A 59-year-old woman who had had
Parkinsonism for 12 years was treated with
orphenadrine and
levodopa combined with a
dopa carboxylase inhibitor. The initial response was good, but after several years' treatment her condition alternated between severe
bradykinesia and incapacitating, violent
chorea, interspersed with short periods of mobility. A new regimen was devised, using
levodopa in capsules of 40 mg and
benserazide in separate capsules of 10 or 25 mg.
Levodopa 40 mg was taken at intervals of half to two and a half hours, usually with
benserazide 10 mg but alone in the late morning and evening. Additional
benserazide was required one hour after lunch. With this regimen her condition was greatly improved, though she still had an abnormal gait and spells of
bradykinesia and
chorea. Separate, frequent small doses of
levodopa and
benserazide may give better control of brittle
Parkinsonism.