Carbidopa, Entacapone, and Levodopa (Oral Route)

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Side Effects

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Also, because of the way these medicines act on the body, there is a chance that they might cause other unwanted effects that may not occur until months or years after the medicine is used. These may include certain types of cancer, such as leukemia or bladder cancer. Discuss these possible effects with your doctor.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

More common-Entacapone
  • Twitching, twisting, uncontrolled repetitive movements of tongue, lips, face, arms, or legs
Incidence unknown-Carbidopa and Levodopa and/or Levodopa alone
  • Bleeding gums
  • Bloody or black, tarry stools
  • Bloody or cloudy urine
  • Bluish color
  • Change in size, shape or color of existing mole
  • Changes in skin color
  • Chest pain, discomfort, or tightness
  • Constipation
  • Constricted pupil
  • Convulsions
  • Cough
  • Dark-colored urine
  • Difficult or labored breathing
  • Difficulty in speaking
  • Drooling
  • Drooping eyelid (ptosis)
  • Facial dryness
  • Fast, irregular, or pounding heart beat
  • Fever with or without chills
  • Fixed position of eye
  • General feeling of illness
  • Hallucinations [seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there]
  • Hoarseness
  • High or low blood pressure
  • Large, flat, blue or purplish patches in the skin
  • Large, hive-like swelling on face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, sex organs
  • Loss of appetite
  • Loss of bladder control
  • Lower abdominal pain
  • Lower back or side pain
  • Mole that leaks fluid or bleeds
  • Muscle cramps or spasms
  • Muscle pain or stiffness
  • Muscle trembling, jerking, or stiffness
  • Nausea
  • New mole
  • Pain
  • Painful knees and ankles
  • Pain or discomfort in arms, jaw, back or neck
  • Painful or difficult urination
  • Pale skin
  • Pinpoint red spots on skin
  • Raised red swellings on the skin, the buttocks, legs or ankles
  • Restlessness
  • Seizures
  • Severe mental changes
  • Severe stomach pain
  • Shakiness and unsteady walk
  • Shortness of breath
  • Shuffling walk
  • Sore throat
  • Sores, ulcers, or white spots on lips or in mouth
  • Stomach pain
  • Sweating
  • Swollen glands
  • Tenderness and swelling of foot or leg
  • Trembling, or other problems with muscle control or coordination
  • Uncontrolled movements, especially of face, neck, and back
  • Unusual bleeding or bruising
  • Unusual tiredness or weakness
  • Vomiting
  • Vomiting of blood or material that looks like coffee grounds

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

More common-Entacapone
  • Absence of or decrease in body movement
  • Diarrhea
  • Dizziness
  • Urine discoloration
Less common-Entacapone
  • Acid or sour stomach
  • Anxiety
  • Bacterial infection
  • Belching
  • Bitter, sour or unusual taste in mouth
  • Bloated
  • Burning feeling in chest or stomach
  • Discomfort
  • Dry mouth
  • Excess air or gas in stomach or intestines
  • Fear
  • Full feeling
  • Heartburn
  • Hyperventilation
  • Increased sweating
  • Indigestion
  • Irritability
  • Lack or loss of strength
  • Nervousness
  • Passing gas
  • Restlessness
  • Sleepiness or unusual drowsiness
  • Stomach discomfort, or upset
  • Swollen mouth and tongue
  • Tenderness in stomach area
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Urge to have bowel movement
  • Wheezing
Incidence unknown-Carbidopa and Levodopa and/or Levodopa alone
  • Being forgetful
  • Bizarre breathing patterns
  • Bladder pain
  • Blurred vision
  • Body aches or pain
  • Burning, crawling, itching, numbness, prickling, "pins and needles" , or tingling feelings
  • Burning and upper abdominal pain
  • Burning sensation of the tongue
  • Clenching, gnashing, or grinding teeth
  • Confusion about identity, place, and time
  • Dark saliva
  • Dark sweat
  • Decreased mental acuity
  • Difficulty opening the mouth
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Discouragement
  • Double vision
  • Ear congestion
  • Enlarged pupils
  • Excessive watering of mouth
  • Fainting
  • Faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up from a lying or sitting position suddenly
  • False or unusual sense of well-being
  • Feeling like you will pass out
  • Feeling of warmth
  • Feeling sad or empty
  • Flushing
  • Hives or welts
  • Hair loss
  • Increased blinking
  • Headache
  • Hiccups
  • Increased interest in sexual ability, desire, drive, or performance
  • Increased interest in sexual intercourse
  • Lack of appetite
  • Large, hard skin blisters
  • Leg pain
  • Lockjaw
  • Loss of interest or pleasure
  • Loss of voice
  • Muscle spasm, especially of neck and back
  • Nasal congestion
  • Nightmares
  • Numbness
  • Pain in the chest below the breastbone
  • Painful or prolonged erection of the penis
  • Pharyngeal pain
  • Poor insight and judgment
  • Pounding in the ears
  • Problems with memory or speech
  • Redness of skin
  • Redness of the face, neck, arms and occasionally upper chest
  • Runny nose
  • Sense of stimulation
  • Shoulder pain
  • Skin rash
  • Sleeplessness
  • Slow movement
  • Slow or fast heartbeat
  • Slow reflexes
  • Sneezing
  • Swelling
  • Tremor, increased
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Trouble recognizing objects
  • Trouble thinking and planning
  • Twitching of eyelids
  • Urinary frequency
  • Urinary retention
  • Weight gain
  • Weight loss

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Precautions

DR600055

Portions of this document last updated:

Nov. 1, 2009

Source: Drug Information provided by: Micromedex

Copyright © 2009 Thomson Healthcare Inc. All rights reserved. Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes.


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