Carbidopa/levodopa
Parkinson medication / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Carbidopa/levodopa, also known as levocarb and co-careldopa, is the combination of the two medications carbidopa and levodopa.[1] It is primarily used to manage the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, but it does not slow down the disease or stop it from getting worse.[1] It is taken by mouth.[1] It can take two to three weeks of treatment before benefits are seen.[2] Each dose then begins working in about ten minutes to two hours with a duration of effect of about five hours.[2][3][4]
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Carbidopa | Enzyme inhibitor |
Levodopa | Agonist |
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Trade names | Atamet, Carbilev, Sinemet, others |
AHFS/Drugs.com | Monograph |
MedlinePlus | a601068 |
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Routes of administration | By mouth |
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Common side effects include movement problems and nausea.[1] More serious side effects include depression, low blood pressure with standing, sudden onset of sleepiness, psychosis, and increased risk-taking behavior.[1][5] Carbidopa prevents the breakdown of levodopa outside the brain.[5] In the brain, levodopa is broken down into dopamine, its active form.[5] Carbidopa also helps prevent some of the nausea which levodopa causes.[6]
It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[7] It is available as a generic medication.[5] In 2021, it was the 252nd most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 1 million prescriptions.[8][9]