Amantadine: Is anyone taking Amantadine, my... - Cure Parkinson's

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Amantadine

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Is anyone taking Amantadine, my neuro added to my meds to help with tremors, does it work for you, side affects?

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41 Replies
jillannf6 profile image
jillannf6

hi i trie d it as a failsafe ot NOT hAving PARKSINSONNS( BUT confirmign PSP) and it cna have strnag esid eeffect.It needs to be taken if twice a day b4 2 pm otherwise the side effecat of hallucinations cna kick in

i tdiid nto work for em althugh i wa s falllign ova erlesss when i was tkaign it an dput i tdown to that but hten the fallls inscreased dramaticallly so i stopped it ., with myh neuros blessing

lol JIll

:-)

billw91 profile image
billw91

It helped reduce my tremors. Only side effect was slight swelling of feet with mottling.

Rosabellazita profile image
Rosabellazita in reply to billw91

what? mottling ??

Rosabellazita profile image
Rosabellazita in reply to billw91

Thats enough

Kat00 profile image
Kat00

I asked my fathers neurologist about Amantadine and she told me it is used to treat dyskinesia that comes as a side effect with long term use of carvadopa/levalopa at high doses. Has anyone else heard this?

susieque profile image
susieque in reply to Kat00

I've been using amantadine for years for dyskensia and it no longer is effective. But it has left me with mottled skin.

CJ49 profile image
CJ49 in reply to susieque

What is mottled skin?

susieque profile image
susieque in reply to CJ49

It looks like puple lace under your skin especially when you get cold. I found this out through the NPF.

Rosabellazita profile image
Rosabellazita in reply to susieque

oh great....which is worse purple skin or tremor

scatman profile image
scatman in reply to Kat00

Yes. I've been taking Amantadine for several years and it works. It helps withe the dyskinesia and it seems to make the dopamine last longer in my brain. Side effects are bad taste in my mouth, redish urine and who knows what it is doing to my liver. The good news is it's a antiviral so I never get sick.

GjyshiDavidi profile image
GjyshiDavidi in reply to scatman

This is the first I had heard about it being antiviral; but I am well this winter while everyone has the bug.

GjyshiDavidi profile image
GjyshiDavidi in reply to Kat00

Yes This pretty correct, I have the right leg dyskinesia

mikaele profile image
mikaele in reply to Kat00

I take it for dyskanesis from being on sinamet for a long ti

Rosabellazita profile image
Rosabellazita in reply to Kat00

yes I heard that too

edenpark profile image
edenpark

I was put on Amantadine about 10 days ago,to reduce dyskinesia,at first i was feeling very flat,and anxcious,but now I seem have got used to them ,and dyskinesia has stopped.

GjyshiDavidi profile image
GjyshiDavidi in reply to edenpark

Does the Amantadine cause anxiety? My stomach does cartwheels.

froggatt55 profile image
froggatt55

I started Amantadine about 7 years ago - before Sinemet - as someone I knew had found it good for tremour. It didn't stop the Tremors but gave me a boost and I now take it with Sinemet, Azilect and Requip (I added the Azilect 4 years ago and it made the whole cocktail WORK - wonderful)

I know about it's use for dyskenesia and I BELIEVE (I have to admit I don't actually know but belief can be a powerful force) it is working to prevent - or delay the onset of - dyskenesia

To the best of my knowledge it has no sideeffects on me (11 years diagnosed)

Rosabellazita profile image
Rosabellazita in reply to froggatt55

no purple skin?

Larryp profile image
Larryp

With all the meds A PARKY takes i say and my DR.jokes about a little saying we have TRY IT , IT CAN'T HURT the only thing i haven't tried is smoking Bat Wings and if i thought it would work i would try it

I had dbs last year and i take 2 a day does it work i hope so sort of hard to tell what works

when it comes to meds

I understand MJ FOX takes it and has found some relief .

Good Luck

batwing7 profile image
batwing7 in reply to Larryp

I've had six of the smoking therapy!

landman profile image
landman

When I started amantadine, it was a wonder drug for me. I could walk after 3 hours. Be aware that there are many manufactures of amantadine. I found the red ones to be the best. Talk to Dr & Pharmacist. I also take azilect & Neupro patch.

blessed4431 profile image
blessed4431

I take amantadine helps with the tremors and dyskinesia

a little swelling is the only side effect i have had

driller profile image
driller

Good Morning; I have been on it for over 2yrs. twice daily and have had no problems.

