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Parkinson's Disease

Also known as: PD · parkinsonism · idiopathic Parkinson's

A progressive neurodegenerative disorder from dopaminergic loss — the classic triad of resting tremor, rigidity and bradykinesia, usually asymmetrical, with postural instability later and many non-motor features.

Source · Reviewed 2026-08-15 · v1.0— AI-assisted draft — verify against the cited guideline before clinical use.

⚕️ Education only — not medical advice. Verify against the latest official guideline and your local protocol; confirm every drug dose against the cited source before clinical use.

Who gets it

Older adults (usually over 60); mostly idiopathic — consider drug-induced parkinsonism and other causes in atypical cases.

Red flags — escalate / refer

Early falls, symmetry, rapid progression or a poor levodopa response (suggests an atypical parkinsonism), or a clear drug cause (antipsychotics, metoclopramide) → reconsider the diagnosis.

Work-up / diagnosis

1A clinical diagnosis — bradykinesia plus tremor and/or rigidity, asymmetrical and dopaminergic-responsive.
2Review drugs that cause parkinsonism; imaging only to exclude mimics; assess non-motor symptoms (mood, sleep, autonomic, cognition).

Management — overview

Specialist-led; dopaminergic therapy is the mainstay — levodopa (with a decarboxylase inhibitor) is most effective (dopamine agonists/MAO-B inhibitors are alternatives, especially early).
NEVER stop Parkinson's medication abruptly (risk of an akinetic crisis) and give it ON TIME in hospital.
Manage motor complications and non-motor symptoms; multidisciplinary support (physiotherapy, OT, speech therapy); AVOID dopamine-blocking antiemetics/antipsychotics (use domperidone/quetiapine/clozapine where needed).

In-depthFull dosing & advanced protocol

Drug dosing

Levodopa + decarboxylase inhibitor

Mainstay symptomatic therapy

Adult dose: Per specialist protocol; give doses on time
Route: Oral

Caution: Do not stop/omit abruptly; avoid dopamine antagonists (metoclopramide/typical antipsychotics).

ICMRStandard Treatment Workflows (STWs), India — Dept. of Health Research & ICMR (2022+) ↗

Dopamine agonist / MAO-B inhibitor

Alternatives, especially early disease

Adult dose: Per protocol
Route: Oral

WHOWHO Model List of Essential Medicines (electronic EML) (2025 (24th)) ↗

Timing matters; avoid dopamine antagonists

Don't miss drug-induced parkinsonism.
Never abruptly stop or omit levodopa — in-hospital dose timing is critical.
Avoid dopamine-blocking drugs (metoclopramide, typical antipsychotics); atypical features question the diagnosis.

ICMRStandard Treatment Workflows (STWs), India — Dept. of Health Research & ICMR (2022+) ↗

References

Guidelines change. If something here is out of date, tell us — we keep these current.

🚩 Report outdated / suggest update

More protocols

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👤 Who gets it

🚩 Red flags — escalate / refer

🔎 Work-up / diagnosis

🧭 Management — overview

💊 Drug dosing

Levodopa + decarboxylase inhibitor

Dopamine agonist / MAO-B inhibitor

📈 Timing matters; avoid dopamine antagonists

📚 References

More protocols

👤 Who gets it

🚩 Red flags — escalate / refer

🔎 Work-up / diagnosis

🧭 Management — overview

💊 Drug dosing

Levodopa + decarboxylase inhibitor

Dopamine agonist / MAO-B inhibitor

📈 Timing matters; avoid dopamine antagonists

📚 References

More protocols

Who gets it

Red flags — escalate / refer

Work-up / diagnosis

Management — overview

Drug dosing

Timing matters; avoid dopamine antagonists

References

Who gets it

Red flags — escalate / refer

Work-up / diagnosis

Management — overview

Drug dosing

Timing matters; avoid dopamine antagonists

References