Patient/caregiver was educated on precautions to be exercised while taking Carbidopa-Levodopa as follows:
- Take this medication as ordered by your physician. Do not change the dose and frequency on this medication without consulting your doctor. Take the medication dose for the duration prescribed without fail.
- Carbidopa-Levodopa intake can induce extreme sleepiness and sedation, with unusual dreams and hallucinations. Starting the medication at a low dose and gradually increasing the dose, to help optimum control of your symptoms, can contribute to reducing the risk for drowsiness and dizziness due to the medication. Closely watching for the therapeutic response and developing side-effects allows appropriate changes in the dose of Carbidopa-Levodopa, to help optimum control of your symptoms and can also contribute to controlling/reducing the risk for drowsiness and dizziness due to the medication. If the dizziness becomes bothersome, report it to your physician and other health care personnel, for any change in plan of care to be considered. Stay away from activities, such as, driving and operating heavy machinery, until they are used to the side effects caused by Carbidopa-Levodopa.
- Do not take Carbidopa-Levodopa with alcohol. Alcohol can compound the drowsiness Carbidopa-Levodopa can cause, thus compromising safety and potentiating a serious risk for accidents and falls. A number of OTC cough medications and antihistamines, muscle relaxant medications, antidepressant medications, antipsychotics, and antianxiety medications, can potentiate the dizziness and confusion caused by Carbidopa-Levodopa and so, must be avoided taking along with Carbidopa-Levodopa.
