Kaliuretic Effect of L‐dopa Treatment in Parkinsonian Patients

Abstract

Hypokalemia, sometimes severe, was observed in some L-dopa-treated parkinsonian patients. The influence of L-dopa on the renal excretion of K was studied in 3 patients with hypokalemia and in 5 normokalemic patients by determination of renal plasma flow, glomerular filtration rate, plasma concentration of K and Na urinary excretion of K, Na and aldosterone. L-Dopa intake caused an increased excretion of K, and sometimes also of Na, in the hypokalemic but not in the normokalemic patients. This effect on the renal function could be prohibited by the administration of a peripheral dopa decarboxylase inhibitor. It is not known why this effect occurred in some individuals but not in others, a correlation between aldosterone production and this renal effect of L-dopa is suggested.