Conditions: Parkinson's Disease
Keywords: constipation Parkinson's disease
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 78
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of this study is to determine if Amitiza (lubiprostone), a drug proven to be safe and effective for chronic constipation, will also improve constipation symptoms in Parkinson's Disease patients. We will also evaluate the impact of the drug on changes in bowel movement consistency, quality of life and motor symptoms.

Detailed description:
Parkinson's disease (PD) affects about one million people in the United States. It is a common neurological condition that is clinically defined by rigidity (muscle stiffness), bradykinesia (slowness of movement) and tremor. Parkinson's Disease , however, reveals numerous non-motor symptoms that have been underemphasized. Problematic symptoms include varying degrees of dementia, psychosis, diminished assertiveness and confidence, general fatigue, excessive daytime sleepiness, problems with blood pressure, sweating, and bladder, and a common yet difficult to define sense of "not feeling well".

A commonly missed symptom in Parkinson's patients is constipation. Constipation can be difficult to treat with current medications available and many are ineffective. Levodopa and dopamine agonists drugs are useful for motor symptoms in Parkinson's Disease but have no effect on constipation. Laxatives and enemas provide limited relief with bothersome side effects. Even fewer drugs have been studied targeting the constipation problem specifically in the Parkinson's Disease population. Lubiprostone (AMITIZA) is a new medication that has been studied in the general population for the treatment of chronic constipation. It has been shown to be a safe and effective medication with few side effects. Lubiprostone has not yet been studied in the Parkinson's Disease population. We hope to show that this medication can be safe and effective for constipation in PD patients as well.

Arms:
arm 1: Amitiza arm 2: Matching Placebo

Interventions: intervention 1: LUBIPROSTONE
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Subjects will be randomized into placebo and study groups. Half of the study group (N=39) will be given lubiprostone (24 mcg) twice daily; the other half will receive matching placebo twice daily.

Protocol document: