Lisuride treatment in Parkinson's disease: clinical and pharmacokinetic studies.

Our study of 28 patients has shown lisuride to share a comparable profile of antiparkinsonian effects and adverse reactions to that found with bromocriptine. The similarity in clinical response to lisuride and bromocriptine in the same group of patients contrasts with the pharmacological differences that have been established between them in animal studies. There were considerable individual differences in the patients' preference of bromocriptine or lisuride. The daily intake requirements of each drug for optimal benefit also varied widely from one patient to another. The preliminary results of pharmacokinetic studies with lisuride suggest several explanations for the differences in daily dosage requirements. Although the mean optimal daily dose of lisuride was 4.5 mg, some patients required up to 10 mg. Eleven of the patients have continued on lisuride for more than 1 year. Our clinical impression is that problems with chronic levodopa therapy, such as dyskinesia and fluctuations in efficacy, are reduced in some patients taking either lisuride or bromocriptine.