Carbidopa

Question: Which is more potent Sinemet or the generic equivalent of Carbidopa/Levodopa? This drug is for parkinsonism

Answer: generics cant be made and approved by the FDA unless theyre bioequivalent to the parent drug in some way, so carbidopa/levodopa and Sinemet have the same potency, contrary to public belief that generics are not as good as brand name.

Question: does anyone know if and what side effectcs are to suddenly stop taking tramadol and carbidopa? these are both pain meds that I have been on for quite some time.1 and 2 yrs. 1 dose is 3 x a dayand the other is 1/2 @ night. I am ttc. (6 mo.) I feel this may be stopping me from that. thanks.

Answer: Why do you have to stop suddendly? it is usually not dangerous to do so, but you can feel bad.Why not get off slower -like 0.5 tablets every 3-4 days.You will enventually get there anyway. All the best marya

Question: is it ok to take vitamin B complex when you are on SINEMET (Levodopa-Carbidopa) therapy? because ive read that vit B6 in the B complex breaks down the levodopa in the blood but there are also reports that with the combination of levo and carbidopa,it would prevent that effect.anybody care to enilghten me more about this?its for my mom coz she take the drug becoz of parkinson's symptoms.thanks!

Answer: Found this to share, "If you are taking levodopa alone, you shouldn't take more than 5 mg per day of vitamin B 6 or it might impair the effectiveness of the drug. But if you use levodopa/carbidopa combinations that provide a total daily dose of at least 75 mg of carbidopa, this issue is not a concern." So it sounds like if you are taking a dose of Sinemet that contains more than 75mg of Carbidopa, you should be fine. The worse that would happen is the Sinemet won't work as well. My doctor didn't mention anything to me about B vitamins - he did tell me that if I eat a meal with a lot of protein in it, to wait at least an hour before taking the Sinemet.

Question: can you overdose on sinemet (levodopa/carbidopa) ? My father takes sinemet for his parkinson's disease. He also suffers badly from depression, especially since his wife (my mother) died. He gets loads of sinemet every week from the doctor. I'm worried about the danger of him overdosing on it. Can it kill you in overdose ?.

Answer: Well yes, you can overdose, but if he is taking the recommended doseage as prescribed he should be fine. If you are worried about a possible overdose, I would recommend getting one of those pill boxes with the days of the week on. You can fill one up for him week at a time and you can visually keep track of the pills he is taking. I have found the below for you: Overdosing on Sinemet CR: An Introduction Sinemet® CR (carbidopa-levodopa CR) is a prescription drug usually used to treat Parkinson's disease. As with any medication, it is possible to take too much Sinemet CR. The specific effects of a Sinemet CR overdose may vary, depending on a number of factors, including the dosage and whether it was taken with any other medications or substances. Symptoms of a Sinemet CR Overdose In cases of an overdose with levodopa (one of the components of Sinemet CR), the following symptoms were reported: * Involuntary body movements * Nausea and vomiting * Rapid heart rate (tachycardia) * Confusion or agitation * Insomnia and restlessness * Low blood pressure (hypotension) or high blood pressure (hypertension). It is expected that Sinemet CR will cause similar overdose symptoms, compared to just levodopa. Treatment for a Sinemet CR Overdose The treatment for a Sinemet CR overdose may also vary, and there is no known antidote. If the overdose was recent, a healthcare provider may "pump the stomach" or administer certain medications to induce vomiting. Treatment may also involve supportive care, which consists of treating the symptoms that occur as a result of the overdose. For example, supportive treatment options for a Sinemet CR overdose may include: * Careful monitoring of the heart, blood pressure, and breathing * Fluids through an intravenous line (IV) * Other treatments based on the complications that occur. It is important that you seek medical attention immediately if you believe that you may have overdosed on Sinemet CR.

Question: Is anyone taking 4a risperidone/Risperdal, 4b fluoxetine/Prozac, or 4c levodopa & carbidopa/Sinemet or ANY OT I would like to know when, why and if it worked? Also, if there any side effects? Thank you all.

