Generic Sinemet (Carbidopa-levodopa)
Generic Sinemet is used for treating symptoms associated with Parkinson disease and parkinsonism-like symptoms caused by other conditions.Levodopa and Carbidopa tablet
What is this medicine?
CARBIDOPA; LEVODOPA is used to treat the symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
What should my health care professional know before I take this medicine?
They need to know if you have any of these conditions:
- asthma or lung disease
- depression or other mental illness
- diabetes
- glaucoma
- heart disease, including history of a heart attack
- irregular heart beat
- kidney disease
- liver disease
- melanoma or suspicious skin lesions
- stomach or intestine ulcers
- an unusual or allergic reaction to levodopa, carbidopa, other medicines, foods, dyes, or preservatives
- pregnant or trying to get pregnant
- breast-feeding
How should I take this medicine?
Take this medicine by mouth. Remove your medicine from the bottle with dry hands. Place tablet on the tip of the tongue and allow it to melt before swallowing. Take your doses at regular intervals. Do not take your medicine more often than directed. Do not stop taking except on the advice of your doctor or health care professional.
Talk to your pediatrician regarding the use of this medicine in children. Special care may be needed.
Overdosage: If you think you have taken too much of this medicine contact a poison control center or emergency room at once.
NOTE: This medicine is only for you. Do not share this medicine with others.
What if I miss a dose?
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you can. If it is almost time for your next dose, take only that dose. Do not take double or extra doses.
What may interact with this medicine?
Do not take this medicine with any of the following medications:
- isoniazid, INH
- medicines called MAO Inhibitors like Nardil, Parnate, Marplan, Eldepryl
- procarbazine
- reserpine
This medicine may also interact with the following medications:
- droperidol
- iron supplements
- medicines for depression, anxiety, or psychotic disturbances
- medicines for high blood pressure
- metoclopramide
- papaverine
- phenytoin
This list may not describe all possible interactions. Give your health care provider a list of all the medicines, herbs, non-prescription drugs, or dietary supplements you use. Also tell them if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs. Some items may interact with your medicine.
What should I watch for while taking this medicine?
Visit your doctor or health care professional for regular checks on your progress. It may be several weeks or months before you feel the full benefits of this medicine. Continue to take your medicine on a regular schedule. Do not take any additional medicines for Parkinson's disease without first consulting with your health care provider.
You may experience a wearing of effect prior to the time for your next dose of this medicine. You may also experience an on-off effect where the medicine apparently stops working for anything from a minute to several hours, then suddenly starts working again. Tell your doctor or health care professional if any of these symptoms happen to you. Your dose may need to be changed.
A high protein diet can slow or prevent absorption of this medicine. Avoid high protein foods near the time of taking this medicine to help to prevent these problems. Take this medicine at least 30 minutes before eating or one hour after meals. You may want to eat higher protein foods later in the day or in small amounts. Discuss your diet with your doctor or health care professional or nutritionist.
You may get drowsy or dizzy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do anything that needs mental alertness until you know how this drug affects you. Do not stand or sit up quickly, especially if you are an older patient. This reduces the risk of dizzy or fainting spells. Alcohol can make you more drowsy and dizzy. Avoid alcoholic drinks.
If you are diabetic, this medicine may interfere with the accuracy of some tests for sugar or ketones in the urine (does not interfere with blood tests). Check with your doctor or health care professional before changing the dose of your diabetic medicine.
This medicine may discolor the urine or sweat, making it look darker or red in color. This is of no cause for concern. However, this may stain clothing or fabrics.
What side effects may I notice from this medicine?
Side effects that you should report to your doctor or health care professional as soon as possible:
- allergic reactions like skin rash, itching or hives, swelling of the face, lips, or tongue
- anxiety, confusion, or nervousness
- fast or irregular heartbeat
- hallucinations
- mood changes like aggressive behavior, depression
- stomach pain
- trouble passing urine
- uncontrolled movements of the mouth, head, hands, feet, shoulders, eyelids or other unusual muscle movements
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your doctor or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome):
- headache
- loss of appetite
- muscle twitches
- nausea, vomiting
- nightmares, trouble sleeping
- unusually weak or tired
This list may not describe all possible side effects.
Where can I keep my medicine?
Keep out of the reach of children.
Store at room temperature between 15 and 30 degrees C (59 and 86 degrees F). Protect from light and moisture. Throw away any unused medicine after the expiration date.
What is a generic medication?
Wikipedia gives the following definition:
“Generic drug (pl. generic drugs, short: generics) is a drug which is produced and distributed without a brand name. A generic must contain the same active ingredients as the original formulation. In most cases, it is considered bioequivalent to the brand name counterpart with respect to pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. By extension, therefore, generics are assumed to be identical in dose, strength, route of administration, safety, efficacy, and intended use.”
Does a generic medication differ from a brand name drug?
Not much, actually. But there is a difference, of course. To see the difference more clearly we have made a table: click here
Why are generic pills cheaper than the brand name ones?
The principal reason for the reduced price of generic medicines is that the creation of the generic drug runs up less cost and therefore a lower price can be offered and still maintain profitability.
Manufacturers of generic drugs are mainly able to avoid the following three costs that brand name pharmaceutical companies incur: (1) costs associated with the research and development of the drug; (2) costs associated obtaining regulatory approval (i.e. proving safety and efficacy of a drug); and (3) marketing costs.
First, Generic manufacturers do not incur the cost of drug discovery and instead reverse-engineer existing brand name drugs to allow them to manufacture bioequivalent versions.
Second, generic manufacturers do not bear the burden of proving the safety and efficacy of the drugs through clinical trials - rather, generic manufacturers must prove the generic drug’s bioequivalancy to the existing drug.
Third, these companies receive the large benefit of the marketing and advertising that goes into pushing the innovator drug. The brand name drug has to prove itself in the eyes of the consumer, generic ones do not. The drugs that generic manufacturers are selling have been on the market for usually a decade or more and do not need additional advertising. For the same reason, generic manufacturers also do not give away sample doses to promote their products. The significant research, development and marketing costs incurred by the large pharmaceutical companies in introducing a new drug to the market is often cited as the reason for the high cost of new agents - they wish to recover these costs before the patent expires. Generic manufacturers do not incur these costs, with bioequivalence testing and manufacturing costing relatively little, and are able to charge significantly less than the brand.
Where are the pills you offer shipped from?
The pills we offer are produced by Indian manufacturers. To make sure our entire product list is in stock, the orders are sent out directly by our manufacturer. Usually it takes approximately two weeks for an order to be delivered to your location but in some cases may take up to three weeks.




