Amantadine for fatigue/spasms

[monkeybus]

There was a post on here recently about Amantadine and I commented on how I took it 4 or so years back.

Was one of the first drugs I took for AMN once I'd found a decent neurologist who was open to prescribing anything that wasn't Baclofen or Valium.

Amantadine is an antiviral, was effective against Influenza A. Not any more.

It's also prescribed for Parkinson's dyskinesia (that's involuntary body movements).

It's prescribed off-label for MS related fatigue, and to a certain extent CFS.

Anyway, I'd recently discovered Modafinil, and I asked for some Amantadine so I could compare how they affected my (crushing, overwhelming, phenomenal) fatigue.

Amantadine works, but I wasn't overly impressed. I continued with the Modafinil.

Anyway, time marches on, and I had a meeting with my neurologist on Monday. He upped my Valproic Acid dose (I'll post more on this later, gave me more Mirogabalin, and I got some more Amantadine.

I was only taking 50mg per day before, but I've upped it to 200mg, and I have to say it's quite good. A nice, gentle lift. Amantadine increases levels of dopamine in your brain. Dopamine, the feel-good neurotransmitter. I could do with some of that.

I feel nicely alert, and it's dialed down my spasms (though time will tell on those).

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[Snoopy41213]

Hi, my husband has A typical Parkinson’s called progressive super nuclear palsy, PSP. A Doctor Who specializes in this disorder recommended amantadine for him to help With his walking. He is taking 100 mg but you are saying that 200 mg helps with your fatigue. I also have a 43-year-old son who has AMN and also suffers from fatigue and walking disorder. Two very rare diseases in one family, totally unrelated, but if amantadine would help both of them, that would be great.

[monkeybus in reply to Snoopy41213]

Hello Snoopy41213 ,

Two for the price of one. Can't be at all easy, I wish you all the best with this.

Amantadine isn't in the same league as Modafinil when it comes to waking you up, but I'll stick with it for a couple of months. I'll see what's what, can always go back to Modafinil.

As for dosages, my doctor always leaves it up to me. I start slow and move up.

I'll say this, my daytime spasms are knocked right down. All of them, stomach and leg spasms. I hated those spasms.

[fdonaire]

Friends help with my fatigue.

My Neuro doctor is trying the Modafinil, for the first 2 days i got a lot happy because i felt better but from that time being no benefits. I use to take 100mg of Amantadine dayly, with almost none perceived benefits. i'm thinking to increase to 200mg what about your felling ?

[monkeybus in reply to fdonaire]

Increase the dose? I would, but check first with your doctor.