Apomorphine can cause nausea and vomiting, as well as a reduction in blood pressure. However, these effects can be minimised by taking a drug called domperidone. Before a patient starts APO-go their doctor will normally prescribe domperidone tablets at a dose of 20mg three times a day. Domperidone will need to be started at least two days before APO-go is first given.

The dose of APO-go prescribed will be individual to you, depending on your response to the drug.  Most patients respond to apomorphine but a small percentage will see little response and are unsuitable for treatment.

Once starting APO-go, there is a possibility that the oral Parkinson's medication you are taking can be reduced, which may lessen some of the side-effects associated with your other medication.  Your doctor or Parkinson's Disease Nurse will determine this.

APO-go, like all other anti-Parkinsonian drugs, is only a part of the approach to the treatment of Parkinson's disease and requires the involvement of a multidisciplinary team, including the Parkinson's Disease Nurse Specialist.