INDICATIONSLevodopa is converted to a chemical called dopamine (DOE pa meen) in the brain. Symptoms of Parkinson's disease could possibly be brought on by low levels of dopamine in the brain.
Carbidopa stops the breakdown of levodopa before it might attain the brain and be effective.
The mixture of carbidopa and levodopa is utilized to treat Parkinson symptoms including muscle stiffness, tremors, spasms, and poor muscle control. This medication can also be used to help remedy Parkinson symptoms brought on by co poisoning or manganese intoxication.
Carbidopa and levodopa could also be used for other purposes unpublished with this medication guide.
INSTRUCTIONS
If you might be already taking levodopa (Larodopa, Dopar), you need to stop taking it no less than 12 hours before starting taking carbidopa and levodopa.
Take the same manner prescribed from your doctor. Do not take in larger or smaller amounts and over recommended. Follow the directions in your prescription label.
Carbidopa and levodopa can be taken with or without food. Take your doses at regular intervals to help keep a reliable level of the drug in your body constantly.
Do not crush, chew, or break an extended-release tablet. Swallow the pill whole. Breaking or opening the pill might cause excessive drug to be removed previously.
The regular tablet can be broken or crushed as needed to make it easier to swallow.
To take the orally disintegrating tablet (Parcopa):
Keep these days in their blister pack until you might be ready to consider the medicine. Open the package and peel back the foil from named blister. Do not push a tablet over the foil or perhaps you damages these days.
Using dry hands, remove named and place it inside your mouth. It will start to dissolve right away.
Do not swallow named whole. Allow it to dissolve inside your mouth without chewing. Swallow many times as the tablet dissolves.
It may take up to several weeks of employing carbidopa and levodopa before your symptoms improve. For best results, keep using the medication as directed. Talk with your doctor if the symptoms usually do not improve soon after weeks of treatment. Also tell your doctor in the event the effects of this medication manage to wear off quickly between doses.
To be certain this prescription medication is helping your complaint and is not causing harmful effects, your blood will have to be tested often. Your heart, liver, and kidney function may also should be tested. Visit your physician regularly.
This medication might cause unusual results with certain tests. Tell any doctor who treats you that you might be using carbidopa and levodopa.
STORAGE
Store at room temperature far from moisture, heat, and light.
MORE INFO:
Active Ingredient: Carbidopa and Levodopa
You may observe that your sweat, urine, or saliva appears dark in color, including red, brown, or black. This is not a harmful side-effect, however it could cause staining of the clothes or bedding.
Get emergency medical help if you have these warning signs of a hypersensitive reaction: hives; lack of breath; swelling of one's face, lips, tongue, or throat. Call your doctor at once when you have some of these serious negative effects:
restless muscle movements inside your eyes, tongue, jaw, or neck;
worsening of tremors (uncontrolled shaking);
high fever, stiff muscles, sweating, fast or uneven heartbeats, rapid breathing, feeling just like you might faint;
seizure (convulsions);
painful or difficult urination;
severe nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea;
uneven pulse rate or fluttering with your chest;
confusion, hallucinations, anxiety, agitation, depressed mood, thoughts of suicide or hurting yourself;
chest pain or heavy feeling, pain spreading on the arm or shoulder.
Less serious side effects may include:
mild nausea, dry mouth, loss of appetite, heartburn, diarrhea, constipation;
headache, dizziness, drowsiness, blurred vision;
sneezing, stuffy nose, cough, or any other cold symptoms;
sleep problems (insomnia), strange dreams;
muscle pain, numbness or tingly feeling; or
skin rash or itching.
This is not a complete report on negative effects among others may occur. Call your doctor for medical health advice about unwanted side effects.
Do not take carbidopa and levodopa if you have used an MAO inhibitor like isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) within the past fourteen days. Serious, life-threatening unwanted effects can happen invest the carbidopa and levodopa before the MAO inhibitor has cleared from the body.
You should not take prescription drugs if you are allergic to carbidopa (Lodosyn) or levodopa (Larodopa), or if you have:
narrow-angle glaucoma;
unusual wounds that have not been checked by the doctor; or
a reputation malignant melanoma (skin cancer).
If you have any of these other difficulties, you might need a dose adjustment or special tests:
heart disease, high blood pressure levels, heart disease, a heart rhythm disorder, or even a prior heart attack;
asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or other breathing disorder;
liver or kidney disease;
an endocrine (hormonal) disease;
a stomach or intestinal ulcer;
wide-angle glaucoma; or
depression or other mental illness.
Carbidopa and levodopa could cause you to go to sleep during normal daytime activities like working, talking, eating, or driving. You may go to sleep suddenly, even after feeling alert. Tell your physician in case you have any difficulty with daytime sleepiness or drowsiness.
You might have increased sexual urges, unusual urges to gamble, or any other intense urges while taking carbidopa and levodopa. It is not known perhaps the medicine actually causes this effect. Talk with your doctor if you feel you've any intense or unusual urges while taking carbidopa and levodopa.
Some people taking medicines for Parkinson's disease have developed melanoma (melanoma). However, people with Parkinson's disease could have a higher risk than many people for developing melanoma. Talk to a medical expert about your specific risk and what skin symptoms to view for. You may need to have regular skin exams.
FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether carbidopa and levodopa will harm an developing fetus. Tell your physician if you're pregnant or plan to conceive with all the medicines. Carbidopa and levodopa may pass into breast milk and can harm a nursing baby. Do not use prescription drugs without telling your physician if you are breast-feeding a child.
The disintegrating tablet (like Parcopa) may contain phenylalanine. Talk to your doctor before using this way of carbidopa and levodopa in case you have phenylketonuria (PKU).
If you missed the dose get it once you remember. Skip the missed dose if it's almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
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