Dopamine Agonists

Available Doses: .125 mg, .25 mg, .5 mg, .75 mg, 1 mg, 1.5 mg

Typical Treatment Regimen: 1.5 to 4.5 mg total daily dose (3 times per day)

Side Effects: nausea, lower blood pressure, leg swelling, confusion, sleep attacks, compulsive behaviors like gambling

Indications for Usage: Monotherapy (alone) or combination therapy for slowness, stiffness and tremor

Available Doses: .375 mg, .75 mg., 1.5 mg, 2.25 mg, 3 mg, 3.75 mg, 4.5 mg

Typical Treatment Regimen: 1.5 to 4.5 mg once per day

Side Effects: nausea, lower blood pressure, leg swelling, confusion, sleep attacks, compulsive behaviors like gambling

Indications for Usage: or combination therapy for slowness, stiffness and tremor

Available Doses: .25 mg, .5 mg, 1 mg, 2 mg, 3 mg, 4 mg, 5 mg

Typical Treatment Regimen: 9 to 24 mg total daily dose (3 times per day)

Side Effects: nausea, lower blood pressure, leg swelling, confusion, sleep attacks, compulsive behaviors like gambling

Indications for Usage: or combination therapy for slowness, stiffness and tremor

Available Doses: (All doses taken once a day) 2 mg, 4 mg, 6 mg, 8 mg, 12 mg

Initial Dosing: 8 to 24 mg once per day

Side Effects: nausea, lower blood pressure, leg swelling, confusion, sleep attacks, compulsive behaviors like gambling

Indications for Usage: or combination therapy for slowness, stiffness and tremor

Available Doses: 30 mg/3 mL vial

Typical Treatment Regimen: .2 mL during “off” periods (changes in the ability to move as a levodopa dose wanes)

Side Effects: nausea, lower blood pressure, leg swelling, confusion, sleep attacks, compulsive behaviors like gambling. May receive anti-nausea medication daily for three days before starting medication

Indications for Usage: Adjunct therapy (combined with other Parkinson’s medications) as needed for "off" periods. It is the only injectable, fast-acting dopaminergic drug, starts working in 10 minutes and lasts for 90 minutes

Available Doses: 10 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg, 25 mg and 30 mg sublingual film

Typical Treatment Regimen: One 10 mg film placed under the tongue as needed, up to five doses per day, separated by at least 2 hours. These films are similar in appearance to breath freshening strips. However, these are placed under the tongue rather than on top.

Side Effects: nausea, oral/pharyngeal soft tissue swelling, oral/pharyngeal soft tissue pain and numbness, dizziness and sleepiness. May receive anti-nausea medication daily for three days before starting medication

Indications for Usage: for the acute, intermittent treatment of “off” episodes in Parkinson’s disease. It is the only sublingual therapy approved for the on-demand treatment of Parkinson’s disease "off" episodes.

Available Doses: 1 mg, 2 mg, 3 mg, 4 mg, 6 mg, 8 mg patch

Typical Treatment Regimen: 4 to 8 mg once per day

Side Effects: nausea, lower blood pressure, leg swelling, confusion, sleep attacks, compulsive behaviors like gambling, skin rashes

Indications for Usage: Monotherapy or combination therapy for slowness, stiffness and tremor; skin patch delivery is an advantage for some

Please note that the side effects listed in the tables that accompany each class of medication are the most commonly experienced. Not all individuals will experience such side effects. Careful adjustments to dosage or the timing of individual doses can often effectively limit or eliminate side effects for many people.

Speak to your doctor immediately if you experience any side effects. For a complete description of each drug and its possible side effects, please request a “package insert” from your pharmacist for each drug used. It is recommended that all prescriptions be filled at the same pharmacy to avoid interactions between medications. Interactions can be dangerous and even life-threatening, so make sure the pharmacist knows of all medications and supplements being taken, including over-the-counter medications and supplements.

Caution: Parkinson’s medications may have interactions with certain foods, other medications, vitamins, herbal supplements, over-the-counter cold pills and other remedies. Anyone taking a PD medication should talk to their doctor and pharmacist about potential drug interactions.