Today my tutor explained to me why normally levodopa was prescribed together with carbidopa (Sinemet). The levodopa is prescribed for treatment of Parkinson’s disease which is due to low level of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is responsible for movement or mobility.
Levodopa works by being converted to dopamine in the brain. However, before it is being converted to dopamine in the brain, it undergoes peripheral conversion to dopamine, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the drug while increasing the side effects such as nausea, vomiting and cardiovascular effects.
Therefore, carbidopa is prescribed in combination with the levodopa in order to prevent the levodopa being broken down before it reaches the brain. This then allows a lower dose of levodopa to be taken to avoid or minimize side effects such as nausea and vomiting.
At home I did extra study and found that the total daily dose of carbidopa should be a least 70mg. Lower dose of carbidopa may not achieve full inhibition of extracerebral dopa-decarboxylate.
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