LEVODOPA

(lee voe DOE pa) Brand: Larodopa

What is the most significant information I must know about levodopa?

• Contact your doctor immediately if you experience uncontrollable movements of the person, eyelids, mouth, tongue, neck, arms, hands, or legs; severe or persistent nausea or vomiting; an irregular heartbeat or fluttering in the chest; or unusual changes in mood or behavior.

• Use caution when driving, operating machinery, or performing another hazardous activities. Levodopa may reason dizziness or drowsiness. If you experience dizziness or drowsiness, avoid these activities.

What is levodopa?

• Levodopa is a medicine used to treat Parkinson's malady. Parkinson's malady is associated with low levels of a chemical called dopamine (doe PA meen) in the brain. Levodopa is turned into dopamine in the body and therefore increases levels of this chemical.

• Levodopa is used to treat the stiffness, tremors, spasms, and poor muscle control of Parkinson's malady. Levodopa is also used to treat these same muscular conditions when they are caused by drugs such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine), fluphenazine (Prolixin), perphenazine (Trilafon), and others.

• Levodopa may also be used for purposes another than those listed in this medicine guide.

What must I discuss with my healthcare provider till taking levodopa?

• Do not take levodopa if you have taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), tranylcypromine (Parnate), or phenelzine (Nardil) withinin the past 2 weeks.

• Do not take levodopa without first talking to your doctor if you have

· narrow-angle glaucoma (angle closure glaucoma), or

· malignant melanoma (a type of skin cancer).

• Till taking this medicine, speak your doctor if you have

· any kind of heart malady, including tall blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, hardening of the arteries, a previous heart onslaught, or an irregular heartbeat;

· respiratory malady, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary malady (COPD);

· liver disease;

· kidney disease;

· an endocrine (hormonal) disease;

· a stomach or intestinal ulcer;

· wide-angle glaucoma; or

· depression or any another psychiatric disorder.

• You may need a dosage adjustment or particular monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listed above.

• It is not known whether levodopa will be deleterious to an unborn child. Do not take levodopa without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant or could become pregnant during treatment.

• It is not known whether levodopa will be deleterious to a nursing infant. Do not take levodopa without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How must I take levodopa?

• Take levodopa exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand these directions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you.

• Take every doze with a full glass of water.

• Levodopa is generally taken different times a day with food. Follow your doctor's instructions.

• It is significant to take levodopa regularly to get the most benefit.

• It may be different weeks or months till the benefits of levodopa are seen. Do not stop taking levodopa without first talking to your doctor.

• Your doctor may want you to have blood trials or another medical evaluations during treatment with levodopa to monitor progress and side effects.

• Store levodopa at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

• Take the missed doze as soon as you remember. However, if it is nearly time for the following doze, skip the missed doze and only take the following regularly scheduled doze. Do not take a double doze of this medication.

What happens if I overdose?

• Search abnormal medical attention if an overdose is suspected.

• Symptoms of a levodopa overdose include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, weakness, fainting, confusion, hallucinations, muscle twitching, and agitation.

What must I avoid while taking levodopa?

• Avoid vitamin commodity that contain vitamin B6 (pyridoxine). This vitamin may reduce the effectiveness of levodopa.

What are the possible side effects of levodopa?

• If you experience any of the next serious side effects, stop taking levodopa and search abnormal medical attention or contact your doctor immediately:

· an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or person; or hives);

· uncontrolled movements of a part of the body;

· seizures;

· persistent nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea;

· an irregular heartbeat or fluttering in the chest;

· unusual changes in mood or behavior; or

· depression or suicidal thoughts.

• Another, smaller serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to take levodopa and conversation to your doctor if you experience

· mild nausea, vomiting, or decreased appetite;

· constipation, dry mouth, or blurred vision;

· arm tremor;

· muscle twitches;

· dizziness or drowsiness;

· insomnia, confusion, or nightmares;

· agitation or anxiety;

· darkening of the urine or sweat; or

· fatigue.

• Side effects another than those listed here may also occur. Conversation to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome. You may message side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What another drugs will affect levodopa?

• Do not take levodopa if you have taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), tranylcypromine (Parnate), or phenelzine (Nardil) within the past 2 weeks.

• Antacids may magnify the effectiveness of levodopa and lead to side effects. Ask your doctor about the use of antacids.

• Speak your doctor if you are taking a medication to treat tall blood pressure (hypertension). Drugs taken to treat tall blood pressure may be more effective when taken with levodopa, and very low blood pressure could result.

• Much drugs may decrease the effects of levodopa. Speak your doctor if you are taking any of the next medicines:

· drugs used to treat seizures, such as phenytoin (Dilantin), ethotoin (Peganone), and mephenytoin (Mesantoin);

· papaverine (Pavabid, Cerespan, others);

· pyridoxine or vitamin B6;

· antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil), doxepin (Sinequan), nortriptyline (Pamelor), desipramine (Norpramin), and amoxapine (Asendin); or

• Levodopa may interfere with diabetic urine trials for sugar and ketones. If you are diabetic and announcement changes in your urine test results, conversation to your doctor till making any changes in your diabetes medication.

• Drugs another than those listed here may also interact with levodopa. Conversation to your doctor and pharmacist till taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines, including vitamins, minerals, and herbal products.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist has more information about levodopa written for health professionals that you may read.

Remember, hold this and all another medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medicine only for the indication prescribed.

Disclaim: Each effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses external of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way must be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safety, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the help of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

(36)