Your healthcare professional (e.g., doctor or pharmacist) may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for it. Do not stop or change the dosage of any medicine without checking with them first.

This drug should not be used with the following medication because a very serious interaction may occur: tetrabenazine.

Avoid taking MAO inhibitors (isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue, moclobemide, phenelzine, procarbazine, tranylcypromine) within 2 weeks before, during, and after treatment with this medication. In some cases a serious (possibly fatal) drug interaction may occur.

Certain MAO inhibitors (selegiline, rasagiline) may be used cautiously with close monitoring by your doctor.

If you are currently using any of these medications listed above, tell your doctor or pharmacist before starting carbidopa/levodopa. If you are taking selegiline or rasagiline for Parkinson's disease, ask your doctor if you should continue taking it.

Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription/herbal products you may use, especially: other drugs to treat Parkinson's disease (e.g., all levodopa-containing products, benztropine, entacapone), medicine for high blood pressure (e.g., guanethidine, methyldopa, reserpine), antidepressants (e.g., tricyclics such as amitriptyline/nortriptyline), antipsychotics (e.g., chlorpromazine, thioridazine, risperidone), metoclopramide, phenytoin, papaverine, certain sedatives (e.g., benzodiazepines such as chlordiazepoxide/diazepam), tryptophan (e.g., l-tryptophan, oxitriptan).

This medication may interfere with certain laboratory tests (including urine catecholamine/glucose/ketone tests), possibly causing false test results. Make sure laboratory personnel and all your doctors know you use this drug.

This document does not contain all possible interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist.

OVERDOSE: If overdose is suspected, contact your local poison control center or emergency room immediately. US residents can call the US national poison hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Canadian residents should call their local poison control center directly. Symptoms of overdose may include: irregular heartbeat, muscle spasms, seizures.

NOTES: Do not share this medication with others.

Laboratory and/or medical tests (e.g., blood count, heart/kidney/liver function) may be performed to monitor your progress.

People with Parkinson's disease may have an increased risk for developing skin cancer (melanoma). Tell your doctor promptly if you notice a change in the appearance or size of moles or other unusual skin changes. Ask your doctor if you should have regular skin exams.

MISSED DOSE: If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to catch up.

STORAGE: Store in a tightly closed container at room temperature below 86 F (30 degrees C) away from high heat, moisture, and light. Levodopa may turn a darker color when not properly stored. If this occurs, it may not work as well and may need to be thrown out and replaced. Consult your pharmacist for more information on what to do if the medication changes color. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep all medicines away from children and pets.

Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.

Information last revised September 2011. Copyright(c) 2011 First Databank, Inc.