Objective: Case study to see if concomitant use of the botanical Mucuna pruriens with traditional levodopa/carbidopa management could improve patient ‘off-time.’

Background: Mucuna pruriens is a pantropical legume that contains 5-7% levodopa. Mucuna pruriens has a 3,500 year documented Ayurvedic history of use for shaking palsies. Patient diagnosed with Parkinson’s reports increasing medication ‘off-time’ and increase in leg tremor. We proposed that increasing her dose of levodopa with botanical Mucuna pruriens could provide more medication ‘on-time.’ The pharmacokinetics of carbidopa and levodopa differ in that carbidopa has a longer half-life. The hypothesis that Mucuna pruriens could provide a small amount of levodopa to extend the levodopa/carbidopa ‘on-time.’

Method: Trial of Mucuna pruriens standardized 400mg 15% L-dopa. 1 capsule of Mucuna pruriens at 6am, and trial of 1 capsule of Mucuna pruriens 20 minutes before patient’s reported ‘off-time.’

Results: Patient reports benefit with 1 capsule Mucuna pruriens  per day in reduction in tremor, gait improvement and levodopa/carbidopa ‘on-time.’ Patient reports added positive benefits of extended ‘on-time’ with additional 1 capsule of Mucuna pruriens at tail end of levodopa/carbidopa when she reports medication wearing off.

Conclusion: In conclusion the botanical Mucuna pruriens positively extended medication ‘on-time’ with no reported side-effects. Long-term studies will be planned for follow-up.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/case-report-increasing-on-time-using-mucuna-pruriens-concomitantly-with-traditional-levodopa-carbidopa-management/