Levodopa is a cornerstone of Parkinson’s treatment. Doctors have relied on levodopa for 50 years. And you probably had a good response to levodopa pills when you started taking them.
But as Parkinson’s advances, you may notice that your levodopa pills aren’t working as well as they used to. You may need to take higher doses or take your pills more often.
Parkinson’s can slow your stomach, which delays absorption of levodopa.
Your response gets unpredictable, and you may need to wait for your pills to take effect.
Do your levodopa pills take longer to work? Does this sometimes impact how you plan your day?
Dyskinesia: your body has too much levodopa and you get twisting or turning movements.
“On” time: your levodopa is working well to control your symptoms.
“Off” time: your levodopa isn’t working well, and you feel stiff, move slowly, or can’t get around as well.
“WEARING OFF”
Medicine’s benefits are fading before the next dose
“DELAYED ON”
The time it takes for a dose to take effect is delayed
“ON/OFF FLUCTUATIONS”
Unpredictable changes occur in motor symptoms
DUOPA (carbidopa and levodopa) enteral suspension is a prescription medicine used for treatment of advanced Parkinson’s disease. DUOPA contains two medicines: carbidopa and levodopa.
What is the most important safety information I should know about DUOPA?
Your healthcare provider will talk to you about the stoma procedure. Before the stoma procedure, tell your healthcare provider if you ever had a surgery or problems with your stomach.
Talk to your healthcare provider about what you need to do to care for your stoma. After the procedure, you and your healthcare provider will need to regularly check the stoma for any signs of infection.
Do not take DUOPA if you currently take or have recently taken (within 2 weeks) a medication for depression called a non-selective monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist if you are not sure if you take an MAO inhibitor.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Using DUOPA with certain other medicines, including medications for high blood pressure, MAO inhibitors, antipsychotics, metoclopramide, isoniazid, and iron or vitamin supplements, may cause serious side effects. High-protein foods may affect how DUOPA works. Tell your healthcare provider if you change your diet.
DUOPA may cause serious side effects. Talk to your doctor before starting DUOPA and while on DUOPA if you have had or have any of these:
Do not stop using DUOPA or change your dose unless you are told to do so by your healthcare provider. Tell your healthcare provider if you develop withdrawal symptoms such as fever, confusion, or severe muscle stiffness.
The most common side effects of DUOPA include: complications of tubing placement procedure, swelling of legs and feet, nausea, high blood pressure (hypertension), depression, and mouth and throat pain.
Please see the full Prescribing Information including Medication Guide for additional information about DUOPA. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have questions.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
If you are having difficulty paying for your medicine, AbbVie may be able to help. Visit AbbVie.com/myAbbVieAssist to learn more.
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