Permax
Generic Name: pergolide mesylate
Brand Name: Permax S
(Please Note: This medicine is no longer available in the US)
Indications
Permax is indicated as adjunctive treatment to levodopa / carbidopa in the management of the signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
Dosage and Administration
Permax is available ae 0.025mg, 0.5mg and 1mg tablets.
Normal Dosage:
Administration of Permax should be initiated with a daily dosage of 0.05 mg for the first 2 days. The dosage should then be gradually increased by 0.1 or 0.15 mg/day every third day over the next 12 days of therapy. The dosage may then be increased by 0.25 mg/day every third day until an optimal therapeutic dosage is achieved.
Permax is usually administered in divided doses 3 times per day. During dosage titration, the dosage of concurrent l-dopa/carbidopa may be cautiously decreased.
In clinical-studies, the mean therapeutic daily dosage of Permax was 3 mg/day. The average concurrent daily dosage of l-dopa/carbidopa (expressed as l-dopa) was approximately 650 mg/day. The efficacy of Permax at doses above 5 mg/day has not been systematically evaluated.
Overdose: Overdose symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, weakness, dizziness, fainting, agitation, confusion, hallucinations, muscle twitching, uncontrollable movements, a tingling sensation, and irregular heartbeats.
Drug Description
Permax (Pergolide Mesylate) is an ergot derivative dopamine receptor agonist at both D1 and D2 receptor sites. Pergolide mesylate is chemically designated as 8B-[(Methylthio)methyl]-6-propylergoline monomethanesulfonate.
The formula weight of the base is 314.5; 1 mg of base corresponds to 3.18 µmol.
Side effects
The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.
- Disturbances of the gut such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, indigestion or abdominal pain.
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath (dyspnoea).
- Inflammation of the lining of the nose (rhinitis) causing a blocked or runny nose.
- Sleepiness.
- Suddenly falling asleep.
- Difficulty performing voluntary movements, resulting in jerky or involuntary movements or muscle twitches (dyskinesia).
- False perceptions of things that are not really there (hallucinations).
- Double vision.
- Difficulty in sleeping (insomnia).
- Confusion.
- Dizziness.
- A drop in blood pressure that occurs when moving from a lying or sitting position to sitting or standing, which results in dizziness and lightheadedness (postural hypotension).
- Fainting (syncope).
- Rash.
- Fever (pyrexia).
- Alteration in results of liver function tests.
- Increased heart rate (tachycardia).
- Fibrosis or inflammation affecting the lower back, heart or lungs.
- Inability to resist impulses to gamble (pathological gambling).
- Increased sex drive (libido) and excessive interest or involvement in sexual activity (hypersexuality).
Precautions
- Do not take this medication without first talking to your doctor if you have had an allergic reaction to another similar medication such as ergotamine (Ergomar, Ercaf, Cafergot) or dihydroergotamine (D.H.E, Migranal).
- Use caution when driving, operating machinery, or performing other hazardous activities.
- This drug may increase the effects of other drugs that cause drowsiness or dizziness, including antidepressants, alcohol, sedatives (used to treat insomnia), pain relievers, other anxiety medicines, muscle relaxants, and antihistamines. Tell your doctor about all medicines that you are taking, and do not take any medicine without first talking to your doctor.
- This drug belongs to the FDA pregnancy category B. This means that it is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Do not take without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant or could become pregnant during treatment.
Drug Interactions
Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines:
- a phenothiazine such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine), fluphenazine (Prolixin), mesoridazine (Serentil), perphenazine (Trilafon), thioridazine (Mellaril), promazine (Sparine), trifluoperazine (Stelazine), and others
- haloperidol (Haldol)
- thiothixene (Navane)
- metoclopramide (Reglan)
