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Q. How many people care for someone with Parkinson's disease (PD)?
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A. As a care partner, you are an important part of the healthcare team,
which may include family members, friends, local, and national support groups.
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- In the U.S., 25 million people are care partners, and 25% of all households include
an adult providing care for someone over 50 years of age*
- 70% of all care partners are women†
- 60% of all care partners are over 65, and almost 25% are over 75†
- 73% of all care partners are spouses or partners of the person with PD†
- In 78% of cases, the care partner lives with the person being cared for†
- 25% of care partners help the person with Parkinson's disease (PD) with five
or more aspects of personal care, such as dressing and undressing, going to the toilet,
turning over in bed, and eating and drinking†
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Q. What is STALEVO?
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A. STALEVO contains three active ingredients: carbidopa, levodopa and entacapone
and is intended for use by Parkinson's patients who experience signs and symptoms
of end-of-dose 'wearing off'. Levodopa is the most widely used and one of the most
effective drugs available for Parkinson's disease. Together, carbidopa and entacapone
enhance the benefits of levodopa therapy by blocking the enzymes that break down
levodopa in the periphery. Because STALEVO contains entacapone, it provides a more
persistent presence of levodopa in the body, leading to more consistent symptom
control than carbidopa/levodopa alone.
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Q. How Does STALEVO work?
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A. Most of the symptoms of Parkinson's disease are due to a loss of dopamine in
the brain. The addition of entacapone to levodopa in STALEVO prevents the breakdown
of levodopa and extends the duration of effect of each dose of levodopa.
STALEVO therefore provides more consistent and reliable levels of levodopa to
the brain where it can be converted to the much-needed dopamine.
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Your loved one's results may vary. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have
questions about STALEVO.
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Q. What does STALEVO do?
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A. STALEVO does more than carbidopa/levodopa alone. It has been clinically proven to
deliver more active time during the day—almost an hour and a half each day (1.4 hours).
So your loved one can enjoy more time with fewer symptoms.
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Talk to your healthcare provider if you have questions about STALEVO.
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If the person in your care is taking levodopa therapy and COMTANŽ (entacapone) 200 mg tablets,
he or she might be able to switch to STALEVO, a single tablet, which contains
all three medications: carbidopa, levodopa, and entacapone.
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For patients with PD experiencing symptom re-emergence due to wearing off,
STALEVO is used to replace carbidopa/levodopa.
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Q. What should I expect from STALEVO treatment?
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A. STALEVO does more than carbidopa/levodopa alone. It has been clinically
proven to deliver more active time during the day—almost an hour and a half
each day (1.4 hours). So the person you care for can enjoy more time with
fewer symptoms.
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People who take STALEVO may have more active time between doses, which may
improve their daily activities.
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STALEVO may improve activities of daily living. Activities of daily living include:
- Speech
- Walking
- Handwriting
- Dressing
- Hygiene
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Q. Does STALEVO have side effects?
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A. The most common side effects of STALEVO are unwanted or uncontrollable movements
(known as dyskinesia), nausea, diarrhea, excessive muscle movements (known as
hyperkinesia), harmless discoloration of urine, sweat and/or saliva; diminished or
slow movements (known as hypokinesia), abdominal pain, dizziness, constipation,
fatigue, pain, and hallucinations. Some of the more serious side effects may include
severe diarrhea, severe dyskinesia, hallucinations, other mental disturbances,
orthostatic hypotension (low blood pressure), rhabdomyolysis (a muscle disease),
and symptoms resembling neuroleptic malignant syndrome (a condition characterized by
fever and muscle stiffness).
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Be careful using STALEVO if you have severe heart or lung disease, asthma, renal,
hepatic, or endocrine disease, or a history of heart attacks or ulcers. Do not take
STALEVO if you have glaucoma, melanoma, or other related medical disorders.
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In some people, STALEVO may cause urine or sweat to change color, becoming brownish
orange. STALEVO may also cause saliva to darken. These are harmless side effects
and are not cause for concern, although sweat may stain clothes.
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Drugs broken down by the COMT enzyme (eg, isoproterenol, epinephrine) should be
used with caution when taking STALEVO. If you take a nonselective monoamine oxidase
(MAO) inhibitor, you should not take STALEVO. STALEVO should not be taken with
selegiline at doses higher than 10 mg/day.
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Before you take STALEVO, talk to your doctor about any health problems you might
have. For more information about STALEVO, read the full prescribing information.
The prescribing information will explain how STALEVO will act in your body, possible
side effects, drug interactions, and precautions.
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Q. What do I do when I need to take a break?
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A. It's important to remember that you have needs, too, because caring
for someone with Parkinson's disease can be difficult, psychologically
and emotionally.
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Reach out. You will find it harder to help the person you care for
if you are tired. Turn to others for support. Keep up with hobbies,
activities, and friends.
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Stay healthy. It is as important to take care of your own health as
it is to care for the person with PD.
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Exercise. Do it with the person you care for, and eat well.
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Take a break. Find out how other people relieve stress, provide care, or
meet special needs. Go to local support groups.
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Q. What if I need support?
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Take a break. Go to local support groups. Your loved one can socialize with
peers; you can get a break:
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National Alliance for Caregiving
www.caregiving.org
Phone: 1-301-718-8444
National Family Caregivers Association
www.nfcacares.org
Phone: 1-800-896-3650
National Organization for Empowering Caregivers
www.nofec.org
Phone: 1-212-807-1204
National Parkinson Foundation: Caregivers Forum
www.parkinson.org
Phone: 1-800-327-4545
Well Spouse Association
www.wellspouse.org
Phone: 1-800-838-0879
The Parkinson Patient at Home
www.cnsonline.org/www/archive/parkins/park-02.html
Parkinson's Training for Caregivers
www.ParkinsonsEducator.org
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Q. Can exercise help with Parkinson's disease?
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A. Exercise can help improve mobility and endurance, making everyday activities
easier to perform. Exercise also promotes relaxation and can help reduce stress.
By making exercise part of a daily routine, the person you care for can continue
to enjoy an active lifestyle.
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Q. What do I do if symptoms come back?
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A. Consistent communication with healthcare providers is essential for managing your loved one's symptoms as they appear. However, managing symptoms is only one of many reasons for talking to a healthcare provider.
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Inform your loved one's healthcare provider as soon as you notice symptom re-emergence due to wearing-off. This may indicate that it is time for your loved one's treatment to be modified.
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Your loved one's healthcare provider may be able to adjust the dosage of his or her medication, switch to a different medication, or add another medication. New treatment options are being researched, and scientists understand Parkinson's disease better every day.
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If it is time for your loved one's treatment to be modified and a healthcare provider prescribes STALEVO, your loved one may have more active time—almost an hour and a half each day (1.4 hours). With additional active time, your loved one may enjoy more time with fewer symptoms. Results may vary. Talk to a healthcare provider if you have questions about STALEVO.
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Q. Should I keep a diary for the person I care for?
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A. One of the keys to successful management of Parkinson's
disease is good communication with your loved one's healthcare
provider. Each visit with a healthcare provider is an opportunity
to discuss symptoms, track treatment progress, and plan ahead.
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