Good luck

ERIC

Rosabellazita profile image
Rosabellazita in reply to driller

nice t hear

chidainer profile image
chidainer

I've been taking Amantadine for @ 18 months. Id did help and I have no side effects.

Rosabellazita profile image
Rosabellazita in reply to chidainer

with tremor?

zama profile image
zama

I tried it but the swelling and motting in my ankles and feet was so severe and painful that I had to quit taking it. Good luck to you.

dottie profile image
dottie in reply to zama

Same response here. It's great for fluid motion but I have a rash, serious lower leg edema and because I have dystonia too, small wounds where my cramped big toe is literally tearing the skin into an open wound.

Zama did you know that you can use RImantadine, which is a cousin to Amantadine,

with none of these side effects? Ask your doc. It will take a bit of time to get it, your pharmacist can tell you when you get the script how long it will take. I started it 3 weeks ago and the swelling has gone down, the wounds are healing, and I'm hopeful it continues.

Let me know how you make out. What are you using instead? My doc wants to put me back on Requip again. I had two DBS surgeries and she took me off the Requip but I am hoping that the Rimantadine can be used instead. The two DBS surgeries were relatively successful, but an emerging dystonia screwed things up. I am one of 50 DBS patients on the PLANET—— with two separate stimulation systems.

Good luck, Zama.

I've been on Amandatine for about 12 yrs now. I do get swollen ankles sometimes, but only sprung to mind because one or two others mentoned it. I have so mamy side effects I'm not sure which dru to attribute them too now. :)

Melodysam1890 profile image
Melodysam1890

Two and a half years on Amantadine - twice daily - works wonders! Some nightmares ...

Rosabellazita profile image
Rosabellazita in reply to Melodysam1890

does it help tremor

maryalice profile image
maryalice

I've been taking Amantadine for about 13 years. I take 100mg 3 times a day. I've never experienced any side effects except swollen ankles .Blessings.

Jbcourcy profile image
Jbcourcy

no problem with it that i know of...i do know though when I run out and miss a dose So i guess i can say it's working

batwing7 profile image
batwing7

The red, purplish 'mottled' skin referred to is Amantadine induced Livedo Reticularis. It was described as long ago as 1971 in the BMJ following a research project involving 19 men and 21 women over various time periods ranging I think from 2-11 months. 15 of the men and all of the women given Amantadine developed the condition. I have been troubled myself with this problem, especially after raising the 100mg tablets from 2 to 3 daily. I believe the condition improves with less of this drug but we 'ain't got much choice.'

Danny2401 profile image
Danny2401

Hi, like all Pd meds everything comes with a price, you just have to be honest with your self, if it helps you, give it a try, I hate all Pd meds, but I can't do without Amantadine, I have had all the problems, my legs are a lovely shade of purple, nightmares, hallucinations, but when I stopped taking it my balance went, I could hardly move, I take 4 caps of 100mg a day, and the last one at 6pm, as it stops you from sleeping, We are all different so you could have no problems with it, I have Pd 13 years, and have tried nearlly every Pd meds, the one thing I believe little is better than more, take as little meds as you can, your brain will still help if given the chance,

batwing7 profile image
batwing7 in reply to Danny2401

Danny have you tried Rimantine and if so did you not find it better than Amantadine? I read here that it cn be used without the main troubling side effects.

My experience of Amantadine is that it has helped me move and feel a bit better for a bit longer but it is causing urine retention (aggravates prostate problems) and the Livedo Reticularis it has also lead to leaves me with cold knees even when the room or day is fairly normal temperature-wise. I gather Amantadine was the first pd drug and I would have thought that my neurologist would have prescribed Rimantadine if it has generally less side effects. As it is he has prescribed 3x 100mg of Amantadine.

Danny2401 profile image
Danny2401 in reply to batwing7

Hi Batwing7, I just read about Rimantadine, no I have not tried it as Amantadine works well for me, whats a few hallucinations and dark shapes jumping at you from the side, purple legs..................

I'm getting really bad restless legs, I know all the cures requip or pramipexole, but I have a bad taste about these meds, I wrote a we story about it on my blog page, you might get a laugh if you want to read it. I think I should sue the med companies like the guy in Paris who got 1800000 euros for the compulsive/ impulsive behaviour he had 2 years of it. I had 6 years of madness, I wonder how much I would get??? good luck

Rimantadine

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Rimantadine

Systematic (IUPAC) name

(RS)-1-(1-adamantyl)ethanamine

Clinical data

Trade names

Flumadine

AHFS/Drugs.com

monograph

MedlinePlus

a698029

Pregnancy cat.

