Carbidopa/Levodopa/Entacapone (By mouth)

lee-voe-DOE-pa, kar-bi-DOE-pa, en-TAK-a-pone

Treats symptoms of Parkinson disease.

Drug classes

Antiparkinsonian (About this – PubMed Health)

Uses

Uses of This Medicine

Carbidopa, entacapone, and levodopa combination is used to treat Parkinson’s disease, sometimes called shaking palsy. Parkinson’s disease is a disorder of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord).

Dopamine is a naturally occurring substance in the brain that helps provide control of movement and activities such as walking and talking. In patients with Parkinson’s disease, there is not enough dopamine in some parts of the brain. Levodopa (a component of this medicine) enters the brain and helps replace the missing dopamine, which allows people to function better. By increasing the amount of dopamine in the brain, levodopa helps control symptoms and helps you to perform daily activities such as dressing, walking, and handling utensils.

This medicine is a combination of three different medicines. This medicine is known as a levodopa therapy. The difference between this medicine and other levodopa treatments is that this medicine contains entacapone. Entacapone helps levodopa last longer by blocking a substance called COMT enzyme. This enzyme breaks down levodopa before it reaches the brain. When less levodopa is broken down, more is available to the brain. Increased availability of levodopa may lead to smoother and steadier levels of dopamine in the brain, which may provide better symptom control for longer periods each day. This may lead to improvement in daily activities.

This medicine is available only with your doctor’s prescription.

Other uses (PubMed Health)

How To Use

Tablet

Take your medicine as directed. Your dose may need to be changed several times to find what works best for you.

Swallow the tablet whole. Do not crush, chew, or break it.

Missed dose: Take a dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, wait until then and take a regular dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up for a missed dose.

Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light.

Drugs and Foods to Avoid

Ask your doctor or pharmacist before using any other medicine, including over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products.

Do not take this medicine if you are also using phenelzine or tranylcypromine.

Some foods and medicines can affect how this medicine works. Tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following:

Apomorphine, cholestyramine, dobutamine, dopamine, epinephrine, isoniazid, isoproterenol, methyldopa, metoclopramide, norepinephrine, papaverine, phenytoin, probenecid, risperidone, selegiline, or warfarin An antibiotic (such as ampicillin, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, rifampicin), blood pressure medicine, medicine to treat depression or mental illness, a phenothiazine medicine, or vitamin supplements that contain iron

High-protein foods can affect how your body absorbs this medicine. Talk to your doctor before you make any changes to your diet.

Tell your doctor if you use anything else that makes you sleepy. Some examples are allergy medicine, narcotic pain medicine, and alcohol.

When Not To Use

This medicine is not right for everyone. Do not use it if you had an allergic reaction to carbidopa, levodopa, or entacapone, or if you have narrow-angle glaucoma.

Warnings

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have liver disease, diabetes, glaucoma, low blood pressure, lung disease, a sleep disorder, a history of stomach ulcers, or a history of depression or mental illness.

This medicine may cause the following problems:

Low blood pressure Dyskinesia (trouble controlling movements) Unusual changes in mood or behavior, compulsive behaviors, hallucinations Possible increased risk for skin cancer

Do not stop using this medicine suddenly. Your doctor will need to slowly decrease your dose before you stop it completely.

Tell your doctor if your Parkinson symptoms come back between doses.

This medicine may make you dizzy or drowsy. It may even cause you to fall asleep without warning. Do not drive or do anything that could be dangerous until you know how this medicine affects you. Stand up slowly.

This medicine may cause your saliva, sweat, or urine to become dark red, brown, or black. This is nothing to worry about, but it could stain your clothes.

Tell any doctor or dentist who treats you that you are using this medicine. This medicine may affect certain medical test results.

Your doctor will do lab tests at regular visits to check on the effects of this medicine. Keep all appointments.

Keep all medicine out of the reach of children. Never share your medicine with anyone.

Possible side effects

Summary More details

Call your doctor right away if you notice any of these side effects:

Allergic reaction: Itching or hives, swelling in your face or hands, swelling or tingling in your mouth or throat, chest tightness, trouble breathing

Confusion, unusual changes in mood or behaviors, behaviors you cannot control

Extreme sleepiness or drowsiness

Fever, sweating, muscle stiffness, uneven heartbeat

Lightheadedness, dizziness, fainting

Muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness

Seeing or hearing things that are not really there

Severe diarrhea

Skin changes or growths

Twitching or muscle movements you cannot control (either new or worse than usual)

If you notice these less serious side effects, talk with your doctor:

Mild diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting, stomach pain

Discolored urine, sweat, or saliva

If you notice other side effects that you think are caused by this medicine, tell your doctor.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

More side effects of this drug

Brand names include

Stalevo 100, Stalevo 125, Stalevo 150, Stalevo 200, Stalevo 50, Stalevo 75

There may be other brand names for this medicine.