Are high doses of carbidopa a concern - A randomized, clinical trial in Parkinsons disease
Movement Disorders, 05/10/2012
Clinical Article
Brod LS et al. – Doses of 450 mg/day of carbidopa did not reduce the responses to L–dopa infusion, extending the safe range of carbidopa to 450 mg/day.
Methods- The authors compared 4-week outpatient treatments with carbidopa (75 and 450 mg/day) administered with L-dopa on the subjects' normal schedule.
- After each treatment phase, subjects had two 2-hour L-dopa infusions.
- The first infusion examined the effects of carbidopa doses administered the preceding 4 weeks, and the second infusion determined the acute effects of the two dosages of carbidopa.
- The antiparkinsonian effects and L-dopa and carbidopa plasma concentrations were monitored during the infusions.
- Twelve subjects completed the study.
- Carbidopa concentrations were eight times higher after the high-carbidopa phase.
- Area under the curve (AUC) for clinical ratings did not differ for the four L-dopa infusions, although AUC for plasma L-dopa was modestly increased with 450 mg of carbidopa.
- Nine subjects reported that the high-carbidopa outpatient phase was associated with greater response to L-dopa.
