Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of icons
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Acetazolamide
- 2 Alemtuzumab
- 3 Almotriptan
- 4 Alteplase
- 5 Amantadine
- 6 Amifampridine
- 7 Amitriptyline
- 8 Apixaban
- 9 Apomorphine
- 10 Aprepitant
- 11 Aripiprazole
- 12 Armodafinil
- 13 Aspirin (Acetylsalicylic Acid)
- 14 Azathioprine
- 15 Baclofen
- 16 Benztropine
- 17 Bevacizumab
- 18 Botulinum Toxin Type A
- 19 Botulinum Toxin Type B
- 20 Bromocriptine
- 21 Bupropion
- 22 Carbamazepine
- 23 Carisoprodol
- 24 Carmustine
- 25 Chlorpromazine
- 26 Citalopram
- 27 Clobazam
- 28 Clonazepam
- 29 Clonidine
- 30 Clopidogrel
- 31 Clozapine
- 32 Corticotropin
- 33 Cyclobenzaprine
- 34 Cyclophosphamide
- 35 Cyclosporine (Ciclosporin)
- 36 Cyproheptadine
- 37 Dabigatran Etexilate
- 38 Dalfampridine
- 39 Dantrolene
- 40 Desvenlafaxine
- 41 Dexamethasone
- 42 Dextromethorphan/Quinidine
- 43 Diazepam
- 44 Diclofenac
- 45 Dihydroergotamine
- 46 Dimethyl Fumarate
- 47 Dipyridamole and Aspirin
- 48 Donepezil
- 49 Droperidol
- 50 Droxidopa
- 51 Duloxetine
- 52 Edoxaban
- 53 Edrophonium
- 54 Eletriptan
- 55 Entacapone
- 56 Escitalopram
- 57 Eslicarbazepine Acetate
- 58 Ethosuximide
- 59 Everolimus
- 60 Ezogabine
- 61 Felbamate
- 62 Fingolimod
- 63 Flunarizine
- 64 Frovatriptan
- 65 Gabapentin
- 66 Galantamine
- 67 Glatiramer Acetate
- 68 Guanfacine
- 69 Haloperidol
- 70 Heparin
- 71 Indomethacin
- 72 Interferon-Β
- 73 Intravenous Immunoglobulin (Ivig)
- 74 Lacosamide
- 75 Lamotrigine
- 76 Levetiracetam
- 77 Levodopa and Carbidopa
- 78 Levomilnacipran
- 79 Lidocaine
- 80 Lithium
- 81 Mannitol
- 82 Meclizine
- 83 Memantine
- 84 Metaxalone
- 85 Methocarbamol
- 86 Methotrexate
- 87 Methylergonovine
- 88 Metoclopramide
- 89 Mexiletine
- 90 Milnacipran
- 91 Mirtazapine
- 92 Mitoxantrone
- 93 Modafinil
- 94 Mycophenolate Mofetil
- 95 Nabiximols
- 96 Naratriptan
- 97 Natalizumab
- 98 Netupitant/Palonosetron
- 99 Nimodipine
- 100 Nortriptyline
- 101 Olanzapine
- 102 Ondansetron
- 103 Oxcarbazepine
- 104 Penicillamine
- 105 Perampanel
- 106 Phenobarbital
- 107 Phenytoin and Fosphenytoin
- 108 Pizotifen
- 109 Pramipexole
- 110 Prednisone
- 111 Pregabalin
- 112 Primidone
- 113 Prochlorperazine
- 114 Promethazine
- 115 Propranolol
- 116 Pyridostigmine
- 117 Quetiapine
- 118 Quinine Sulfate
- 119 Ramelteon
- 120 Rasagiline
- 121 Reserpine
- 122 Riluzole
- 123 Rituximab
- 124 Rivaroxaban
- 125 Rivastigmine
- 126 Rizatriptan
- 127 Ropinirole
- 128 Rotigotine Transdermal System
- 129 Rufinamide
- 130 Selegiline
- 131 Sodium Oxybate
- 132 Sumatriptan
- 133 Suvorexant
- 134 Tasimelteon
- 135 Temozolomide
- 136 Teriflunomide
- 137 Tetrabenazine
- 138 Tiagabine
- 139 Timolol
- 140 Tizanidine
- 141 Topiramate
- 142 Trientine Hydrochloride
- 143 Trihexyphenidyl
- 144 Valproic Acid
- 145 Venlafaxine
- 146 Verapamil
- 147 Vigabatrin
