Newer
Treatment options for Parkinson's Disease
Three new medicines have been
introduced recently.
Ropirinol - Requip - (
SmithKline Beecham )
Pramipexole - Mirapex - ( Pharmacia & Upjohn )
Tolcapone - Tasmar - ( Roche )
Ropirinol - acts to
mimic the dopamine signal that is lacking in Parkinson’s
patients. It is given three times a day in increasing
doses until either an adequate response is achieved or
side effects appear. The primary side effects, with or
without concomitant levodopa, are nausea, labored
movements called dyskinesias, dizziness and somnolence.
Pramipexole - Like
ropirinole, pramipexole is dosed three times a day and
increased until an adequate response is achieved or side
effects appear. When pramipexole is combined with
levodopa, postural hypotension (abnormally low blood
pressure) is an important side effect.
Tolcapone - This
drug inhibits the breakdown of dopamine in the brain. It
too is taken three times a day. It has a very important
side effect - the risk of potentially fatal liver
failure. Thus tolcapone should be used in patients who
have failed on other standard therapies.
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