A 72-year-old man comes to the physician because of involuntary shaking and gait abnormalities for the past year. He was diagnosed with Parkinson disease two years ago and has been treated with selegiline. He also reports depressed mood and diminished smell and taste. Examination shows a shuffling gait, resting tremor in the left hand, and rigidity in both arms You consider switching to levodopa to control this patient's symptoms adequately and discuss the adverse effect profile of levodopa with him. Which of the following adverse effects is most likely to persist after adding carbidopa to levodopa treatment?

Question

A 72-year-old man comes to the physician because of involuntary shaking and gait abnormalities for the past year. He was diagnosed with Parkinson disease two years ago and has been treated with selegiline. He also reports depressed mood and diminished smell and taste. Examination shows a shuffling gait, resting tremor in the left hand, and rigidity in both arms You consider switching to levodopa to control this patient's symptoms adequately and discuss the adverse effect profile of levodopa with him.  Which of the following adverse effects is most likely to persist after adding carbidopa to levodopa treatment?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Adding carbidopa can reduce most of the peripheral side effects of levodopa. However, behavioral changes from levodopa can actually worsen with addition of carbidopa because more dopamine becomes available to the brain.

A 72-Year-Old Man Comes to the Physician Because of Involuntary