Orally Disintegrating Carbidopa-Levodopa Dosage

The dose of orally disintegrating carbidopa-levodopa that your healthcare provider prescribes will depend on several factors, such as how you respond to the medication and other medications you are taking. Typically, it is recommended to start with an orally disintegrating carbidopa-levodopa dosage of 25-100 mg (25 mg of carbidopa and 100 mg of levodopa) three times daily. Your healthcare provider will probably recommend gradually increasing the dose if necessary.

 

Orally Disintegrating Carbidopa-Levodopa Dosage: An Introduction

The dose of orally disintegrating carbidopa-levodopa (Parcopa®) that your healthcare provider recommends will vary, depending on a number of factors, including:
 
  • How you respond to orally disintegrating carbidopa-levodopa (especially if you develop bothersome side effects)
  • Other medications you are taking
  • Other medical conditions you may have.
     
As is always the case, do not adjust your dose unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.
 

Orally Disintegrating Carbidopa-Levodopa Dosage for Parkinson's Disease

Orally disintegrating carbidopa-levodopa comes in three different strengths that are designed to allow for some flexibility in dosing the individual components of the medication. These strengths include:
 
  • Orally disintegrating carbidopa-levodopa 10-100 mg (10 mg of carbidopa and 100 mg of levodopa)
  • Orally disintegrating carbidopa-levodopa 25-100 mg (25 mg of carbidopa and 100 mg of levodopa)
  • Orally disintegrating carbidopa-levodopa 25-250 mg (25 mg of carbidopa and 250 mg of levodopa).
     
There is no one particular orally disintegrating carbidopa-levodopa dosage that will work for all people. Instead, the dose must be individualized. Typically, it is recommended to start with a dose of orally disintegrating carbidopa-levodopa 25-100 mg (25 mg of carbidopa and 100 mg of levodopa) three times daily. Your healthcare provider will probably recommend gradually increasing the dose (usually by one tablet every day or every other day) until a dose of eight orally disintegrating carbidopa-levodopa 25-100 mg tablets are taken per day (usually as two tablets four times a day). However, you may require more or less of orally disintegrating carbidopa-levodopa, and you may need more or less of the individual components of the medication.
 
Most people need at least 70 mg to 100 mg of carbidopa a day in order to avoid severe nausea and vomiting due to the levodopa component of orally disintegrating carbidopa-levodopa. Doses that provide less than 70 mg of carbidopa per day are very likely to cause severe nausea and vomiting.
 
Do not suddenly stop taking orally disintegrating carbidopa-levodopa, as it may cause a serious group of side effects known as neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS). Symptoms of NMS include:
 
  • High fever
  • Stiff muscles
  • Confusion
  • Irregular pulse or blood pressure
  • Fast heart rate (tachycardia)
  • Sweating
  • Irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias).
     
(Orally Disintegrating Carbidopa-Levodopa Dosage Continued: Page 2)
Add this article to your Favorites     Email this article     Print
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;