Carbidopa-levodopa infusion

Duopa is a brand-name drug consisting of carbidopa and Levodopa. It is usually administered through a feeding tube in a gel straight into the small intestine. This medication is used for more complex Parkinson’s patients that still respond to carbidopa-levodopa, but have so many fluctuations in their response. Blood levels of the two drugs do not change because duopa is continually administered. Nerve cells in the brain take in Levodopa and turn it into dopamine (used to send messages between the regions of the brain and nerves that control movement. Levodopa can be taken with other medications such as benserazide or carbidopa. Excess use of Levodopa leads to dyskinesias [4] and “on-off” effects; the person quickly changes between being mobile and immobile.











