Brand name · Carbidopa and levodopa
Duopa: adverse event reports filed with FDA
8,483 reports list it as a suspect or interacting product, 2015–2026. Class: Aromatic amino acid.
- 8,483
- reports as suspect product
- 0% of all reports · about 738 a year
- 383
- reports, 12 months to June 2026
- 670 in the 12 months before
- 75.9%
- marked serious by the reporter
- 64.8% across the class
- 13.7%
- record death among outcomes, as reported
- 1,161 reports · not verified by FDA
8,483 adverse event reports received by FDA list the brand name Duopa (carbidopa and levodopa) as a suspect or interacting product, from January 2015 to June 2026. A further 259 reports list it only as a concomitant medication, and those are not counted in the figures on this page.
In the 12 months to June 2026, 383 reports listed it, down 43% from 670 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Over its reporting history that is about 738 reports a year and 0% of the 20,646,523 reports in the database, and 16% of the reports for the aromatic amino acid class. How many people take it is not in the data, so a count is not a rate of occurrence.
The reactions recorded most often are fall (14.8%), device issue (9.3%) and device dislocation (9%). A report can list several reactions, so shares add to more than 100%; 898 different terms appear across these reports. Fall is recorded in 14.8% of these reports, a larger share than in the median aromatic amino acid drug (6.9%).
75.9% of the reports are marked serious by the reporter (64.8% across the class); 13.7% record death among the outcomes and 45% record hospitalisation, as reported. 84.6% of the reports came from consumers, and the largest patient age group is 65 to 74 (22.8%). FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event."
Reports by month, five years
Reports by the month FDA received them. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases.
By year received
2026 covers reports received through June 2026 only.
Reactions recorded in the reports
share of Duopa reports recording the termmedian drug in aromatic amino acid
- Falla fall14.8%1,254
- Device issuea problem with the device9.3%792
- Device dislocationthe device moved out of position9%767
- Deaththe patient died; cause not stated by this term8.6%731
- Parkinson's disease6.6%560
- Urinary tract infectionbladder or urinary infection5.8%492
- Device occlusionthe device blocked5.2%443
- Stoma site discharge4.9%414
- Dyskinesiainvoluntary movements4.7%398
- Astheniaweakness or lack of energy4.5%379
- Weight decreasedweight loss4.4%371
- Hallucinationseeing or hearing things that are not there3.9%335
- Pneumonialung infection3.5%299
- Hospice care3.3%283
- Tremorshaking3.2%271
- Drug ineffectivethe medicine did not work as expected3.2%270
- Hospitalisationadmission to hospital3.2%270
- Device leakagethe device leaked3.1%265
- Hypotensionlow blood pressure3%255
- Mobility decreasedreduced ability to move about3%252
- Gait disturbancedifficulty walking2.9%249
- Stoma site erythema2.9%244
- On and off phenomenon2.8%237
- Device breakagethe device broke2.8%234
- Stoma site infection2.7%232
- Dysphagiadifficulty swallowing2.7%231
- Painpain, site not specified2.7%226
- Rehabilitation therapy2.5%208
- Malaisegeneral feeling of being unwell2.4%207
- Unevaluable eventthe event could not be assessed2.4%205
Top 30 of 898 MedDRA preferred terms recorded across these reports, with a plain-language gloss where one is available. One report can record several terms. The hollow bar is the median share across the 7 drugs in the aromatic amino acid class; it describes the reports, not the patients. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Outcomes recorded
Outcome flags as the reporter set them; a report can carry several, and "other serious" is FDA's own category for serious reports outside the named outcomes. Grey bar: all 52,862 reports in the class. FDA has not verified any outcome and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence of these events."
Patients and reporters
Patient age
Patient sex
Who reported
Age and sex as stated in the report; the reporter's qualification is the primary source recorded by FDA. 99.1% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.
Reason for use recorded
| Indication as recorded (MedDRA) | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Parkinson's disease | 4,059 | 47.8% |
| Dyskinesia | 6 | 0.1% |
The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 8,483 reports.
