Acute overdose with levodopa. Clinical and biochemical consequences.
A 61-year-old parkinsonian patient ingested up to 100 gm of levodopa during a period of 12 hours. Signs of parkinsonism were completely alleviated. Adverse effects included initial hypertension followed rapidly by hypotension of a few hours' duration, prolonged symptomatic postural hypotension, sinus tachycardia, mental confusion, insomnia, and anorexia. The effects of the overdose gradually subsided over 1 week. Analyses of serum and urine for dopa and its metabolites confirmed the overdose, which biochemically resulted in apparent saturation of two enzymatic pathways that inactivate dopamine: conjugation with sulfuric acid and O-methylation.
D000208:Acute Disease; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000139:chemically induced; D007022:Hypotension / Q000139:chemically induced; D007980:Levodopa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000506:poisoning*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced
D007980:Levodopa; D009638:Norepinephrine