Patient/caregiver was educated on the side-effects of using Carbidopa-Levodopa as follows:
Musculoskeletal side-effects
- Carbidopa-Levodopa carries the risk of inducing/aggravating abnormal and uncontrolled body movements, such as, uncontrolled tongue movements, lip smacking, and eye blinking. Dyskinesias could be due to side-effects of various other medications and irrespective to the cause of dyskinesias, individuals with history can be at increased risk to present with aggravation of the condition, secondary to Carbidopa-Levodopa intake.
- Carbidopa-Levodopa use can result in motor incoordination, unusual eye movements, blurred vision, and can increase fall risk and accidents. Confusion and dizziness with Carbidopa-Levodopa use, can add to the motor incoordination, thus enhancing the fall risk significantly.
- Carbidopa-Levodopa intake carries the risk of lowering the threshold for seizures, thereby, resulting in seizure activity, especially in individuals with history of the same.
- Carbidopa-Levodopa intake can also induce a life-threatening reaction called Neuroleptic malignant syndrome. Individuals taking Carbidopa-Levodopa can present with high fever, episodes of confusion, muscle rigidity, elevated blood pressure, and rapid heart rate. Severe cases can present with muscle breakdown, elevated potassium levels in the blood due to muscle destruction, life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias due to the elevated blood potassium, and seizures.
