Key takeaways
Entacapone (Comtan) and Apokyn (apomorphine) are both used to manage symptoms of Parkinson's disease, but they work differently and have distinct uses. Entacapone is a COMT inhibitor taken orally with carbidopa/levodopa to help these medications last longer in your body, reducing "wearing-off" periods. It must be taken with every dose of carbidopa/levodopa and can cause side effects like involuntary movements and nausea. Apokyn, on the other hand, is a dopamine agonist given as a subcutaneous injection to quickly relieve "off" episodes when your other Parkinson's medications aren't working. It acts fast but can cause severe nausea and vomiting, often requiring an additional medication to manage these side effects. Both Entacapone and Apokyn are available in both brand-name and generic forms. But, Apokyn requires careful handling and priming before use, and it can be expensive and may need to be obtained from a specialty pharmacy.
