Carbidopa/levodopa

Carbidopa/levodopa
Combination of
CarbidopaEnzyme inhibitor
LevodopaAgonist
Clinical data
Trade namesAtamet, Carbilev, Sinemet, others
AHFS/Drugs.comMonograph
MedlinePlusa601068
License data
Pregnancy
category
  • AU: B3
Routes of
administration		By mouth
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
Identifiers
CAS Number
PubChem CID
ChemSpider
KEGG
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
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Carbidopa/levodopa, also known as levocarb and co-careldopa, is the combination of the two medications carbidopa and levodopa.[6] 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.[6] It is taken by mouth.[6] It can take two to three weeks of treatment before benefits are seen.[7] Each dose then begins working in about ten minutes to two hours with a duration of effect of about five hours.[7][8][9]

Common side effects include movement problems and nausea.[6] More serious side effects include depression, low blood pressure with standing, sudden onset of sleepiness, psychosis, and increased risk-taking behavior.[6][10] Carbidopa prevents the breakdown of levodopa outside the brain.[10] In the brain, levodopa is broken down into dopamine, its active form.[10] Carbidopa also helps prevent some of the nausea which levodopa causes.[11]

It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[12] It is available as a generic medication.[10] In 2021, it was the 252nd most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 1 million prescriptions.[13][14]

  1. ^ "Duopa- carbidopa and levodopa suspension". DailyMed. 4 March 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  2. ^ "Parcopa- Carbidopa and Levodopa tablet, orally disintegrating". DailyMed. 5 November 2007. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  3. ^ "Rytary- carbidopa and levodopa capsule, extended release". DailyMed. 7 December 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  4. ^ "Sinemet- carbidopa and levodopa tablet". DailyMed. 1 June 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  5. ^ "Crexont- carbidopa and levodopa capsule, extended release". DailyMed. 7 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Levodopa/Carbidopa". The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  7. ^ a b "Chapter 15: Antiparkinson Drugs". Pharmacology and the Nursing Process. Elsevier Health Sciences. 2014. p. 246. ISBN 9780323293617. Archived from the original on 5 July 2017.
  8. ^ Atlee JL (2007). Complications in anesthesia (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: Elsevier/Saunders. p. 490. ISBN 9781416022152. Archived from the original on 15 March 2017.
  9. ^ The new Parkinson's disease treatment book : partnering with your doctor to get the most from your medications (2 ed.). Oxford University Press. 2015. p. 227. ISBN 9780190231866.
  10. ^ a b c d Hamilton RJ (2013). Tarascon pocket pharmacopoeia (14th ed.). Burlington, MA.: Jones & Bartlett Learning. p. 303. ISBN 9781449673635. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016.
  11. ^ Ahlskog JE (2009). Parkinson's Disease Treatment Guide for Physicians. Oxford University Press. p. 124. ISBN 978-0-19-537177-2.
  12. ^ World Health Organization (2019). World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 21st list 2019. Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl:10665/325771. WHO/MVP/EMP/IAU/2019.06. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
  13. ^ "The Top 300 of 2021". ClinCalc. Archived from the original on 15 January 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  14. ^ "Carbidopa; Levodopa - Drug Usage Statistics". ClinCalc. Retrieved 14 January 2024.