Papers And Originals
Idiopathic Parkinsonism Treated with an Extracerebral Decarboxylase Inhibitor in Combination with Levodopa
Br Med J 1971; 3 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.3.5777.729 (Published 25 September 1971) Cite this as: Br Med J 1971;3:729
- D. B. Calne,
- J. L. Reid,
- S. D. Vakil,
- Sumant Rao,
- A. Petrie,
- C. A. Pallis,
- J. Gawler,
- P. K. Thomas,
- A. Hilson
Abstract
The clinical actions of levodopa in Parkinsonism, given with and without an extracerebral decarboxylase in hibitor, L-alpha-methyldopahydrazine, were compared. Twenty-one patients were investigated in a “double-blind cross-over” study, administering levodopa in maximum tolerated dosage. L-Alpha-methyldopahydrazine failed to augment the overall therapeutic actions of levodopa but it consistently alleviated nausea. It is concluded that L-alpha-methyldopahydrazine will prove useful in the management of some Parkinsonian patients who have difficulty in taking levodopa alone.