home we have worked with GP to get the level constant through a mix of restricting fluid intake and sodium chloride tablets. He has also spent 13 weeks on circadian, and this seems to have had some affect on his sleep quality.