Medications for Parkinson's Disease
Medications approved for the Treatment of Parkinson's Disease
| Generic Name | Trade Name | Daily Dose | Mode of Action | Most Common Side Effects |
| Entacapone | Comtan | COMT inhibitor; decreases levodopa metabolism | Same as Tasmar except it does not commonly elevate liver function enzymes | |
| Carbidopa- levodopa- entatacapone |
Stalevo | DOPA decarbarboylase inhibitor / DA precursor /COMT inhibitor | Darkened saliva and/or body fluids, diarrhea, fatigue, dizziness, abdominal pain, dyskinesia, pain, constipation, hallucinations | |
| Apomorphine | Apokyn | DA agonist | Nausea, vomiting, dizziness, low blood pressure, sedation, yawning, hallucinations, dyskinesia, runny nose, swelling of extremities, injection site reactions | |
| Selegiline (orally disintegrating tablet) |
Zelapar | Gastrointestinal upset, dyskinesia, hallucinations, confusion | ||
| Rasagiline | Azilect | Gastrointestinal upset, headache, dyskinesia | ||
| Neupro | ||||
Trihexyphenidyl hydrochloride |
Artane | 1 to 15 | Anticholinergic | Dry mouth & eyes, constipation, urinary retention,memory impairment, confusion, depression, hallucinations |
| Benztropine | Cogentin | 0.5 to 6 | Anticholinergic | Same as Artane |
| Selegiline hydrochloride | Eldepryl | 5 to 10 | MAO-B(1) inhibitor;inhibits DA(2) metabolism |
Insomnia, gastro-intestinal discomfort, excerbation of dopaminergic side effects |
| Amantadine | Symmetrel | 100 to 300 | Release of DA from neurons; DA re-uptake inhibitor; stimulates DA receptors; anticholinergic; NMDA(3) antagonist |
Hallucinations, leg edema, dizziness, mottled leg skin, insomnia, confusion, dry mouth & eyes, constipation. |
| Carbidopa- levodopa |
Sinemet | 30/300 to 150/1500 | DOPA(4) decarboxylase inhibitor/DA precursor |
Nausea, vomiting, dizziness, confusion, hallucinations, low blood pressure, nightmares, aniety, dyskinesia. |
| Carbidopa- levodopa (controlled release) |
Sinemet CR | 50/200 to 500/2000 |
DOPA decarboxylase inhibitor/DA precursor | Same as Sinemet; may cause more dyskinesia |
| Pergolide mesylate | Permax | Pergolide is being withdrawn from the market in the U.S. due to the association of heart valve disease with it’s long-term use. If you are currently taking pergolide, you should call your doctor promptly to discuss switching to another treatment. However, do not stop taking this medication without consulting your doctor. If you suddenly stop taking pergolide, you may experience serious side effects. | ||
| Bromocriptine | Parlodel | 10 to 40 | DA agonist | Nausea, hallucinations, confusion, dyskinesia |
| Pramipexole dihydrochloride | Mirapex | 0.375 to 4.5 | DA agonist | Nausea, constipation, dizziness, fatigue, sedation, dry mouth, insomnia, edema, hallucinations, confusion, dyskinesia |
| Ropinirole | Requip | 0.75 to 24 | DA agonist | Nausea, fatigue, insomnia, dizziness, upset stomach, headache, dyskinesia. |
| Tolcapone | Tasmar | 300 to 600 | COMT(5) inhibitor; prevents levodaopa breakdown |
dyskinesia, nausea, dizziness, diarrhea, hallucinations, urine discoloration, elevated liver function enzymes. |
| Entacapone | Comtan | 200 to 1600 | COMT inhibitor; prevents levodaopa breakdown | Same as Tasmar except does not commonly elevate liver enzymes. |
