Medicate and Educate – What the Three Top Parkinson’s Drugs Could Do for You

There are six separate classes of medication available on the market to assist Parkinson’s disease patients manage the symptoms of their illness (and the possible side effects of medication), including: levodopa, dopaminergic agonists, anitcholinergics, amantadine, momamine-oxidase B inhibitors (MAO-B), and COMT inhibitors. Parkinson’s disease is connected to low levels of dopamine in the brain due to the loss of dopamine cells in the substantia nigra section of the brain. It’s not known what causes the cells to stop producing dopamine. Treatment with pharmacological therapies is determined on an individual basis, depending on the severity and symptoms of each person with Parkinson’s disease, but three of the top antiparkinson’s drugs include:

Levodopa: the original drug approved specifically for use in treating Parkinson’s disease in the 1970s, levodopa is the most commonly prescribed drug therapy to combat the disease. Levodopa is absorbed by the brain and turned into dopamine that is stored in nerve cells, which helps to replenish dopamine levels depleted by the loss of cells that produce it naturally in a healthy individual. By boosting the level of dopamine in the brain, levodopa will, for most Parkinson’s disease patients, result in significantly improved motor function and mobility although there may be side effects such as hallucinating or nausea. Levodopa should be combined with a peripheral inhibitor to sustain its effect and to allow more levodopa to reach the brain. The peripheral inhibitor can also lessen unpleasant side effects, such as vomiting. Sinemet, the most common brand name under which levodopa is sold, contains a peripheral inhibitor, carbidopa, so that it does not need to be taken separately.

Dopaminergic agonists: these target specific cells in the substantial nigra (the part of the brain where dopamine would normally be produced in a healthy person), where they are able to imitate dopamine. Essentially, the dopaminergic agonists stimulate the dopaminergic receptors in the brain and then bind to them as naturally produced dopamine would. Considered the second most effective treatment for in combating the effects of Parkinson’s disease, dopaminergic agonists such as Parlodel (bromocriptine), Requip (ropinirole) and Permax (pergolide), are often used in conjunction with levodopa for maximum effect.

COMT inhibitors: catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is an enzyme that contributes to the breakdown of levodopa and dopamine in the body. COMT inhibitors block this breakdown action in the brain and in the intestine, therefore allowing more levodopa to be available for the brain. A peripheral COMT inhibitor, Entacapone (Comtan) is administered with each dose of levodopa to extend the period of positive motor function response to levodopa. In essence, the COMT inhibitor reduces mobility down time between doses.

Parkinson’s disease is a complicated illness that manifests itself in a wide variety of symptoms from facial tics to the loss of ability to walk, talk, or swallow. By combining targeted pharmacological therapies, most patients are able to benefit from each drug while at the same time minimizing side effects. Although dosages and perhaps even the kind of drugs necessary may change as the disease progresses, a proper drug therapy program can help most Parkinson’s patients add years of independent, high-quality living to their lives.