Stand up for i.v. levodopa!

What is it about?

The natural amino acid levodopa (L-DOPA) is a mainstay of treatment for Parkinson disease (PD). Usually it is given by mouth, but we have given it intravenously to boost brain dopamine production in some brain imaging studies of PD or Tourette syndrome (TS). Here we report results from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study in 29 adults age 18-55. We show that i.v. levodopa does not cause blood pressure to drop on standing--if one first adequately blocks production of dopamine outside the brain.

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Why is it important?

We believe these data add to a variety of existing information that collectively indicate the safety of intravenous levodopa, when given with the precautions used in this study. These results may facilitate additional research using i.v. levodopa.