Switch to cheaper drugs leaves Parkinson’s patients suffering ‘devastating effects’

Parkinson’s patients are suffering from “devastating effects” as GPs have started to switch to cheaper drugs which have different release rates into the body.

Parkinson’s UK put out a warning when a 65-year-old man who had been successfully managing the condition for 17 years suddenly needed help eating and getting dressed.

This happened after his branded medication Sinemet was changed to a cheaper form of the drug.

Barrie Smith - who comes from Birmingham - was left in pain, developed slow speech and experienced an uncontrolled tremor when his normal Sinemet medication was switched to a more generic form of medication last year without consultation. He called the effects “devastating”.

Dr Rowan Wathes, Associate Director of the Parkinson’s Excellence Network at Parkinson’s UK, said: “Changes to brands or manufacturers can trigger a significant deterioration of symptoms. It is vitally important for prescribers to specify the Parkinson’s medication brand or generic manufacturer on prescriptions for people with Parkinson’s. ”

Last Autumn, in November there were almost 115,000 prescriptions given out for Sinemet or the generic version of the medication per month across England.

Dr Wathes went on: “We don’t know how many people with Parkinson’s would be aware of the potential impact of a change in brand and unfortunately they may just put this down to a change in their symptoms rather than looking at their medication.”

Mr Smith said: “My GP practice altered my medication and it made me very poorly. My symptoms worsened. I went from being totally independent to having to have my food cut up for me as I was throwing it everywhere and I needed help with getting dressed,” The ireported.

“I also had a visible tremor which I didn’t have before. My speech had slowed and I was slower in thinking. It’s a shock when you have lived with something for so long and you have been successfully managing it.

“Unfortunately, I think it is the start of something new. I’m not usually this shaky at this time in the morning. I’m usually fairly steady. If you have spent so many years trying to maintain your life as best as you can and fight off the symptoms, you know it will get worse eventually, but when it’s an external force, it is incredibly upsetting. The effects are devastating.”

Around 145,000 people in the UK are living with Parkinson’s and experts are concerned that thousands have already been affected in the same way as Mr Smith.

Mr Smith is a child protection worker and guest presenter for Radio Parkies, a station specifically for people with Parkinson’s.

He spoke about his new symptoms on air and the effects that the changed tablets were having on him.

He was surprised by the number of listeners - including his co-presenter - who all said that they had experienced the same debilitating problems.

As a result, the pair ran a special edition of the show to give advice.

Sinemet - developed by Merck - is a combination drug which contains both levodopa and carbidopa. Together, these two components increase the level of dopamine in the brain, responsible for the control of movement.

The generic products do undergo the same rigorous testing as branded products but the release rates may be different for each person.

For individuals who have Parkinson’s, taking medication is time critical and the schedule for taking the medication needs to be carefully balanced by health care teams.