Answer: i am taking prozac,lithium,topomax,and should be on a benzaprine, all of mine work beautifully. i am bi-polar, and have severe migraines, and am being treated for anxiety. lithum gives you diahrea, benziprenes are addictive, prozac-no sides affects, topomax makes you sleepy

Question: extraction method for carbidopa in plasma by lc-ms/ms? carbidopa+levodopa

Answer: Dosage: Your doctor will tailor your individual dosage carefully, depending on your response to previous therapy and symptoms. ADULTS For patients with mild to moderate symptoms, the initial recommended dose is 1 tablet of Carbidopa taken 2 times a day. Starting doses should be spaced out every 4 to 8 hours and then adjusted to each patient's individual response. The usual long-term dose is 2 to 8 tablets per day, taken in divided doses every 4 to 8 hours during the waking day. Higher doses (12 or more tablets per day) and shorter intervals (less than 4 hours) have been used, but are not usually recommended. When doses of Carbidopa are given at intervals of less than 4 hours, and/or if the divided doses are not equal, it is recommended that the smaller doses be given at the end of the day. An interval of at least 3 days between dosage adjustments is recommended. Dosage adjustment of Carbidopa may be necessary if your doctor prescribes additional medications. CHILDREN Use of Carbidopa in children under 18 is not recommended.

Question: why carbidopa is given with levodopa?

Answer: Levodopa is metabolized in the blood stream to dopamine. Dopamine cannot cross the blood-brain barrier so in the past, doctors had to give huge amounts of levodopa to achieve any benefit. This led to major side effects (low blood pressure and nausea/vomiting) that made it intolerable to many patients. Carbidopa was then found to block the enzyme in the bloodstream responsible for converting levodopa to dopamine allowing doctors to give much lower doses of levodopa and therefore causing fewer side effects. As an aside, the trade name of carbidopa-levodopa is Sinemet which is derived from Greek meaning "without vomiting".

Question: What are dangers for using carbidopa monohydrate 5 yrs and how to stop taking them as lady at the age of 50? Medicine used is CARBILEV 25/250 & is S4 rated. Tablet contains Carbidopa Monohydrate equivalent to 25mg anhydrous carbidopa and 250mg levodopa. Medicine was prescribed for restless leg syndrome 5years ago but condition worsened and addictive conditions have set in already. An attuned Usui & Tibetan Reiki Master was asked to treat the ailment as no positive results were obtained. Tree tablets per day are presently consumed and bring on restless sleeping paterns due to the worsening 'restless leg syndrome' and adictivity. Would there be any natural remedies available besides natural healthy eating paterns?

Answer: u need to consult a psychiatrist or a rehab specialist in this regard.one way of stopping is to withdraw the drug very slowly like tapering it over weeks before stopping them all the best

Question: Is Nitric Oxide a good supplement for People with parkinsons.? I dont see any contra indications. Force Factor (nitric Oxice) says it boosts energy, increase sternght, promotes health and promotes recovery. I take prescription meds(carbidopa/Levodpa)

Answer: Arginine is the precursor to NO, and it does have some benefit to some heart conditions - however, it has also been shown to increase heart attack risk in some studies. Based on that alone, I would discuss the matter with the individuals cardiologist....and I assure you, cardiologists would know all about arginine.... However, that said - very few people are lacking in arginine - dietary sources of it are rather common and plentiful

Question: Cerebral palsy-looking information? Hi My cousin is born with Cereberal palsy .CP is discovered after 30 days of his birth .he is premature and now he is 8 year old.He is under gone for many surgeries and physio therapy .Surgery was mainly near to the hip to loose the rigid muscles.Still he does not walk and mentally he is a perfect kid. Recently one of the doctor suggested to give Levodopa and carbidopa medicines.. No idea will this cure..Is CP patient can walk after certain age?

Answer: you can know more about CP at this medical blog http://teensandhealth.blogspot.com/

Question: Parkinsons disease? How does the drug carbidopa prevent levodopa from breaking down before it reaches the brain?

Answer: Carbidopa supports the action of levodopa. It is a drug that increases the availability of L-dopa to the brain and is administered with it in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Usually dopamines cannot cross the blood brain barrier, but this has been especially designed to cross and produce the requried lock and key effect in the receptors.