C (United States)

Legal status

?-only (U.S.)

Routes

Oral

Pharmacokinetic data

Bioavailability

well absorbed

Protein binding

40%

Metabolism

Hepatic hydroxylation and glucuronidation

Half-life

25.4 ± 6.3 hours

Excretion

Renal

Identifiers

CAS number

13392-28-4

ATC code

J05AC02

PubChem

CID 5071

DrugBank

DB00478

ChemSpider

4893

UNII

0T2EF4JQTU

KEGG

D08483

ChEMBL

CHEMBL959

Chemical data

Formula

C12H21N

Mol. mass

179.302 g/mol

SMILES[show]

InChI[show]

(what is this?) (verify)

Rimantadine (INN, sold under the trade name Flumadine) is an orally administered antiviral drug[1] used to treat, and in rare cases prevent, influenzavirus A infection. When taken within one to two days of developing symptoms, rimantadine can shorten the duration and moderate the severity of influenza. Both rimantadine and the similar drug amantadine are derivates of adamantane. Rimantadine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1994.

According to the CDC, 100% of seasonal H3N2 and 2009 pandemic flu samples tested have shown resistance to rimantadine and it is no longer recommended to prescribe for treatment of the flu.[2]

Contents

[hide] 1 History

2 Clinical usage 2.1 Drug interactions

2.2 Possible side effects

3 References

4 External links

[edit] History

Rimantadine was discovered in 1963[3][4][5] and patented in 1965 in the USA by William W. Prichard in Du Pont & Co., Wilmington, Delaware (US patent on new chemical compound ? 3352912, 1965 and on the first method of synthesis ? 3592934, 1967).[5][6][7] Prichard's methods of synthesis of rimantadine from the corresponding ketone oxime were based on its reduction with lithium aluminum hydride.

[edit] Clinical usage

Rimantadine is believed to inhibit influenza's viral replication, possibly by preventing the uncoating of the virus's protective shells, which are the envelope and capsid. Genetic studies suggest that the virus M2 protein, an ion channel specified by virion M2 gene, plays an important role in the susceptibility of influenza A virus to inhibition by rimantadine. Resistance to rimantadine can occur as a result of an amino acid substitutions at certain locations in the transmembrane region of M2. This prevents binding of the antiviral to the channel.[8]

Rimantadine, like its antiviral cousin amantadine, possesses some NMDA antagonistic properties and is used as an antiparkinsonic drug (i.e., in the treatment of Parkinson's disease). However, neither rimantadine nor amantadine are preferred agents for this therapy and are generally reserved for cases of the disease which are less responsive to front-line treatments.

[edit] Drug interactions

Taking paracetamol (acetaminophen e.g. Tylenol) or acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) while taking rimantadine is known to reduce the body's uptake of rimantadine by approximately 12%.[9] Cimetidine also affects the body's uptake of rimantadine.

[edit] Possible side effects

Rimantadine can produce gastrointestinal and central nervous system adverse effects. Approximately 6% of patients (compared to 4% of patients taking a placebo) reported side effects at a dosage of 200 mg/d.[10] Common side effects include:

nausea

upset stomach

nervousness

tiredness

lightheadedness

trouble sleeping

difficulty concentrating

[edit] References

ShakeDaddy profile image
ShakeDaddy

I tried amantadine caps but had trouble swallowing the caps. They would stick in my throat and choke me. I now use a liquid form and it works well. Amantadine works well for tremors, balance, and rigidity. No other side effects for me. itis an old drug originally used for influenza according to my neuro. 3x 2tsp. per day.and I know if I miss a dose! Good luck and I hope it will provide some relief for some of you.

What exactly is "Dystonia?"

I thought it was some cough mixture meds ...

fishinggirl profile image
fishinggirl

Now I know where my swollen legs and ankles come from but I wouldn't trade my Amantadine

for anything. It stops my internal tremors in my chest. Side effects are minimal for me at 1 100mg capsule daily.

odonnell1 profile image
odonnell1

Hello Peter. i also have s.l.s I have a hard time going to sleep. I found a way that helps me,

30 minutes to one hour i take one Amantadine and one Requip xl Jim PS also talk to your doctor

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