droxidopa (Northera, L-DOPS)

Indications

• orthostatic hypotension associated with Parkinson's disease. multiple-system atrophy, & pure autonomic failure

Dosage

• start 100 mg TID
• titrate to effect, maximum 1800 mg/day
• capsules

* requires coadministration with L-dopa

Adverse effects

• boxed warning
  • hypertension in the supine position
• headache
• dizziness
• nausea
• hypertension)
• fatigue

• drug adverse effects of adrenergic receptor agonists
• drug adverse effects of beta-adrenergic receptor agonists
• drug adverse effects of alpha-adrenergic receptor agonists
• drug adverse effects of sympathomimetic(s)

Drug interactions

• iobenguane I 131
• ozanimod

Mechanism of action

• precursor of noradrenaline
• theres is a deficit of noradrenaline in Parkinson's disease as well as of dopamine
  • it has been proposed that this underlies the sudden transient freezing seen usually in advanced disease [PubChem]

Notes

• some question of drug's efficacy

More general terms

• catecholamine
• alpha adrenergic receptor agonist
• beta-1 adrenergic receptor agonist
• vasoconstrictor agent or vasopressor

Database

• PubChem: http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/summary/summary.cgi?cid=92974
• PubChem: http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/summary/summary.cgi?cid=3171
• PubChem: http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/summary/summary.cgi?cid=443940
• PubChem: http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/summary/summary.cgi?cid=6999030