Phenytoin and Carbidopa/Levodopa Interaction

Drug interaction information between Phenytoin and Carbidopa/Levodopa.

Phenytoin and Carbidopa/Levodopa have a documented moderate interaction in FDA labeling.

FDA drug labeling documents a moderate-severity interaction between Phenytoin and Carbidopa/Levodopa. This page displays the available source-record category and label text. The category is not an individual risk estimate or medication-combination direction.

Drug A

Phenytoin

Anticonvulsant (Hydantoin)

Drug B

Carbidopa/Levodopa

Dopamine Precursor Combination

How They Interact

Phenytoin can interfere with how carbidopa and levodopa work in the body. This makes the Parkinson's medication less effective at controlling symptoms.

FDA Label Information

7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Drugs metabolized by COMT: use with caution ( 5.10 , 7.2 ) Anti-hypertensive agents: dose adjustment may be required ( 7.3 ) Tricyclic antidepressants: risk of hypertension and dyskinesia reported during concomitant use with carbidopa/levodopa ( 7.4 ) Dopamine D2 receptor antagonists, isoniazid, phenytoin, papaverine and iron salts: may reduce efficacy of carbidopa, levodopa and entacapone tablets ( 7.5 , 7.6 , 7.7 , 7.8 , 7.9 ) Drugs that interfere with biliary excretion, glucuronidation and intestinal beta-glucuronidase: dose adjustment of carbidopa, levodopa and...

Carbidopa/Levodopa Also Interacts With

View all Carbidopa/Levodopa interactions →

Frequently Asked Questions

What SPL severity band is on file for Phenytoin + Carbidopa/Levodopa?

Compiled FDA labeling labels this pair moderate. That is a source-record field, not an individual medication-combination decision.

Which drug in this pair has the larger labeled-interaction portfolio?

Phenytoin has 147 labeled pairs on file vs Carbidopa/Levodopa's 13. In the moderate band specifically: Phenytoin has 23 (also Apixaban, Aprepitant, Canagliflozin, Clarithromycin); Carbidopa/Levodopa has 8 (also Warfarin, Entacapone, Methyldopa, Dobutamine).

What mechanism field is on file for Phenytoin and Carbidopa/Levodopa?

Phenytoin can interfere with how carbidopa and levodopa work in the body. This makes the Parkinson's medication less effective at controlling symptoms.

Phenytoin carries more major-labeled pairs than Carbidopa/Levodopa

SPL source-record counts only. This page's band is moderate · classes on file: Phenytoin (Anticonvulsant (Hydantoin)); Carbidopa/Levodopa (Dopamine Precursor Combination).

Phenytoin has 4 major-labeled pairs vs Carbidopa/Levodopa's 0. This page itself is in the moderate band, not the major band.

Phenytoin

4 major · 23 moderate · 120 minor · 147 total

Carbidopa/Levodopa

0 major · 8 moderate · 5 minor · 13 total

Sources: FDA Drug Labels (SPL) via openFDA (2026). This is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. This registry does not provide individual medication-combination directions.