Madopar To Treat Parkinson’s: How Does It Work?
Madopar is a medicine that is used to treat Parkinson’s disease. It consists of two active ingredients: 200 milligrams of levodopa and 50 milligrams of benserazide. It comes in tablets with a cross engraved on it that allows the patient to divide them into four doses.
How does Madopar work and what is it for?
Levodopa is the substance that allowed the discovery of dopamine. The latter is unable to reach the brain, unlike its precursor, levodpoa. In the brain, levodopa turns into dopamine, causing its levels to rise.
We are talking about the most effective active ingredient for the treatment of symptoms that impair movement typical of Parkinson’s.
As with many other medications, after starting Madopar treatment, you will not have to stop suddenly, as side effects such as fever, muscle stiffness and confusion may occur.
Why is levodopa combined?
If levodopa were given alone, it would be metabolized before reaching the brain. For this reason it is combined with other active ingredients, such as carbidopa or benserazide.
These active ingredients allow a sufficient amount of levodopa to reach the brain, improving its effectiveness and reducing possible side effects.
The current combination in the composition of Madopar is found in a ratio of 4: 1 of the two active ingredients. Thus, the effect achieved is practically identical to that obtained with high doses of levodopa, but with a better tolerance.
Typically, all symptoms of Parkinson’s disease improve significantly after treatment with this drug.
How should Madopar be taken?
Madopar is a medicine that is taken orally 30 minutes before meals or 2 hours after. If it causes heartburn, it can be taken on a full stomach, but make sure the food is not high in protein. This is because the proteins may reduce the absorption capacity of levodopa.
Madopar tablets are released gradually and act slowly and for a long time. Care should be taken when driving during Madopar treatment, as it can affect your alertness.
The cure
The daily dose of Madopar is determined by the doctor as appropriate. Generally, however, the most common doses are as follows:
Initial phase
Usually starting with half a tablet three times a day, increasing the daily dose by another half tablet a week, until the effective dose for each patient is reached. In some cases the dose can be increased over a shorter period of time, with one tablet per week instead of half.
The effective dose will be taken in no time; this is usually between 2 and 4 tablets per day divided into three or four doses.
Maintenance phase
The daily dose should be divided into at least three times of the day. The fractionation of the daily maintenance dose will be carried out according to the needs of the individual patient.
Another option may be to maintain the daily dose with the possibility of changing the intake of one of the quarter tablets, which will be taken in a shorter period of time.
Madopar doesn’t cure, but it helps
Currently there is no treatment that can cure Parkinson’s disease, but with Madopar it is possible to calm the symptoms, thus improving the patient’s quality of life.
Madopar is a good treatment option used by thousands of people with Parkinson’s around the world. In any case, continuous monitoring by the doctor is essential in order to adapt the doses to the stage of the disease.
