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The side effects of levodopa may include: Hypertension, especially if the dosage is too high; Arrhythmias, although these are uncommon; Nausea, which is often reduced by taking the drug with food, although protein reduces drug absorption. Levodopa is an amino acid, so protein competitively inhibits levodopa absorption. Gastrointestinal bleeding
For this reason levodopa is usually administered in combination with a DOPA decarboxylase inhibitor (DDCI), in this case carbidopa, which is very polar (and charged at physiologic pH) and cannot cross the blood brain barrier, however prevents peripheral conversion of levodopa to dopamine and thereby reduces the unwanted peripheral side effects ...
l-DOPA can be manufactured and in its pure form is sold as a drug with the INN Tooltip International Nonproprietary Name levodopa. Trade names include Sinemet, Pharmacopa, Atamet, and Stalevo. As a drug, it is used in the clinical treatment of Parkinson's disease and dopamine-responsive dystonia. l-DOPA has a counterpart with opposite chirality ...
Levodopa is the immediate precursor to dopamine. Entacapone is a selective, reversible catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitor that prevents the degradation of levodopa. Entacapone does not cross the blood–brain barrier. Carbidopa is a peripheral aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) inhibitor. Carbidopa, which also does not cross ...
The side effects are predominantly collected from studies of Parkinson's disease, where dopamine agonists are commonly used as a first-line treatment with levodopa. [ 16 ] Dopamine agonists are divided into two subgroups or drug classes, first-generation and newer agents.
Administration can prevent common side-effects, such as nausea and vomiting, as a result of interaction with D 2 receptors in the vomiting center (or cheomoreceptor trigger zone) located outside the blood–brain barrier. [2] Examples of extracerebral decarboxylase inhibitors include carbidopa and benserazide.
Slow-release levodopa preparations have not shown an increased control of motor symptoms or motor complications when compared to immediate-release preparations. [3] Tolcapone inhibits the catechol-O-methyltransferase enzyme, which degrades dopamine and levadopa, thereby prolonging the therapeutic effects of levodopa. [3]
Levodopa is a precursor to the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is administered to increase its levels in the central nervous system.However, most levodopa is decarboxylated to dopamine before it reaches the brain, and since dopamine is unable to cross the blood–brain barrier, this translates to little therapeutic gain with strong peripheral side effects.
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