What's So Special About Eldepryl

Your doctor will decide if and when it is appropriate to add Eldepryl® Capsules, 5mg (selegiline hydrochloride) to your treatment regimen. Many doctors add Eldepryl to help control the need for raising the dose of Sinemet®¹ (levodopa/carbidopa) for people already on that medication. This combined therapy approach has two strong benefits. First, the Sinemet improves symptoms by replacing the lost dopamine, and, second, the Eldepryl helps conserve that level of dopamine already present rather than adding even more. This is an effective way to minimize the risk of Sinemet-related side effects. And, by controlling the need for Sinemet dose increases, Eldepryl can extend the period of time that Sinemet is effective.

When Eldepryl is added to Sinemet, people may feel that they are experiencing side effects from Eldepryl. But, as mentioned earlier, Eldepryl helps to conserve dopamine, and side effects that appear are likely to be associated with an excess of dopamine in the brain. If this has been your experience, make sure to tell your doctor. The appearance of these side effects may indicate that your physician can actually lower your Sinemet dose 10% to 30%. (You should never adjust the dosage of any medication unless so instructed by your physician.) That's the difference Eldepryl can make for people with Parkinson's disease.

How You Can Tell That Eldepryl Is Working

The most important benefits of Eldepryl -- avoiding increased Sinemet side effects by delaying the need for your doctor to raise the Sinemet dose and prolonging the usefulness of Sinemet for long-term therapy -- are hard to see on a day-to-day basis. However, at the start of Eldepryl therapy, your physician may be able to decrease your Sinemet dose, and over time you may notice that there is less of a need for your physician to increase your dose of Sinemet. You may also be able to tell that Eldepryl is working if you start to experience side effects related to an increased amount of dopamine in your system. If this happens, or if you experience any changes in your condition, always call your doctor and discuss your specific disease symptoms and side effects. Remember that the appearance of dopamine-related side effects means that Eldepryl has made more dopamine available in the brain to a point at which your Sinemet dose can actually be lowered.

Why It's Important to Keep Taking Eldepryl

Until there's a cure for Parkinson's disease, you will be best off by making use of every therapy that works for you. Because Eldepryl works differently from the other medications discussed in this web site and has benefits that become evident with long-term therapy, some people may not realize that it is working. These people might even be tempted to take less Eldepryl or stop taking it completely without first talking with their doctors. Never alter your therapy -- either the dose you take or the number of pills you take each day -- without first consulting your physician. By discontinuing Eldepryl therapy on your own, you could lose the benefits of Eldepryl -- like keeping your Sinemet dose lower and potentially avoiding further dose increases -- you may not even have realized you had gained. This is why it is so important that you continue with your Eldepryl therapy as prescribed by your physician. Eldepryl helps control the amount of Sinemet you need to maintain function over time.

In a clinical study that lasted over 2 1/2 years, patients who were taking Eldepryl plus Sinemet needed significantly less Sinemet to maintain their functional ability when compared with study patients taking Sinemet alone.

What You Need to Know While on Therapy

1. You Are on Long-Term Therapy

With the medications available today, people can continue to lead relatively normal and active lives for many years after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Every improvement you make in your exercise routine, diet, and participation in physical therapy and support groups can help you live the best you can.

2. Follow Your Doctor's Instructions

Take the right dose of each medication on the schedule your doctor provided you. Tampering with this plan on your own can set you back-don't risk it.

3. Monitor Your Own Progress

Try to keep track of how you are doing -- how you are feeling, what activities you can do, what makes you feel better and what does not. Discuss your findings with your doctor.

4. Be Aware of Medication Side Effects

All medications are associated with side effects. You may experience some side effects with the drugs prescribed by your health care professional for your Parkinson's disease. You should note these events and discuss these with your health care professional as soon as possible. By knowing your responses to the prescribed medications, your health care professional will be able to counsel you and tailor your regime to maximize safety and efficacy.

¹Sinemet and Sinemet CR are registered trademarks of Merck & Co., Inc. and are marketed by Du Pont Pharmaceuticals.