What are the main side effects of carbidopa
If you have Parkinson’s disease, there is a good chance that you’ve been, or will be taking medication containing levodopa. Levodopa is administered in combination with the drug carbidopa (Sinemet® and its generic versions). This drug combination is considered standard treatment for Parkinson’s disease symptoms such as tremor, muscle stiffness, and slowness of movement. A side effect of long-term use of
levodopa is dyskinesia. Below, you will learn about dyskinesia, what causes it, how it can be managed, and some basic coping strategies. The features of dyskinesia include rapid, involuntary, and uncontrollable movements other than the tremors typical of Parkinson’s. Dyskinesia can present as body swaying, writhing, twisting, squirming, arm flailing, fidgeting, or
head bobbing. Dyskinesia initially appears on the side of the body most affected by Parkinson’s. Although it can be localized to one part of the body such as the legs and arms, it can also spread to the torso, head, and neck. In rare circumstances, dyskinesia can also affect speech and respiratory and eye muscles. Webinar: Understanding DyskinesiaWatch APDA’s webinar to learn all about the levodopa side effect.Presenter: M. Maral Mouradian, MD, William Dow Lovett Professor of Neurology, Director, Center for Neurodegenerative and Neuroimmunologic Diseases Rutgers – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Watch Now What causes dyskinesia?Dyskinesia is a side effect of levodopa use. The underlying cause of dyskinesia is complex and is not completely known. Normal brain function depends on a complex network of cells that communicates and functions via an array of different brain chemicals. One of these chemicals is dopamine. In Parkinson’s, there is a loss of brain cells called dopaminergic neurons that make dopamine; therefore, the level of dopamine in the brain starts to decrease. The purpose of taking levodopa is to temporarily restore the dopamine that is lost. However, since levodopa is intermittently taken over the course of a day, the level of dopamine will rise and fall. These dopamine level fluctuations, in combination with the loss of dopaminergic neurons, are thought to cause dyskinesia. Dyskinesia can occur when the level of levodopa in the body is at a maximum, referred to as peak dose dyskinesia, or when the levels of levodopa are rising or falling, referred to as diphasic dyskinesia. If levodopa causes dyskinesia, then why should I take it?At present, treatment with levodopa is the most effective way to relieve tremor, stiffness, and slow movement associated with Parkinson’s. In the early stage of Parkinson’s, levodopa may not be necessary and there are other medications available to treat this stage of the disease. However, as the disease progresses and symptoms begin to interfere with daily living, your doctor will prescribe levodopa.
Are there ways to manage dyskinesia?Once dyskinesia has started it is difficult to treat. However, there are several ways to delay it from starting or reduce it once it has begun. Supplemental or alternative treatment options
Things you can do on your own
What are two major problems with levodopa?Side effects — The most common side effects of levodopa are nausea, sleepiness, dizziness, and headache. More serious side effects can include confusion, hallucinations, delusions, agitation, and psychosis; these are more common in older people.
What are the major adverse effects associated with longIt has been clarified that long-term levodopa therapy in Parkinson's disease may pose various serious problems of adverse reactions, such as dyskinesia, wearing-off effect, on-off effect, mental symptoms, and frozen gait.
What is the most common side effect of levodopa?The common adverse effects of Levodopa treatment are nausea, dizziness, headache, and somnolence. Increasing carbidopa is recommended to relieve nausea, and domperidone can be helpful if additional carbidopa is ineffective.
What is one of the most common adverse reactions to a patient taking carbidopaThe most common adverse reactions reported include nausea, dizziness, headache, insomnia, abnormal dreams, dry mouth, dyskinesia, anxiety, constipation, vomiting, and orthostatic hypotension.
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