Side effects of madopar

Madopar Drug Info

Madopar is one of the medicines which may be used in the treatment of the Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is a very serious illness in which muscles become very weak, and arms and legs begin to shake heavily.

It is a degenerative and progressive disorder of central nervous system, and the main symptoms are tremor, possible instability, and rigidity. These symptoms may further result in a wide range of motor problems, of which some are speech and swallowing disturbances, small handwriting and walking in very small steps. Some of the common problems among people with Parkinson’s disease are also problems with memory, vision, perception, recognition, and problems with attention.

Cure for Parkinson's disease

Today, there is still no real cure for the Parkinson’s disease. There certainly is a wide range of medicines which are used in order to relieve some of the symptoms, but the cure which would provide permanent recovery and recuperation is still not discovered.

Madopar is one of the forms of L-dopa medicine, which proved to be very effective and helpful in treating some of the effects of this illness. However, on the other side, no matter how useful it might be, it is known that it also causes some serious side effects and complications, which is why its use is always under the supervision of a specialist.

Levodopa is the most effective drug for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, but its use as an oral medication is complicated by its

erratic absorption,
extensive metabolism,
and short plasma half-life

On long-term use and with disease progression, there is a high incidence of motor and non-motor complications, which remain a major clinical and research challenge. It is widely accepted that levodopa needs to be administered using formulations that result in good and consistent bioavailability and the physiologically relevant and continuous formation of dopamine in the brain to maximise its efficacy while avoiding and reversing 'wearing off' and dyskinesia. However, the physicochemical properties of levodopa along with its pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile make it difficult to deliver the drug in a manner that fulfils these criteria.

✓ Fact confirmed: Improving the Delivery of Levodopa in Parkinson's Disease: A Review of Approved and Emerging Therapies Daniele Urso, K Ray Chaudhuri, Mubasher A Qamar, Peter Jenner; 2020 Nov 4.

The Side Effects of Madopar

The most common and probably the least serious side effects caused by madopar are nausea, vomiting, and the loss of appetite. Diarrhea and blurred vision may be felt as well. But, more serious are depression, drowsiness and frequent change of the mood, all of which even more serious in cases of people with Parkinson’s disease.

Allergic reactions to this drug are very rare but are not impossible, and they can easily be recognized by itching, rash and flushing on the skin. Madopar should be carefully combined with other drugs, because, for example, if combined with antidepressants, it sometimes causes dangerously low blood pressure. However, this is one of the less serious consequences, because, if taken in combination with either narcotics, sleeping pills, and sedatives, or with antiepileptic drugs, madopar may cause even more dangerous and potentially even life-threatening consequences.

Important for this medicine is the fact that, despite the fact that in this form it is only available in the United Kingdom, it cannot be found in the United States or Canada, where some other forms of the L-dopa drugs are used in treating the illness.