On Healthy Living

Yesterday the Food and Drug Administration announced approval of Neupro, a skin patch designed to treat the early symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

The patches include the drug rotigotine, which mimics the chemical dopamine. In Parkinson’s patients, brain cells that produce dopamine die, leading to the physical symptoms of shaking, stiffness, slow movement and impaired balance.

The patch is thought to be better than the oral drugs currently available because there is no dropping off of effectiveness through the day as their is with pills on the market. Potential side effects include sudden sleep, hallucinations and decreased blood pressure when standing up.

More common side effects included sensitivity where the patch was applied, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, insomnia and drowsiness.

Sarah White wrote this on May 10th, 2007 and filed it under Healthy Living, Women's Health, Men's Health |