- 148 Vilazodone
- 149 Vortioxetine Hydrobromide
- 150 Warfarin
- 151 Zolmitriptan
- 152 Zonisamide
- List of Abbreviations
- Index by Drug Name
- Index by Use
- Index by Class
77 - Levodopa and Carbidopa
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 October 2020
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of icons
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Acetazolamide
- 2 Alemtuzumab
- 3 Almotriptan
- 4 Alteplase
- 5 Amantadine
- 6 Amifampridine
- 7 Amitriptyline
- 8 Apixaban
- 9 Apomorphine
- 10 Aprepitant
- 11 Aripiprazole
- 12 Armodafinil
- 13 Aspirin (Acetylsalicylic Acid)
- 14 Azathioprine
- 15 Baclofen
- 16 Benztropine
- 17 Bevacizumab
- 18 Botulinum Toxin Type A
- 19 Botulinum Toxin Type B
- 20 Bromocriptine
- 21 Bupropion
- 22 Carbamazepine
- 23 Carisoprodol
- 24 Carmustine
- 25 Chlorpromazine
- 26 Citalopram
- 27 Clobazam
- 28 Clonazepam
- 29 Clonidine
- 30 Clopidogrel
- 31 Clozapine
- 32 Corticotropin
- 33 Cyclobenzaprine
- 34 Cyclophosphamide
- 35 Cyclosporine (Ciclosporin)
- 36 Cyproheptadine
- 37 Dabigatran Etexilate
- 38 Dalfampridine
- 39 Dantrolene
- 40 Desvenlafaxine
- 41 Dexamethasone
- 42 Dextromethorphan/Quinidine
- 43 Diazepam
- 44 Diclofenac
- 45 Dihydroergotamine
- 46 Dimethyl Fumarate
- 47 Dipyridamole and Aspirin
- 48 Donepezil
- 49 Droperidol
- 50 Droxidopa
- 51 Duloxetine
- 52 Edoxaban
- 53 Edrophonium
- 54 Eletriptan
- 55 Entacapone
- 56 Escitalopram
- 57 Eslicarbazepine Acetate
- 58 Ethosuximide
- 59 Everolimus
- 60 Ezogabine
- 61 Felbamate
- 62 Fingolimod
- 63 Flunarizine
- 64 Frovatriptan
- 65 Gabapentin
- 66 Galantamine
- 67 Glatiramer Acetate
- 68 Guanfacine
- 69 Haloperidol
- 70 Heparin
- 71 Indomethacin
- 72 Interferon-Β
- 73 Intravenous Immunoglobulin (Ivig)
- 74 Lacosamide
- 75 Lamotrigine
- 76 Levetiracetam
- 77 Levodopa and Carbidopa
- 78 Levomilnacipran
- 79 Lidocaine
- 80 Lithium
- 81 Mannitol
- 82 Meclizine
- 83 Memantine
- 84 Metaxalone
- 85 Methocarbamol
- 86 Methotrexate
- 87 Methylergonovine
- 88 Metoclopramide
- 89 Mexiletine
- 90 Milnacipran
- 91 Mirtazapine
- 92 Mitoxantrone
- 93 Modafinil
- 94 Mycophenolate Mofetil
- 95 Nabiximols
- 96 Naratriptan
- 97 Natalizumab
- 98 Netupitant/Palonosetron
- 99 Nimodipine
- 100 Nortriptyline
- 101 Olanzapine
- 102 Ondansetron
- 103 Oxcarbazepine
- 104 Penicillamine
- 105 Perampanel
- 106 Phenobarbital
- 107 Phenytoin and Fosphenytoin
- 108 Pizotifen
- 109 Pramipexole
- 110 Prednisone
- 111 Pregabalin
- 112 Primidone
- 113 Prochlorperazine
- 114 Promethazine
- 115 Propranolol
- 116 Pyridostigmine
- 117 Quetiapine
- 118 Quinine Sulfate
- 119 Ramelteon
- 120 Rasagiline
- 121 Reserpine
- 122 Riluzole
- 123 Rituximab
- 124 Rivaroxaban
- 125 Rivastigmine
- 126 Rizatriptan
- 127 Ropinirole
- 128 Rotigotine Transdermal System
- 129 Rufinamide
- 130 Selegiline
- 131 Sodium Oxybate
- 132 Sumatriptan
- 133 Suvorexant
