Levodopa is converted to a chemical called dopamine in the brain. Symptoms of Parkinsons disease may be caused by low levels of dopamine in the brain. Carbidopa helps prevent the breakdown of Levodopa before it can reach the brain and take effect. The combination of Carbidopa and Levodopa is used to treat Parkinson symptoms such as muscle stiffness, tremors, spasms, and poor muscle control. This medication is also used to treat Parkinson symptoms caused by carbon monoxide poisoning or manganese intoxication.

However, before taking Carbidopa Levodopa i.e. Sinemet medication, ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the manufacturer’s information for the patient and read it carefully. Talk to your doctor about all the possible risks of taking Sinemet medication. However, Sinemet may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide. Hence, for more information, consult your doctor and your medical pharmacist.

Follow the directions given by the doctor exactly for the usage of the Sinemet i.e. Carbidopa Levodopa medication and also read the prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand.

Levodopa and Carbidopa comes as a regular and extended-release i.e. long-acting tablet to take by mouth. Levodopa and Carbidopa usually is taken three or four times a day. You may have to take Levodopa and Carbidopa for several months before you feel its full effect. It may be needed for a long time to treat Parkinsons disease. If you are switching from Levodopa i.e. Dopar or Larodopa to the combination of Levodopa and Carbidopa i.e. Sinemet, wait at least 8 hours after your last dose of Levodopa to take your first dose of this combination drug.

If you notice any of the symptoms, which seem severe or persistent to you, please contact your doctor immediately. However, your doctor may need to monitor you carefully for side effects and alter the doses if necessary.

The most common side effects seen are: change in sense of taste, decreased attention span, memory loss, nervousness, dizziness, upset stomach, vomiting,
loss of appetite, headaches, weakness, increased sweating, fatigue, difficulty in speaking, nightmares, difficulty in sleeping etc.

And if you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:
fast/irregular/pounding heartbeats, eye pain, unusual or uncontrolled movements of the mouth, tongue, face, head, neck, arms, and legs, back and neck muscle spasms, difficulty in walking, especially starting to walk, increased shaking of the hands etc.

Inform your doctor if you experience any of these side effects or some new side effects occur which appear too bothersome to you.

Inform your doctor if you are allergic to the formulation of this medication or any other medication in any other form and also inform your doctor about any other medication you may be taking in any other form, as they may affect the way your medicine works.

However, Sinemet may interact with: water pills, isoniazid, INH, iron supplements, kava kava, linezolid, medicines for high blood pressure, medicines for depression, avoid those called MAO inhibitors-phenelzine i.e. NardilÂ, tranylcypromine i.e. ParnateÂ, isocarboxazid i.e. MarplanÂ, medicines for mental problems and psychotic disturbances, metoclopramide, papaverine, phenytoin, procarbazine, s-adenosyl-l-methionine, SAM-e, cocaine, droperidol, furazolidone etc.

Moreover, Sinemet i.e. Carbidopa Levodopa may also interact with some kind of foods, varied medications, herbal products, nutritional supplements, vitamins, other OTC medicines, some vaccinations etc. Acquire more information about the interactions of the Sinemet medication from your doctor and the medical pharmacists.

In case of overdose call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222.
If the suffering patient has collapsed or is not breathing call local emergency services at 911. Canadian residents should call their local poison control center directly.

Do not allow any other person to use your medication without getting doctor’s prescription themselves and also avoid using this medicine for other health conditions on your own. Keep the medicine away from the children and pets.

Also inform your doctor, if you are pregnant or are breast feeding. If you conceive during the course, inform your doctor immediately. Do not share your medicines with anyone, even if they have the same symptoms, for it may harm them. Do not begin, increase, decrease, or stop using this medicine on your own. In short discuss your complete medical history with your doctor, before taking the medicine.

Remember, it is very important to keep regular appointments with your doctor to study the way your body is responding to the course. And if you are going to have a surgery, tell your health care professional that you are using Sinemet medication.

Carry with you at all times an ID card mentioning your name, the medicine you are taking, the dosage, the name of the person and your health care professional they should call in case of an emergency. Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory and keep regular checks ups.

Also avoid alcohol and alcohol containing beverages whilst on a course with this medication.

And in case, if you wish to use the medicine in children, please contact your pediatrician for sure before its use.

