|
Page: Adverse Effects
Main article
| Home > Elderly Health > Adverse Effects |
Possible adverse drug reactions include:
* Hypotension, especially if the dosage is too high.
* Arrhythmias, although these are uncommon.
* Nausea, which is often helped by taking the drug with food, although protein interferes with drug absorption.
* Gastrointestinal bleeding.
* Disturbed respiration. This is not always harmful, and can actually benefit patients with upper airway obstruction.
* Hair loss.
* Confusion.
* Extreme emotional states, particularly anxiety, but also excessive libido.
* Vivid dreams and/or fragmented sleep.
* Visual and possibly auditory hallucinations.
* Effects on learning. There is some evidence that it improves working memory, while impairing other complex functions.
* Sleepiness and sleep attacks.
* a condition similar to amphetamine psychosis.
Although there are a number of adverse effects associated with levodopa, particularly psychiatric ones, it has fewer than other anti-Parkinson's drugs, including anticholinergics, amantadine, and dopamine agonists.
More serious are the effects of chronic levodopa administration, which include:
* End-of-dose deterioration of function.
* On/off oscillations.
* Freezing during movement.
* Dose failure (drug resistance).
* Dyskinesia at peak dose.
Clinicians will try to avoid these by limiting levodopa dosages as far as possible until absolutely necessary.
|
Important notice:
The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other
qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
|