- 134 Tasimelteon
- 135 Temozolomide
- 136 Teriflunomide
- 137 Tetrabenazine
- 138 Tiagabine
- 139 Timolol
- 140 Tizanidine
- 141 Topiramate
- 142 Trientine Hydrochloride
- 143 Trihexyphenidyl
- 144 Valproic Acid
- 145 Venlafaxine
- 146 Verapamil
- 147 Vigabatrin
- 148 Vilazodone
- 149 Vortioxetine Hydrobromide
- 150 Warfarin
- 151 Zolmitriptan
- 152 Zonisamide
- List of Abbreviations
- Index by Drug Name
- Index by Use
- Index by Class
Summary
THERAPEUTICS
Brands
• Sinemet, Sinemet CR, Parcopa, Laradopa (levodopa), Lodosyn (carbidopa), Atamet, Caramet, Co-careldopa, Rytary, Duopa
Generic?
• Yes
Class
• Antiparkinson agent
Commonly Prescribed for
(FDA approved in bold)
• Treating symptoms of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD), post-encephalitic parkinsonism, symptomatic parkinsonism
• Dopa-responsive dystonia (DRD)
• Restless legs syndrome (RLS)
How the Drug Works
• Levodopa, the metabolic precursor of dopamine, crosses the BBB and is converted by dopa decarboxylase to dopamine in the brain
• Carbidopa is a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor that prevents levodopa from being metabolized in the gut, increasing CNS dopamine
• In PD, there is a loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and relative excess of cholinergic input. In DRD, there is a deficiency of tetrahydrobiopterin, a cofactor for tyrosine hydroxylase, the ratelimiting enzyme in dopamine synthesis
How Long Until It Works
• PD: hours, but may take 4–8 weeks to receive maximal benefit from a particular dose level when starting
• DRD: usually improves within days or weeks
• RLS: days to weeks
If It Works
• PD: may require dose adjustments over time or augmentation with other agents
• DRD: effective at low doses
If It Doesn't Work
• PD: bradykinesia, gait, and tremor should improve. Non-motor symptoms, including autonomic symptoms such as postural hypotension, depression, and bladder dysfunction, do not improve with carbidopa/ levodopa. If the response is poor, reconsider the diagnosis of idiopathic PD and consider drug-induced parkinsonism or atypical parkinsonism syndromes
• RLS: rule out peripheral neuropathy, iron deficiency, thyroid disease. Change to dopamine agonist or another drug
Best Augmenting Combos for Partial Response or Treatment-Resistance
• For end-of-dose failure (wearing-off), early morning or nocturnal akinesia, and end-of-dose dystonia: increase frequency and decrease amount of each dose of medication, add a dopamine agonist with a longer half-life, add a monoamine oxidase (MAO)-B or catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitor
• Amantadine may help suppress dyskinesias, although benefit is often short-lived
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Essential NeuropharmacologyThe Prescriber's Guide, pp. 286 - 290Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2015