Question: What is wrong with my legs? About 5 years ago I was diagnosed with RLS (Restless Legs Syndrome) and have been on numerous medications. I am currently taking Carbidopa 25mg/Levodopa 100mg. This is not working so well. I am beginning to wonder if I have been properly diagnosed. I have researched the web extensively and have consulted two different doctors. My concern is that none of my research has mentioned anything about "popping" of the joints in my legs. I have the usual RLS symptom of the urge to move my legs but I have noticed that when this symptom occurs it is accompanied by "popping" of all the joints in my feet and legs. I have also noticed that at the same time the blood veins in my legs are enlarged. On the rare occassions that I do not have the urge to move my legs I do not have the other symptoms either. Anyone have any ideas?

Answer: I would read about all of the "numerous" meds you have taken for what was diagnosed as RLS. There is the possibility that one or more of the meds may have caused or contributed to the popping. All pharmaceutical medications have negative side effects of various forms. Many of the side effects of each medication will be listed in the paperwork included with your prescriptions or you can ask your pharmacist for it. There are ways to "treat" RLS with medication if your goal is just to treat it. I prefer to heal problems instead of treating them. It just doesn't make sense to me to make the symptoms go away yet leave the underlying cause of the problem unresolved or most generally even undetermined. That's kind of like driving your car and your oil light comes on, so instead of checking your oil and adding more oil, you open up the dash and unplug the light. That is definitely going to lead to some future problems. Our bodies use symptoms as a means of communicating to us that there is a problem we need to look at. If you have symptoms similar to that of what your doctor deemed to be RLS you should want to know why you have those symptoms. What is the underlying cause? I would definitely look into your diet, even start a log book of the foods you eat and also log the level of your legs wanted to move. You might just find that your symptoms are increased or decreased with certain foods or certain food combinations. Additionally, I would recommend that you seek out a licensed accupuncturist who performs what is called a full elemental diagnosis. The accupuncture will be customized especially for you and will be to treat your entire body. No doubt there will be people who tell you this is crazy or call it some crack pot fake medicine. To that I say it is your body. You will live with the decisions you make. It would seem rather narrow minded to discount something as being fake, due to a lack of understanding by those casting the stones.

Question: Nursing Student/ MED QUESTION? Hello All, I am a nursing student and I have clinical tomorrow morning. I was reviewing the medication for my patient tonight and I have a question. My patient is taking levodopa/carbidopa. A drug interaction/ contraindication is taking it with anticids. My drug book says not to give them together becasue it may increase the asorbtion of levodopa components. Now my patient also has pepcid on his MAR. even though pepcid is not classified as an antacid, it does lower gastric acid levels and reduce heart burn. My question is this: Is it ok to give these two meds together? I know the MD perscribed them and I probably am being paranoid, but would like some input. As a student my biggest fear is causing harm to a patient becasue of a stupid error. I want to double check with a few people before I ask tomorrow. I know nursing students (such as myself) can see the world as very black and white sometimes. I just want to make sure. Please help if you can. Thanks, Orange

Answer: Excessive stomach acidity can inhibit the absorption of the levodopa/carbidopa. This med also increases the risk of peptic ulcers. The antacid will lower the stomach acidity thereby increasing the absorption of the L/C. If the doctor has prescribed L/C and an antacid, evidently the patient has some potential gastric bleed risks. The doctor should have appropriately adjusted the L/C dose to account for the potential increased absorption. My guess is the doctor is prioritizing risks for the best patient outcome.

Question: My neurologist put me on Carbidopa 25mg Levodopa 250 for my Parkinson's symptoms. It contains aspartame? I have CBD in the family of parkinson. I am want a equivalent treatment without this substance. This aspartane causes seizures.

Answer: Tell your doctor what you want.

Question: Which medicine is better to treat parkinson disease Sinemet (carbidopa and levodopa ) or? Madopar (benserazide and levodopa ) ?

Answer: I am not familiar with madopar, but what I found on it is that it is not used in the US or Canada, but is used some in the UK. Sinemet is what I take and what the other people I know with pd take.