I'm recently diagnosed and was put straight onto a Levadopa drug, 10mg/100mg Cocareldopa. Its not effective, but its early days yet as I understand. What is it that dopamine agonists do that Levadopa does not? From the thread it looks as if they just have worse side effects and not much else.
Stephen
Hi Stephen - Might be wrong, but i'm sure by taking the DA's it slows down the need for taking Levadopa in the early stages of diagnosis, then you have something to fall back on in later stages. I'm on a DA and my neuro would like to put me on Cocareldopa, but i'm reluctant to change at the moment, I've had PD for six years now.
Sheila
Hi Graham,
This is a link to copy and paste for to the PD UK booklet on PD drugs and how they work, free to download
.httpsuk/content/drug-treatments-parkinsons-booklet://www.parkinsons.org.
Hi Sheila, thankyou for the reply. I assume the Neurologist put me on Cocareldopa in order to try and deal with my hand tremor which gets in the way of my writing and eating. Did you have a hand tremor at all? If so, did the DA medication deal with it?
Stephen
Hi Stephen,
The tremor is less responsive to PD drugs. The typical PD tremor starts on one side of the body(=unilateral) and is most pronounced at rest. So if you are actively doing something using your hand you probably won't shake. Writing can be affected with or without tremor by getting smaller and smaller (called micrographia) .
I am surprised you are put on Co-careldopa tablets which contain 10mg of carbidopa and 100mg of levodopa per tablet. Carbidopa helps as much of the levodopa to reach the brain as quickly as possible , but in order to work properly you need (this is generally recommended) a minimum daily amount of Carbidopa, (75mg) That's why most people are started on 3x 125 mg Co-careldopa (Sinemet). I must admit, that sometimes a lower dose of 3 x a day 62,5mg works for a while. Maybe a question for your consultant or PD nurse ?
Dopamine agonists may help in the early years after diagnosis but try getting off them when you want to. In response to an earlier post, you can not just stop them.
Hi Stephen,
Dopamine agonists are made up of synthetic dopamine, which interact directly in the brain and substitute natural dopamine which is depleted.
Levodopa is converted into dopamine when it reaches the brain.
Rasagiline and Selegiline are inhibitors which slow down the breakdown of natural dopamine already in the brain.
These 3 types of drug are used to manage Parkinson's. All can take time to work and all should be taken at least half an hour before food or an hour afterwards, for maximum effect. Hope you find some benefit soon.....we all react differently though. Good luck.
Twinks.
Dear Supa,
Please may I ask you some questions about your Madopar?
I am Paul Cook an Englishman living in Indonesia.
Thank you,
Take care,
Paul Cook
Hello I found Dopamine agonists can help but we all will not respond the same to medications I was on these the first year I was diagnosed but their effect soon wore off.
trouble is our systems get less tolerant then we need more and more and the problem with starting the meds later is your condition has progressed therefor they have to work harder and harder.
BB
