Why levodopa with carbidopa

Look at the diagrams carefully and be sure that you recognize all the parts of the pump and description of the keys. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Levodopa and carbidopa suspension comes in a single-use cassette to connect to the pump that will control the amount of medication you will receive during your infusion. Before use, remove the cassette containing the medication from the refrigerator and allow it to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Do not reuse a cassette or use it for longer than 16 hours. Dispose of the cassette at the end of the infusion even if it still contains medication. When you begin taking levodopa and carbidopa suspension, your doctor will adjust your morning and continuous infusion doses and possibly the doses of your other Parkinson's disease medications to best control your symptoms.

It usually takes about 5 days to reach a stable dose of the suspension, but your doses may need to be changed again over time depending on your ongoing response to the medication. Your prescribed dose of the suspension will be programmed into your pump by your doctor. Do not change the dose or settings on your pump unless you are told to do so by your doctor.

Be careful to make sure your PEG-J tube does not become kinked, knotted, or blocked as this will affect the amount of medication that you receive. Levodopa and carbidopa controls Parkinson's disease but does not cure it. It may take several months before you feel the full benefit of levodopa and carbidopa. Continue to take levodopa and carbidopa even if you feel well. Do not stop taking levodopa and carbidopa without talking to your doctor.

If you suddenly stop taking levodopa and carbidopa, you could develop a serious syndrome that causes fever, rigid muscles, unusual body movements, and confusion. Your doctor will probably decrease your dose gradually. If your doctor tells you to stop taking levodopa and carbidopa suspension, a healthcare professional will remove your PEG-J tube; do not remove the tube yourself. Ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the manufacturer's patient information sheet for levodopa and carbidopa and also the Medication Guide for levodopa and carbidopa suspension.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. Talk to your doctor if you plan on changing your diet to foods that are high in protein, such as meat, poultry, and dairy products.

Take the missed dose of the regular tablet, orally disintegrating tablet, extended-release long-acting tablet, or extended-release long-acting capsule as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one. If you are using levodopa and carbidopa enteral infusion and will be disconnecting the infusion pump for a short time less than 2 hours , other than the normal nightly disconnection, ask your doctor if you should use an extra dose before you disconnect the pump.

If the infusion pump will be disconnected for longer than 2 hours, call your doctor; you probably will be advised to take levodopa and carbidopa by mouth while you are not using the suspension. Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture not in the bathroom.

Store cassettes containing levodopa and carbidopa enteral suspension in the refrigerator in their original carton, protected from light. Gilbert to explore? Suggest a Topic. The only symptom that I currently notice is tremor which affects my non-dominant hand and does not affect my daily functioning. I have no problems with my walking or balance and I exercise every day. Can you explain the differences?

Although it is absorbed in the gut, the fact that it does not have to be broken down in the stomach means that onset of action of the medication is somewhat quicker than regular Sinemet Inbrija — a newly-approved inhalation formulation containing only levodopa designed for quicker onset of action, to be used as a rescue dose if a scheduled dose is not effective enough Take a look at our offerings for more information on PD meds.

However, I feel that the medication is making me feel worse than my original symptoms. My husband has had PD for about 10 years. Lately he has been having significant body, arm and finger movements after a dose of levodopa which improve just before the next dose. Is there any treatment for these abnormal movements? However, this caused a lot of nausea and stomach upset for me, so I now take the medication with meals which is much better for me.

Is this OK to do? I noticed that I have increased trouble with my symptoms when I eat a meal containing protein. How do I adjust my diet to accommodate this? This begs the question of how to do that — how to estimate how much protein is in each food that you want to eat in order to spread the protein out evenly. All rights reserved. Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.

Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here. This content does not have an English version. This includes symptoms like: By the time motor symptoms of PD appear, about 60 to 80 percent of the neurons in the brain that make dopamine have already been damaged or destroyed. Dopamine cannot enter our brains.

This means that dopamine by itself cannot work as a treatment for PD. However, levodopa can enter the brain. Levodopa is the building block our bodies can use to make dopamine. Levodopa is converted to dopamine in the brain. The influx of dopamine created by levodopa helps treat the motor symptoms of PD. Adding carbidopa prevents levodopa from being converted into dopamine in the bloodstream. This allows more of the drug to get to the brain.

This also means that lower doses of levodopa can be given. The addition of carbidopa also reduces the risk of some side effects like nausea or vomiting.