Parkinson’s Medications
By Dr. Dean P. Sutherland

Over the last 40 years, since the introduction of Sinemet, there have been some very important developments on the medication front. Several new medicines have been released over the last 10 years and many more are in the research and development phase right now.
Below is a partial list of the medications that we commonly use for treatment of Parkinson Disease and other related conditions. In general, PD meds are associated with certain benefits (improvement in muscle tone, reduction of tremor, increase in motor speed, improvement of gait and posture, greater sense of well-being, etc). They are also associated with side-effects such as constipation, hallucinations, dyskinesias, low blood pressure, confusion, obsessive/compulsive thoughts and behaviors, nausea, and more.
The important point to keep in mind is that each patient is a different individual and will respond in a manner different than the next patient, so treatment must be tailored to you as an individual. Using an algorithmic or cookbook approach to treatment can often be counterproductive. You should be monitored for effectiveness of the medications as well as for side-effects.
Carbidopa/Levodopa (Sinemet)
Stalevo
Ropinerole (Requip)
Apomorphine (Apokyn)
Amantidine (Symmetrel)
Benztropine (Cogentin)
Another cholinergic drug,
similar to trihexyphynidyl
above.