Although
carbidopa-levodopa is an effective Parkinson's medication, its benefits are often limited to a few years, when it may begin to lose its effectiveness and cause intolerable side effects. It is not clear at this time why this might occur; some people think it is simply a manifestation of the worsening of the disease that normally happens over time. Adding
Tasmar to
carbidopa-levodopa has been shown to decrease the "off" times (when the medication does not work well) and increase the "on" times (when the medication does work well).
Due to the risk of a potentially fatal
Tasmar side effect (liver failure), people should take the drug only if they are experiencing symptom fluctuations (such as wearing-off) and if other treatment alternatives are not appropriate or have failed.
Tasmar is always used in combination with carbidopa and levodopa; it is not effective at treating
Parkinson's disease when used alone. The drug works by increasing blood levels of levodopa and helping it last longer in the body. Tasmar works by inhibiting an enzyme known as catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) that breaks down levodopa before it has a chance to reach the brain.
Tasmar is not approved for use in children. Discuss the potential risks and benefits of the drug with your child's healthcare provider.
On occasion, your healthcare provider may recommend Tasmar for something other than the conditions discussed in this article. At this time, there are no universally accepted
off-label Tasmar uses.
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