Ask the MD: Myths about Levodopa

Rachel Dolhun, MD, movement disorder specialist and vice president of medical communications at The Michael J. Fox Foundation, dispels myths about levodopa, the most commonly prescribed Parkinson’s medication.

The "Ask the MD" series is intended as an educational resource for people with Parkinson's and their loved ones. Please consult with your personal healthcare provider to address individual medical questions.


We gratefully acknowledge the Steering Committee members of our Patient Disease Education Consortium in conjunction with The Albert B. Glickman Parkinson’s Disease Education Program and Charles B. Moss Jr. and family, whose sponsorship allows us to create and distribute materials, while preserving our track record of efficiency in stewarding donor-raised contributions for maximum impact on Parkinson’s drug development. Sponsorship support does not influence MJFF’s content perspective or panelist selection.

[solomonkane]

Wow! No mention of Levodopa causing massive audio and visual hallucinations, psychosis, as it did in my grandfather and now my father. There has to be other medication because what’s the point of having a bit more range of motion if you don’t know where you are or who you are talking to?

And yes, it was definitely the drug because when the medication was discontinued the psychosis disappeared.

[okomojelepo]

What do you think about Mucuna, it has l dopa, natural. thanks

[FullTimePatient]

Because you are a Dr I'm 🧐 I've started it today for dystonia i hope it helps 🙏🏽 i don't want to need the increase of baclophin 😢

[raymondamaechi]

INBRIJA has changed my life. It’s the fastest on demand Parkinson’s treatment I’ve ever used. INBRIJA starts working in under 5 minutes because it’s inhaled not an oral pill that takes an hour to start working.

[joelmagee]

Is the reason some people think PD-associated symptoms can suddenly flare up the levodopa wearing off?

[garyclark]

Mom doesn’t have tremors she has gait issues and speech issues. No hand or head shaking. When she takes levadopa she throws up all the time. She can’t keep anything down due to vomiting and they have given her meds to help but nothing works. She quit taking her levadopa 2 months ago and now she can eat and not become dehydrated snd malnourished as she did taking levadopa. Her speech is better too. She just cant walk
She can feed herself and there are no tremors.

[jasonsmith]

Is Levadopa safe to use against depression

[SwollenGoochy]

Thank you for the vid, great information.

[jaytetzlaff]

Not happy that mucuna isn't even mentioned, unless brevity is more important than info.

[ronwolf]

Has any one successfully replaced levodopa with Macuna Pru. What is the titration off levadopa like? And how can you gauge how much affect the Macuna has it is in comparison to the levodopa . I have just purchased Macuna Pruriens extract from double wood supplements.it says it is standardized to 20 %. Each capsule is 500 mg. … Am I correct for assuming that one 500 mg capsule is equivalent to 100 mg of Levadopa.. .?

[joeandamyaleo]

Mucuna does not produce dyskinesia. A different study, this time in monkeys (with unilateral parkinsonism induced experimentally), produced very interesting results on the possibility of dyskinesias. One group was treated with Sinemet (levodopa and carbidopa), another with Mucuna plus carbidopa, and the third only with Mucuna. All the animals experienced an improvement in their symptoms. Dyskinesia was then assessed by the study of spontaneous activity in the substantia nigra. Larger dyskinesia appeared in the Sinemet group. In those treated with the combination of Mucuna and carbidopa, dyskinesia seemed more moderate. Interestingly, in those who had only taken Mucuna, no dyskinesia was found

[davidmacleod]

I wanted to call my band “El Dopa”…like people would get up and dance instead of being statues. 😊

[jackcarls]

I thinking I was mis-diagnosed with PD in June 2021, but have been on Sentimet since. However the only symptoms Ive ever had to date is related freezing of the gait, which seems to be getting worse over time. Carbidopa Levodopa doesn’t seem to help. What is the proper PD med for me? 4:46

[JustME-ftdi]

Isn’t ‘off-time’ usually called interdose or tolerence withdrawal in other drugs?

[GypsyPuppypup]

Can LDopa awakes a pacient in a long time coma? It just came to my mind

[raymondvanatolli]

INBRIJA is an Inhaler that delivers Levodopa almost immediately through the lungs. Amazing for Parkinson’s patients.

[michelelindseth]

I was diagnosed with Parkinsons and put on carbidopa -levadopa, increasingly making me sicker and sicker. I finally quit taking it and stopped seeing doctors except for twice per year. That is so my two important doctors, a PCP who prescribes my arrhythmia medicine and a doctor
who prescribes another drug l do need. I no longer have faith in modern medicine or, especially, in Big Pharma. I use holistic, natural
vitamins and supplements that sufficiently keep me going. For PD l use Mega Benfotiamine and
Magnesium Theonate which stp the tremor and do not have side effects.

[darrenstroble]

My INBRIJA Inhaler is amazing for my Parkinson’s!!!!TY so much❤️