NIFEDIAC vs DYNACIRC

I am still living with the hope that a generic version of Dynacirc will become available soon.

Dynacirc CR is the calcium channel blocker which I had been taking until its manufacture ceased and none was available. Calcium channel blockers prevent calcium from entering the dopamine neurons, thereby preventing their deterioration. In essence this CCB causes a revesal to the more youthful saline environment.

I have already written about Dynacirc and the change of my meds to Nifidiac CC. Below is my comparison table to answer questions about the differences which I observed between the two. Both do cross the blood-brain barrier which is why they can affect Parkinson's symptoms.

I still have some hope that we will see a generic Dynacirc in November or thereafter if all of the patents have expired and any legal issues are resolved.

SYMPTOM	NIFEDIAC CC NIFEDIPINE	DYNACIRC CR ISRADIPINE
Swallowing	Not as effective	Rarely choked
Mild dizziness-lightheadedness	not as effective	less often
Balance	Weakening sense of balance	Improved when taking
Stiffness - Rigidity - Gait	Returning in foot, hand, neck	Improved when taking
Tremor	Not as effective	Slight improvement
Erectile Dysfunction	Might have improved	Reviews say better
Energy and clarity	Not as effective	Improved when taking
Sense of smell and taste	No change	No change
Hearing and vision	No change	No change

Table explanation:

Difficulty swallowing is common PD symptom. It is a direct factor in the leading cause of death of Parkinson's Disease patients, aspiration pneumonia. Related to the inhale-exhale cycle, it has been learned that the normal adult pattern is to swallow during exhalation; PD patients often inhale during this process. If the result goes beyond choking, the lungs will inspire bits of foodstuff which can result in aspiration pneumonia. Dr. Roxann Gross, PhD at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is currently working with PD patients to retrain and re-coordinate their patterns of breathing and swallowing.

Mild dizziness-Lightheadedness, a difficult symptom to describe is a side effect of any blood pressure medication. Because both Dynacirc and Nifediac are blood pressure medications, the side effect is not unexpected

Balance has more to do with the sense of balance. You feel that you are straight but in fact you are not. It is one of the reasons that I use a cane for protection against falling, the second leading cause of Parkinson's deaths.

Stiffness-rigidity often on one side of the body. Commonly seen in face, neck, arms, legs, hands and ankles and feet. I have stiffness in my left arm and hand and my left leg, ankle and foot.

Tremor is another typical PD symptom. It is the one symptom most commonly associated with Parkinson's. My tremor is just in my left arm. There was a time when it would manifest in my left leg when I was stressed but that did stop after I began to take Dynacirc.

Erectile Dysfunction is thought by some to be a causative factor and not simply a symptom of PD. I am being told that the ED was helped by the Dynacirc.

Gait is related to the stiffness and to balance. My gait is stiff and my steps shorter.

Senses of smell, taste, hearing and vision. I rarely can smell anything these days. Fortunately my wife doesn't make me clean the kitty litter boxes because of my balance issues. Although I have lost 95% of my sense of smell, I can still taste. I prefer hotter seasonings, however.
Energy and clarity were immediately increased to a level I had not felt in a few years when I began taking Dynacirc CR. I do not feel that same energy on Nifedipine-Nifidiac CC.