What is Entacapone?
Category: Prescription Drugs
Most popular types: Comtan Comtess
Entacapone is an inhibitor of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and is used as an adjunct treatment for patients taking levodopa and carbidopa for Parkinson’s Disease who experience the signs and symptoms of end-of-dose “wearing-off”.
| Purpose | Patients | Evaluations | Perceived Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parkinson's disease | 1989 | 157 | |
| Increase effect of another treatment | 62 | 39 | |
| Stiffness/spasticity | 5 | 3 | |
| Improve mobility | 2 | 1 | |
| Slow movement (bradykinesia) | 2 | 1 |
- Major
- Moderate
- Slight
- None
- Can't tell
Side effects
Side effects as an overall problem
| Severity | Evaluations | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Severe | 20 | |
| Moderate | 34 | |
| Mild | 40 | |
| None | 84 |
Commonly reported side effects and conditions associated with Entacapone
| Side effect | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Jerky movements | 11 | |
| Diarrhea | 9 | |
| Nausea | 9 | |
| Digestive problems | 5 | |
| Constipation | 3 | |
| Loose bowel movements | 3 |
Why patients stopped taking Entacapone
Multiple reasons could be selected
| Reason | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Side effects too severe | 58 | |
| Did not seem to work | 42 | |
| Doctor's advice | 36 | |
| Other | 21 | |
| Expense | 13 | |
| Course of treatment ended | 4 | |
| Change in health plan coverage | 2 | |
| Personal research | 2 |
Duration
Stopped taking Entacapone
| Duration | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 month | 25 | |
| 1 - 6 months | 34 | |
| 6 months - 1 year | 20 | |
| 1 - 2 years | 14 | |
| 2 - 5 years | 21 | |
| 5 - 10 years | 12 | |
| 10 years or more | 2 |
What people switch to and from
Patients started taking Entacapone after stopping:
| Treatment | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Carbidopa-Entacapone-Levodopa (Stalevo) | 5 | |
| Carbidopa-Levodopa (Sinemet) | 2 | |
| Trihexyphenidyl (Artane) | 2 | |
| Apomorphine (Apokyn) | 1 | |
| Propranolol (Inderal) | 1 |
Patients stopped taking Entacapone and switched to:
| Treatment | Patients | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Carbidopa Levodopa ER (Rytary XR) | 11 | |
| Carbidopa-Levodopa (Sinemet) | 6 | |
| Carbidopa-Entacapone-Levodopa (Stalevo) | 2 | |
| Deep Brain Stimulation (Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation) | 2 | |
| Selegiline (Emsam) | 2 |
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