Pergolide mesylate in Parkinson's disease treatment.

In the past 15 years, clinical data of over 1,500 patients treated with pergolide mesylate have been published. Pergolide is a dopamine agonist with a potent stimulating effect on D2 and also on D1 receptors. This pharmacodynamic characteristic seems the most effective in increasing the motility in Parkinson's disease. Pergolide has been used almost exclusively as an adjunct to levodopa treatment. Its positive effects seems to be related to its long plasma half life, about 27 hours, and 5-6 hours of clinical activity; it has shown to be effective on all parkinsonian symptoms except for the reduction of postural reflexes, it reduces off periods and compared to bromocriptine, it considerably improves the activities of daily living. Adverse reactions are, for the most part, mild and reversible, they mostly include nausea and gastroenteric disturbances.