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Clay Felts wrote: > > I got no response from the message below so I will ask another way. > Does anyone have a suggestion of where I might get such information. > > Thanks > > ==Clay== > > -----Original Message----- > From: Clay Felts > Sent: Thursday, April 24, 1997 10:08 PM > To: Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN > Subject: Taxonomy of PD Medication > > I have been reading messages on this list service for the last several > months but I am still confused by the large number of medicines > mentioned. Does someone have a classification of medication used PD > symptoms? It would help to know which medicine is in what category. It > would also be important to know both the brand names and generic names. > > Thanks > > ==Clay== Clay- doing this off the top of my head I may miss something or make an error or 2 but here goes- The anticholenergic meds are the oldest used for PD they include artane(trihexyphenydil), cogentin(benztropine) and some others. They work by inhibiting cholenergic nerve transmission which is a system that is in balance with dopamine. L-dopa is a precursor of dopamine. By giving L-dopa dopamine is made by the cells in the substantia nigra (which are dying in PD) at an increased rate and amount. Therefore as long as there are cells left to convert the l-dopa to dopamine the l-DOPA works. There are drugs that inhibit the breakdown of L-dopa - carbidopa which is part of sinemet which inhibits the breakdown of the drug outside of the Brain. And eldepryl(deprenyl, selegeline) which acts both as an inhibitor of an enzyme that breaks down dopamine in the brain and as an antioxidant which may protect against cell loss. There are also 2 drugs coming on the market tolcapone and etacapone which inhibit another breakdown path of l-dopa (COMT inhibitors) Then there are the agonists, drugs that work like dopamine at the site of the receptor(the site of action of the l-dopa) Amatadine is I believe a weak one(Symetrel)then Parlodel (bromocryptine) and Permax(pergolide) as well as the new ones mentioned just about to come out- pramipexol and several others. Does anybody have any additions or corrections. Charlie -- ********************************************************** CHARLES T. MEYER, M.D. MADISON, WISCONSIN [log in to unmask] **********************************************************