Drugs most often listed in the same reports
| Drug (any role in the report) | Reports | Share of Duopa reports |
|---|---|---|
| Ergocalciferol | 1,375 | 16.2% |
| Sinemet | 1,363 | 16.1% |
| Carbidopa levodopa | 1,174 | 13.8% |
| Aspirin | 1,157 | 13.6% |
| Clonazepam | 943 | 11.1% |
| Rytary | 926 | 10.9% |
| Melatonin | 893 | 10.5% |
| Vitamin B12 | 800 | 9.4% |
| Amantadine | 776 | 9.1% |
| Gabapentin | 760 | 9% |
Other products listed in reports where Duopa is a suspect product, whatever their own role. Co-listing means the two were recorded together; it says nothing about either product's part in the event. Only the 2,500 most-reported names are counted here.
In context
| Measure | Duopa | Aromatic amino acid | All reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reports as suspect product | 8,483 | 52,862 | 20,646,523 |
| Share of that pool | — | 16% | 0% |
| Reports, latest 12 months | 383 | — | 1,332,454 |
| Marked serious | 75.9% | 64.8% | 57.4% |
| Death recorded among outcomes, per 1,000 reports | 137 | 172 | 91 |
| Hospitalisation recorded, per 1,000 reports | 450 | 333 | 213 |
| Consumer-filed share | 84.6% | 69.7% | 45.8% |
| Top term, share of reports | Fall 14.8% | median 6.9% | 1.6% |
Shares are of reports, not of patients treated. The number of people taking a product is not in the data, so none of these figures is a rate, and differences between columns reflect who takes a product, who reports and how long it has been sold. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Other drugs in the aromatic amino acid class
| Drug | Name type | Reports | Latest 12 months | Marked serious |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbidopa levodopa | generic | 20,219 | 3,602 | 92.4% |
| Rytary | brand | 9,999 | 75 | 24.1% |
| Inbrija | brand | 5,838 | 314 | 17.6% |
| Sinemet | brand | 4,492 | 125 | 66.2% |
| Carbidopa and levodopa | generic | 2,411 | 128 | 58.5% |
| Levodopa | generic | 1,420 | 132 | 92% |
Ordered by report count for navigation only. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic." A brand and its generic are separate rows because reporters name them separately.
Questions about Duopa reports
How many adverse event reports has FDA received for Duopa?
8,483 reports list Duopa as a suspect or interacting product in the openFDA FAERS release of 28 Sep 2026, covering reports received through June 2026. 383 of them arrived in the latest 12 months. Another 259 list it only as a concomitant medication.
What reactions are recorded in Duopa reports?
fall (14.8%), device issue (9.3%), device dislocation (9%), death (8.6%) and parkinson's disease (6.6%). These are MedDRA preferred terms coded from what the reporter described; a report can list several, and a term's presence is not a finding that Duopa was responsible.
How serious are the reports?
75.9% are marked serious by the reporter. Among the outcomes recorded, 13.7% of reports include death and 45% include hospitalisation. FDA has not verified these outcomes and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence" of the events.
Who files these reports?
consumer or non-health professional (84.6%), other health professional (9%) and physician (5.8%). Most reports reach FDA through the manufacturer, which must forward reports it receives.
Are reports for Duopa rising?
383 reports in the 12 months to June 2026, down 43% from 670 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Counts also move with how many people take a product, its time on the market and publicity.
Do these reports show that Duopa was responsible for these reactions?
No. FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event." The reaction may relate to the condition being treated, to other medicines, or to something else.
Is this a list of the side effects of Duopa?
No. It is a count of what was reported to FDA. The adverse reactions observed in clinical studies are printed on the FDA-approved label, which a pharmacist or clinician can go through with you.
How do I report an adverse event?
Consumers and health professionals can report to FDA through MedWatch (Form FDA 3500 online, or 1-800-FDA-1088), or to the manufacturer, which must pass reports on. See the guide on how to report.
Where this comes from. Counts are built from the openFDA Drug Adverse Event (FAERS) bulk export released 28 Sep 2026, which holds reports FDA received through 30 Jun 2026. Drug names are as reported, resolved to the brand or generic name on the FDA label where openFDA's harmonisation matched them; classes are the pharmacologic class (EPC) from the label and the National Drug Code Directory of 17 Sep 2026. A report counts here when it lists Duopa as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (259) are excluded. No report narrative, lot number, patient detail or reporter identity is published. See the methodology and sources; FDA's record is authoritative, and corrections are handled within five working days.
Drug data (FAERS) through 30 Jun 2026; device data (MAUDE) through 31 Aug 2026. Not medical advice.