Recently diagnosed with PD, started levodopa

1. does leva-dopa help the brain produce dopamine. one person told me that. another said they've never heard that. does anyone know
2. what are the side effects

@emmit - I wanted to let you know that I moved your post here where others were talking about levodopa so that you could join in and hopefully get some input on your questions:

- Recently diagnosed with PD, started levodopa https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/foot-issues

Hoping others in this discussion, such as @sdcz @hopeful33250 @jtes will have some input on this medication for you as far as dopamine effects and side effects.

About the dopamine increase question you had with levodopa, here is a publication, a bit back in time, that talks about that exact subject:

- Levodopa increases memory encoding and dopamine release in the striatum in the elderly https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0197458006003824

Also, here is a publication by Dr. Eric Ahlskog, a Mayo Clinic neurologist, about myths and truths about levodopa, which I thought you might find interesting:

- Common Myths and Misconceptions That Sidetrack Parkinson Disease Treatment, to the Detriment of Patients https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(20)30152-X/fulltext

Are you taking levodopa or is your doctor considering it for you? Do you have a Parkinson's diagnosis?

@lisalucier
Sorry for this late response i didn't see the question at the end of your post
Yes, I have been diagnosed with PD
yes, I have been prescribed leva
I'm very early stage--my symptoms at this point are not that bad. tremors occasionally, right arm does not swing, lots of stiffness and soreness right side and some other things that prob PD related that didn't think of but i'm finding here on these discussions.

@emmit i forgot to mention that i have not started taking it yet.