Usual Adult Dose for Parkinson's Disease:
Optimum dosage is determined by careful individual titration: All doses expressed as CARBIDOPA-LEVODOPA
Immediate-release tablets:
Initial dose: 25 mg-100 mg orally three times a day or 10 mg-100 mg orally 3 or 4 times a day
-Increase by 1 tablet every day or every other day as needed until a dose of 8 tablets is reached; may use a combination of tablets from both ratios (1:4 or 1:10) to provide the optimum dose.
Conversion from LEVODOPA:
-Levodopa should be discontinued at least 12 hours before starting carbidopa-levodopa; initiate with approximately 25% of the previous levodopa dose.
-Suggested dose for patients receiving less than levodopa 1500 mg per day: 25 mg-100 mg orally 3 or 4 times a day.
-Suggested dose for patients receiving more than levodopa 1500 mg per day: 25 mg-250 mg orally 3 or 4 times a day.
Sustained-Release Tablets (Sinemet CR):
-Initial dose (levodopa-naive): 50 mg-200 mg orally twice a day; initial dosage should be given at intervals of more than 6 hours
-Dose and dosing interval may be increased or decreased at intervals of at least 3 days based on therapeutic response
-Dose range: Most patients will require levodopa 400 to 1600 mg/day in divided doses every 4 to 8 hours during waking hours; doses of 2400 mg/day at intervals of less than 4 hours have been used, but are generally not recommended.
Conversion from IMMEDIATE-RELEASE levodopa with or without a decarboxylase inhibitor:
-For patients receiving levodopa with a decarboxylase inhibitor: Dosage with Sinemet CR should be approximately 10% higher than previous levodopa dosage; this may need to be increased to up to 30% higher depending on clinical response.
-For patients receiving levodopa without a decarboxylase inhibitor: Dosage with sustained release should be approximately 25% of previous levodopa dosage; levodopa should be discontinued at least 12 hours before starting carbidopa-levodopa.
 Detailed Sinemet dosage information
What happens if I miss a dose?
Take the medicine as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose. Do not take two doses at one time.
Get your prescription refilled before you run out of medicine completely.
What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.
