Managing Parkinson’s Disease Symptoms with Prescription Parsitan®

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting dopamine-producing neurons in the brain.   The Parkinson’s Foundation believes that nearly one million people in the United States will be living with Parkinson’s disease by the year 2020.  This is more than the combined number of patients who have muscular dystrophy, Lou Gehrig’s disease, and multiple sclerosis.

Other statistics from the Parkinson’s Foundation:

• Over 10 million people worldwide have PD.
• Approximately 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with PD each year.
• Men are 1.5 times more likely to develop PD than women.
• An estimated $52 billion per year is spent in the U.S. alone on healthcare costs related to PD.

What are the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease?

With Parkinson’s disease, symptoms develop over the course of several years, and the time frame and presentation of these symptoms varies from person to person.  Typical symptoms include:

• Balance problems
• Rigidity/stiffness in the limbs
• Tremors
• Bradykinesia (slow movements)

There are also symptoms that are not related to physical movement and may include:

• Depression
• Loss of sense of smell
• Cognitive challenges (memory loss, lack of focus on tasks, dementia)
• Fatigue
• Small handwriting
• Vision changes
• Hallucinations/delusion
• Constipation
• Respiratory difficulty

How does prescription Parsitan® work to treat symptoms of Parkinson’s disease?

The cause of Parkinson’s disease is unknown and there is no cure. However, thankfully, there are several treatment options available.

Parsitan® is a prescription medication used to treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.  This medication helps reduce stiffness and tremors, improve muscle control,  as well as reduce involuntary movements (known as dyskinesia) that may occur as a result of taking other medications.    

Partisan® works by changing the chemical balance in the central nervous system. Parsitan® is available in a 50 mg tablet.  The active ingredient is ethopropazine.  Most patients are prescribed anywhere from 100 mg to 500 mg per day in divided doses.  Your personal prescription will depend on your diagnosis, body weight, other medical conditions, age, and how you respond to this medication.  Prescription Partisan® is usually started at a lower dose and then increased gradually until the benefits of the medication are seen and symptom relief occurs.

Brand name Parsitan® – 50 mg tablets

It is very important to speak to your doctor and/or pharmacist about how you should take this medication.   

• If you miss a dose do not take a double dose to make up for the missed dose.
• Do not increase or decrease this medication without your doctor’s orders.
• Do not dispose of this medication in the toilet or sink.

Do not take this medication if you:

• Are allergic to ethopropazine or other phenothiazine medications (such as chlorpromazine).
• Have glaucoma.

Be sure to inform your doctor about any medical conditions you may have or any other prescription or nonprescription medications you might be taking before starting prescription Parsitan®.

Speak to your doctor about taking this medication if you:

• Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
• Are breastfeeding
• Have heart disease
• Have prostate problems

What are the side effects of Parsitan®?

Like many medications, prescription Parsitan® may have some side effects.    Always speak to your pharmacist about the potential side effects that may occur while taking prescription Parsitan®.

Living with Parkinson’s disease

Finding support while you or someone you care about manages life with Parkinson’s disease is important.   The Parkinson’s Foundation has a helpline available at (800) 473-4636 or [email protected].  You can also visit their website at www.parkinson.org.