Anti-Parkinsonion » CARBIDOPA (KAR-bi-doe-pa) and LEVODOPA (LEE-voe-doe-pa)

CARBIDOPA-LEVODOPA (Atamet®, Parcopa™, Sinemet®) is used to treat Parkinson's disease. Levodopa can help correct an imbalance of chemicals in the brain caused by Parkinson's disease. Levodopa will not cure Parkinson's disease, but will help to control the symptoms.

Levodopa and carbidopa comes as a regular and extended-release (long-acting) tablet to take by mouth. Levodopa and carbidopa usually is taken three or four times a day. You may have to take levodopa and carbidopa for several months before you feel its full effect. It may be needed for a long time to treat Parkinson's disease. If you are switching from levodopa (Dopar or Larodopa) to the combination of levodopa and carbidopa (Sinemet), wait at least 8 hours after your last dose of levodopa to take your first dose of this combination drug.

Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

dizziness
upset stomach
vomiting
loss of appetite
difficulty in speaking
change in sense of taste
decreased attention span
memory loss
nervousness
nightmares
difficulty sleeping
headaches
weakness
increased sweating
fatigue
If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

unusual or uncontrolled movements of the mouth, tongue, face, head, neck, arms, and legs
difficulty walking, especially starting to walk ('start hesitation')
increased shaking of the hands
back and neck muscle spasms
fast, irregular, or pounding heartbeat
eye pain

cocaine
droperidol
furazolidone
isoniazid, INH
iron supplements
kava kava
linezolid
medicines for high blood pressure
medicines for depression, avoid those called MAO inhibitors-phenelzine (Nardil®), tranylcypromine (Parnate®), isocarboxazid (Marplan®)
medicines for mental problems and psychotic disturbances
metoclopramide
papaverine
phenytoin
procarbazine
s-adenosyl-l-methionine, SAM-e
water pills
Check with your health care professional before stopping or starting any of your medicines.

In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.

Take levodopa and carbidopa exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

Do not stop taking levodopa and carbidopa suddenly without talking with your doctor. Sudden stoppage can cause symptoms of Parkinson's disease to return. Do not cut, crush, or chew the extended-release tablets; swallow them whole.

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.

This medicine is an antidyskinetic combination used to treat Parkinson's disease. It is also used to treat Parkinson's disease-like conditions that may occur due to certain injuries or diseases of the nervous system. This medicine may also be used to treat other conditions as determined by your doctor.

Keep out of the reach of children in a container that small children cannot open.

Store at room temperature between 15° and 30°C (59° and 86°F). Protect from light. Keep container tightly closed. Throw away any unused medicine after the expiration date.

Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor will order certain lab tests to check your response to levodopa and carbidopa.


You may experience a "wearing off" effect prior to the time for your next dose of carbidopa-levodopa. You may also experience an "on-off" effect where the medicine apparently stops working for anything from a minute to several hours, then suddenly starts working again. Tell your prescriber or health care professional if any of these symptoms happen to you, he/she may need to adjust your dosage.

Do not take iron supplements within 2 hours of taking levodopa. The iron may decrease the amount of levodopa in your system and decrease the effectiveness of the drug
If you are diabetic, carbidopa-levodopa may interfere with the accuracy of some tests for sugar or ketones in the urine (does not interfere with blood tests). Check with your prescriber or health care professional before changing the dose of your diabetic medicine.

Carbidopa-levodopa may discolor the urine or sweat, making it look darker or red in color; this is of no cause for concern. However, this may stain clothing or fabrics.