Entacapone
About
Entacapone belongs to a group known as antiparkinson’s medicines. It is used alone or in combination with other drugs, such as levodopa, for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of Parkinson's disease. This drug can improve symptoms such as tremors, stiffness, poor muscle control and muscle spasms. Parkinson's disease is a medical disorder that affects the ability of a person to do regular tasks. This disease affects the nervous system of the body, which in turn, affects the person's ability to move or do the normal activities of the day. This is a chronic and progressive disorder, so if the right treatment is not provided to the patient at the initial stage of this disease, their symptoms may worsen with time.
Entacapone contains entacapone which is given in combination with levodopa. It works by inhibiting a chemical messenger that supports increasing the amount of dopamine (other chemical messengers) in the body. Thereby, enough dopamine controls the brain to organize body movements. This is how it works to survive Parkinson's disease.
Take Entacapone as prescribed by your doctor. You are advised to take Entacapone for as long as your doctor has prescribed it for you, depending on your medical conditions. You may experience nausea, fatigue, vomiting, confusion, constipation, increased sweating, falls, urine discolouration, dizziness Insomnia (difficulty in sleeping), diarrhea, impaired muscle coordination, heart disease, heart attack, dryness in the mouth and abdominal pain. Most of these side effects of Entacapone do not require medical attention and gradually resolve over time. However, if the side effects persist or worsen, please consult your doctor.
Do not take Entacapone if you are allergic to it or any other ingredients present in it. Avoid taking Entacapone if you have heart disease or heart attack. Entacapone causes low blood pressure, drowsiness and dizziness. It is advisable not to drive unless you are alert. Avoid drinking alcohol as it may cause drowsiness and dizziness and decrease the efficacy of Entacapone. It is not recommended for use in children under 18 years of age as limited data are available. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Uses of Entacapone
Medicinal Benefits
Entacapone increases levels of levodopa in the body. Entacapone is used together with levodopa and carbidopa to treat 'wearing-off' symptoms of Parkinson's disease, such as tremors, stiffness, poor muscle control and muscle spasms. It works by inhibiting a chemical messenger, which supports increasing the amount of dopamine (other chemical messengers) in the body. Thereby, enough dopamine controls the brain to organize body movements. This is how it works to survive Parkinson's disease.
Directions for Use
Storage
Side Effects of Entacapone
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Vomiting
- Confusion
- Constipation
- Increased sweating
- Urine discolouration
- Dizziness
- Insomnia (difficulty in sleeping)
- Diarrhoea
- Impaired muscle coordination
- Heart disease
- Heart attack
- Dry mouth
- Abdominal pain
In-Depth Precautions and Warning
Drug Warnings
Avoid taking Entacapone if you are allergic to Entacapone or any other ingredients in it. If you have heart disease, heart attack, muscle pain, or weakness, consult your doctor before taking Entacapone. Avoid taking Entacapone if you experience diarrhea. Immediately inform your doctor if you notice weakness, loss of appetite and weight loss within a relatively short period. Entacapone causes low blood pressure, drowsiness and dizziness. Do not drive unless you are alert. Avoid drinking alcohol as it may cause drowsiness and dizziness and decrease the efficacy of Entacapone. It is not recommended for use in children under 18 years of age as limited data are available. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding before taking Entacapone.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interactions: Entacapone may interact with medicines for heart disease (isoprenaline), antidepressants (amitriptyline, desipramine, isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue, moclobemide, phenelzine, procarbazine, tranylcypromine), antihistamines (cetirizine, diphenhydramine), drugs for sleep or anxiety (alprazolam, diazepam, zolpidem) blood thinner (warfarin), and iron supplements.
Drug-food interactions: Entacapone may interact with alcohol and increase the risk of side effects.
Drug-Disease interactions: Entacapone should be used with caution in patients with low blood pressure, psychosis and severe liver disease.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
unsafeTaking the drug along with alcohol may increase the side effects such as confusion, drowsiness and trouble in concentration.
Pregnancy
cautionEntacapone is generally not recommended for use in pregnancy. If you are pregnant, please consult your doctor before taking this medicine. Your doctor may prescribe this medicine if the benefits outweigh the risks.
Breast Feeding
cautionNo clinical use of Entacapone during breastfeeding has been reported. The drug might reduce serum prolactin and may affect milk production. If you are breastfeeding, consult your doctor before taking Entacapone.
Driving
cautionEntacapone may cause low blood pressure that further cause drowsiness and dizziness. So, it is not recommended to drive or operate heavy machinery after taking Entacapone.
Liver
cautionEntacapone should be used with caution in patients with liver disease. If you have liver problems, your doctor may adjust the dose of Entacapone or prescribe a suitable alternative based on your condition.
Kidney
cautionEntacapone should be used with caution in patients with kidney disease. If you have kidney problems, your doctor may adjust the dose of Entacapone or prescribe a suitable alternative based on your condition.
Children
cautionEntacapone is not recommended for use in children under 18 years as the safety and effectiveness were not established. Consult a child specialist for further information.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- A balanced diet is essential to show improvement in Parkinson's disease that includes grains and leafy foods as this food is rich in vitamins, fibre and minerals. With this food, one should also include dairy items, protein-rich nourishments, for example, meat and beans and solid fats found in nuts, olive oil, fish and eggs in their diet. However, limit the consumption of sugar.
- Constipation is a common issue for individuals with Parkinson's disease. Drinking more liquid and increasing the intake of fibre admission helps in overcoming this issue.
- Parkinson's sickness is often caused by decreased bone thickness. In this manner, taking calcium and nutrient D enhancements may help. However, do not take any supplements before counselling a doctor.
- One should drink a lot of water as a person dealing with this disease often feel dehydrated.
Special Advise
- Entacapone may cause diarrhea, if you experience diarrhea, drink plenty of water; if symptoms persist, consult your doctor immediately. Do not take anti-diarrhea medicine on your own.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Parkinson’s disease (PD): It is also known as a movement disorder that mainly affects a person's ability to perform regular activities. It is a chronic and progressive disorder that can worsen with time if proper treatment is not provided at the right time. Some common symptoms include tremors at rest, stiffness of the limbs and slowness of movement, difficulty in movement or walking and impaired balance. Other motor symptoms include trouble solving problems, small handwriting, stooped posture, etc. This disease also affects the brain's ability to work properly, such as sleep disturbances, reduced ability to smell, depression, fatigue and anxiety. However, the symptoms of this disease vary from person to person. There are certain neurons present in the brain that are responsible for making dopamine. This neurotransmitter helps to regulate the movement of the body. Loss of dopamine is supposed to be the primary reason for the occurrence of Parkinson's disease.
FAQs
Yes, Entacapone may result in urine discolouration to a brownish-orange colour. This effect is common and is not dangerous.
The combined use of Entacapone and levodopa has been related to unnecessary daytime sleepiness and unexpected sleep onset episodes. If you experience these symptoms, you should neither drive nor use other machinery. Inform your doctor if it becomes difficult.
If you take more than the prescribed doses of Entacapone, you may experience confusion, sleepiness, decreased activity, decreased muscle tone, urticaria (skin rashes caused by a reaction of medicine) and skin discolouration. If such symptoms happen, you should take urgent medical attention in a nearby hospital or inform your doctor.
No, Entacapone does not affect fertility. However, Entacapone should be avoided by pregnant and breastfeeding women because there is not enough data to help the safety of this patient group.
No, the Entacapone should not be crushed or split. Take it as a whole with a full glass of water.
