Lots of the signs of Parkinson’s illness consequence from the lack of mind cells that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine. Because of this, some medicine for Parkinson’s illness improve the degrees of dopamine within the mind or mimic its results. In the meantime, different medicine may help management non-motor signs of Parkinson’s illness or goal different neurotransmitters to scale back signs.
medicine that improve dopamine
Levodopa, a precursor to dopamine, could also be an efficient therapy in additional superior circumstances of Parkinson’s illness. It’s usually utilized in mixture with carbidopa to scale back unintended effects and improve the quantity of levodopa obtainable to mind cells. Levodopa helps briefly exchange a number of the dopamine misplaced within the mind, whereas carbidopa prevents levodopa from being activated and become dopamine earlier than it reaches the mind, enhancing levodopa uptake.
Carbidopa-Levodopa is obtainable as an oral treatment beneath the model names Crexont, Rytary, and Sinemet.
It’s also obtainable as drops beneath the model names Duopa and Vyalev.
medicine that mimic dopamine
There are a selection of medicine that mimic dopamine within the mind to handle the signs of Parkinson’s illness. These embody:
- Apomorphine (Apoquin, Kinmobi)
- Pramipexole (Mirapex)
- Ropinirole (required)
- Rotigotine (Nupro)
MAO-B inhibitor
These medicine inhibit the enzyme monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B), which breaks down dopamine within the mind, making certain that dopamine stays obtainable to be used by the mind. MAO-B inhibitors embody:
- Rasagiline (Agilect)
- Safinamide (Zadago)
- Selegiline (Zera Pearl)
COMT inhibitor
These medicine assist block one other enzyme, catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), from breaking down dopamine within the mind. This group of medicine contains entacapone (Comtan) and opicapone (Ongentis).
Amantadine (Symmetrel)
Amantadine (Gocobri, Symmetrel) is an antiviral and antidyskinesia drug prescribed to folks with Parkinson’s illness to take care of sudden, uncontrollable actions (dyskinesias). Amantadine could be taken alone or with different Parkinson’s medicine, comparable to levodopa.
anticholinergic medicine
Anticholinergic medicine assist scale back tremors and muscle contractions by reducing the motion of a neurotransmitter known as acetylcholine, which is concerned in muscle activation. Anticholinergic medicine prescribed for Parkinson’s illness embody benztropine (Cogentin) and trihexyphenidyl (Artane).
Medicines for motionless signs
Though many medicine concentrate on the widespread motor signs of Parkinson’s illness, different medicine could assist with varied non-motor or non-motor signs of the dysfunction.
Atypical antipsychotics It could be used (some off-label) to deal with hallucinations and delusions that some folks with Parkinson’s illness expertise.
These medicine embody:
- Pimavanserin (Nuplazid)
- Clozapine (Clozaril)
- Quetiapine (Seroquel)
stimulant, Medicine comparable to modafinil (Provigil) and armodafinil (Nuvidil) can be used to deal with extreme daytime sleepiness in folks with Parkinson’s illness.
cholinesterase inhibitor Used to deal with dementia and cognitive issues. These medicine had been developed to deal with Alzheimer’s illness, however they can be utilized by folks with Parkinson’s illness.