If you missed the Sinemet i.e. Carbidopa Levodopa medication dose, do take the medicine immediately provided that there is ample of time in between the next dose. However, if it is almost time for the next dose skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Never double your doses to cope up with the missed. And in case, if you miss your one or two consecutive doses consult to your doctor or physician for guidance and continue further.

This medicine is an anti dyskinetic combination used to treat Parkinsons disease. It is also used to treat Parkinsons disease-like conditions that may occur due to certain injuries or diseases of the nervous system.

However, it may also be used to treat some other medical conditions which may be determined by your doctor accordingly and consult a pediatrician for the use of this medication in children.

The generic Sinemet i.e. Carbidopa Levodopa medication may be prescribed for other uses also and hence ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information about the Sinemet i.e. Carbidopa Levodopa medication.

Store generic Sinemet i.e. Carbidopa Levodopa, at room temperature in between 15-30°C and 59-86°F, in a cool and dry place. Keep the medicine in the container, it came in and always keep it tightly closed. Check Expiry date without fail. Keep all medicines away from women, newborns, children and pets. Do not freeze in any case. Also, keep it away from heat, dampness and direct light. Heat or moisture may cause the medicine to break down. When the medicine is not in use or outdated it should be discarded. Take help of your pharmacist in disposing this medicine properly. In any case, do not store the Sinemet medication in the bathroom.

Following precautions must be taken during consuming generic Sinemet i.e. Carbidopa Levodopa:

1. Inform your doctor if you have or have ever had: lung disease, liver disease, heart disease, diabetes, low or high blood pressure, asthma, heart attack, anemia/blood disorder, bleeding in the brain, head injury/recent stroke, kidney disease, serious injury/infection or any other severe disease etc. Also inform, if you drink alcoholic beverages or are a tobacco smoker etc.

2. Also acknowledge your doctor if you need to undergo any kind of surgery, including dental surgery or need an x-ray procedure that uses contrast agents. So, inform your doctors immediately about it, so that the doctor can decide whether to continue taking Sinemet medication or stop it during the surgery.

3. Let the doctor also know, if you are in-taking or are planning to take any prescribed or non prescribed medicines, health supplements or any other OTC medications, vitamins etc.

4. Do not use the Sinemet i.e. Carbidopa Levodopa medication, if you have any kind of allergy to it or to any ingredients of it and tell your doctor or pharmacist about the allergy and get treated accordingly.

5. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breast feeding before taking Sinemet medication. Hence also, inform your doctor immediately when you plan to conceive, or become pregnant during the course.

6. Do not share the drug with others unless they are prescribed by the doctor themselves. And if your symptoms of side effects do not improve in few weeks or if they become worse and bothersome, check these conditions immediately with your doctor.

7. Please, use the Sinemet medicine in the prescribed amount and do not overdose it or use it for the longer period of time. Do not discontinue on your own and consult your doctor before doing so to avoid further problems.

8. Regularly, keep your appointments with your doctor and keep an eye on the progress or side effects that has been noticed during the complete course.

9. Also, avoid smoking and consuming alcohol and alcohol containing beverages during the complete course to achieve good results.

10. For more information, contact your doctor and your pharmacists and also discuss the risks and benefits of the generic Sinemet.

11. Remember: Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor will order certain lab tests to check your response to Levodopa and Carbidopa.

12. You may experience a wearing off effect prior to the time for your next dose of Carbidopa - Levodopa. You may also experience an on-off effect where the medicine apparently stops working for anything from a minute to several hours, then suddenly starts working again. Tell your prescriber or health care professional if any of these symptoms happen to you, he/she may need to adjust your dosage.

13. Do not take iron supplements within 2 hours of taking Levodopa. The iron may decrease the amount of Levodopa in your system and decrease the effectiveness of the drug. If you are diabetic, Carbidopa - Levodopa may interfere with the accuracy of some tests for sugar or ketones in the urine does not interfere with blood tests. Check with your prescriber or health care professional before changing the dose of your diabetic medicine.

14. Carbidopa - Levodopa may discolor the urine or sweat, making it look darker or red in color, this is of no cause for concern. However, this may stain clothing or fabrics.

15. Do not stop taking Levodopa and Carbidopa suddenly without talking with your doctor. Sudden stoppage can cause symptoms of Parkinsons disease to return.