Get Informed: Sinemet
Active Ingredient(s)
Carbidopa / Levodopa
What does it do?
This product is used to treat Parkinson's Disease. It is believed to work by the brain allowing Levadopa to cross into the brain where it is converted to Dopamine.
- Last Text Update:
- 2009-Nov-20 11:12 PM
- Last Data Update:
- 2009-Nov-20 6:53 PM
Other Names
- Sinemet
- Carbidopa / Levodopa
- Sinemet CR
- Sinemet 10 / 100
- Sinemet 25 / 250
- Lebocar
- Carbidopa with Levodopa
- Sinacarb
- Parcopa
- Carbidopa + L-Dopa
How Safe Is It?
- Your Risk Rating
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- Average Risk Rating
-
- Pregnancy Category:
- C
- Black Box Warning:
- No
Facts & Figures
- Date Approved
- 02 May 1975
- Est US Patients*
- 184,300
- Generic Available
- Yes
- OTC Available
- No
User Age Distribution*
< 21
21-39
40-59
60+
Age (Years)
* Estimated number of US people currently taking Sinemet or its active ingredient based on population adjusted patient numbers registered with iGuard.org.
Recent alerts for Sinemet
There have been no alerts regarding Sinemet during the past year.
Sinemet Safety Report
Learn more about iGuard's risk ratings
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What is Sinemet used for?
iGuard.org is currently tracking more than 1,000 patients that use Sinemet (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)). Use the table below to learn why iGuard users take this product; click on any underlined condition to get information on other medications used for treatment.
| Disease / Condition | % | Average Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Parkinson's Disease | 61% | 
|
| Restless Leg Syndrome | 33% | 
|
| Muscle Spasms | 3% |
|
| Other | 3% |
|
How well does Sinemet work?
iGuard.org regularly polls our more than 1,000 users taking Sinemet (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medications (TSQM) . This feedback is continuously updated in tables below for the benefit of the iGuard community. To request scores for specific patient subgroups, please contact research@iguard.org.
Average Satisfaction Score
(out of 10)
Average Effectiveness Score
(out of 10)
- 72%
- of patients are confident that the good things about Sinemet outweigh the bad things.
- 15%
- of patients wish they were told more before they started taking Sinemet.
Common Side Effects of Sinemet
iGuard.org regularly polls our more than 1,000 users taking Sinemet (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) to monitor the development and frequency of side-effects. This feedback is continuously updated in tables and graphs below for the benefit of the iGuard community.
40% of patients experience side-effects on Sinemet
6% of patients experience signifcant side-effects on Sinemet
Most Common Side Effects...
-
Nausea/Vomiting
-
Involuntary Movements
-
Drowsiness
-
Heartburn/Reflux
-
Constipation
-
Muscle Pain/Stiffness
-
Fevers/Chills
-
Abdominal Pain
-
High Blood Pressure
-
= 10%
Global Patient Feedback for Sinemet (Carbidopa / Levodopa) ( Post a comment )
Question/Comment:
My father (age 80) took Sinemet for Parkinson's and it didn't help at all. He had to also take an anti-psychotic for the hallucination side effects. He's now off both meds and his mobility has greatly improved. HIs new doctor thinks he might have an underlying infection, perhaps lymes disease.
Be careful to make sure your muscle spasms, RLS, and Parkinson's are not due to lymes.
85 year old Male
Posted: 2009-10-20 21:00:12
Question/Comment:
I take carbidopa/levodopa 25/100 as needed for restless leg syndrome. I find it to be very effective and haven't noticed any side effects.
58 year old Male
Posted: 2009-09-28 21:09:24
Question/Comment:
i have been taking this for the last 6-8 months. when i started my RLS was only at night (for the last 20 yrs, off and on) and it has worked unbelievably well. but RLS has recently started acting up during the day, so my dr. has given me samples of Mirapex to try, which leads to compulsive
behavior, so we'll see how that works. 67 yr. old woman
68 year old Female
Posted: 2009-07-15 22:10:13
Question/Comment:
I've been taking Carbo-Dopa since June 2006, upped the dose to 4x day last September. Doing fine -- in fact very well indeed. I'm very happy to note that people comment on how well I'm doing, but I'm also follow advice to go to water exercises every two or three days, and exercises with a TV program every morning, and some of the exercises from my physiotherapist while watching TV news.
78 year old Female
Posted: 2009-07-01 20:29:00
Question/Comment:
I have been on Carbidopa 25/250 3 times a day for the last 14 years, beginning when I was 12 years old and it has been one of the best things to come my way. I have early onset dopa responsive dystonia which I began with symptoms at age 5 until I began on this medication at 12. It is the only reason I can sit here and type this, without it I lose my hands and feet to the muscles locking up. I have not had much for side effects, other than nausea when I don't eat anything with it, otherwise its been a god send!
27 year old Female
Posted: 2009-06-08 14:05:24
You may post comments for the benefit of other patients or post questions other patients might be able to answer. Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Only your age and gender will be published with your comment, although your other user details will be securely recorded for verification purposes.
Comments may be either questions or answers to previously posted questions. Any iGuard.org user may post questions and reply.
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Patient Comments about
Sinemet