Entacapone

Generic name: Entacapone
Brand names: Comtan
Dosage form: oral tablet (200 mg)
Drug class: Dopaminergic antiparkinsonism agents

Usage of Entacapone

When used with Carbidopa and levodopa (Atamet, Parcopa, Sinemet), entacapone increases levels of levodopa in the body.

Entacapone is used together with Carbidopa and levodopa to treat "wearing-off" symptoms of Parkinson's disease, such as stiffness, tremors, muscle spasms, and poor muscle control.

Entacapone may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Entacapone side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Entacapone may cause serious side effects. Call your doctor at once if you have:

agitation, confusion, unusual thoughts or behavior;

hallucinations (hearing or seeing something that is not there);

very stiff (rigid) muscles, high fever, sweating, fast or uneven heartbeats, tremors, feeling like you might pass out;

severe or ongoing diarrhea;

restless muscle movements in your eyes, tongue, jaw, or neck (or worsening of Parkinson symptoms); or

unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness especially if you also have fever, unusual tiredness, and dark colored urine.

You may notice that your urine appears orange, red, brown, or black in color. This is not a harmful side effect unless you also have muscle pain and unusual weakness.

Common side effects of entacapone may include:

dizziness, drowsiness;

nausea, vomiting, stomach pain;

diarrhea;

dry mouth; or

uncontrolled muscle movements.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Before taking Entacapone

You should not use entacapone if you are allergic to it.

To make sure entacapone is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

low blood pressure;

liver disease; or

a history of mental illness or psychosis.

You may have increased sexual urges, unusual urges to gamble, or other intense urges while taking entacapone. Talk with your doctor if this occurs.

People with Parkinson's disease may have a higher risk of skin cancer (melanoma). Talk to your doctor about this risk and what skin symptoms to watch for. You may need to have regular skin exams.

It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

It is not known whether entacapone passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Relate drugs

How to use Entacapone

Usual Adult Dose for Parkinson's Disease:

200 mg orally concomitantly with each dose of levodopa-carbidopa up to a maximum of 8 times a dayMaximum dose: 1600 mg per day Comments: -Upon initiation, a majority of patients required levodopa dose reductions or an extension of the interval between their levodopa doses, especially those receiving levodopa doses of 800 mg/day or greater, and patients with baseline moderate or severe dyskinesia.Use: As an adjunct to levodopa-carbidopa to treat end-of-dose "wearing-off" in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Warnings

Follow all directions on your medicine label and package. Tell each of your healthcare providers about all your medical conditions, allergies, and all medicines you use.

What other drugs will affect Entacapone

Taking entacapone with other drugs that make you sleepy can worsen this effect. Ask your doctor before taking entacapone with a sleeping pill, narcotic pain medicine, muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety, depression, or seizures.

Tell your doctor about all medicines you use, and those you start or stop using during your treatment with entacapone, especially:

isocarboxazid;

linezolid;

methylene blue injection;

phenelzine; or

tranylcypromine.

This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with entacapone, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide.

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

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