Amantadine 100mg

[Rhinoree]

I'm new here. Any good results taking this drug. They want to increase to second dose after 2 weeks

[Dadshelper]

Welcome to the site. Do you or anyone you know suffer from PSP, CBD or other related diseases? Did a quick search since I've never heard of the drug. It's primary use is for influenza respiratory infections but there is a bit about it being tried to help control shakes and stiffness in Parkinson's. Typically Parkinson's meds have little success with the afore mentioned illnesses but anything is worth a try, as long as there are no severe side effects.

Ron

[Christine47]

It is not so much what you see but what you don't. My husband's neurologist has had him taking amantadine with carbidopa-levodopa since he was diagnosed. I believe she feels that the two help with stiffness. If I recall the amantadine counteracts some of the side effects of the c-l. He is still quite limber which may be because of the treatment or in combination with the fact that he was a runner all his life. The past exercise also helps him. We also noticed that too high a dosage caused hallucinations.

[Caro2132 in reply to Christine47]

My husband has PSP and the neurologist started him on amantadine in December. He takes 1 1/2 sinemet every 4 hours. He was told to take one amantadine every morning for a week, then increase and add one in the evening. I didn’t notice any difference in ease of movement at all, once the evening dose was added he started minor hallucinations so I stopped that dose. But his blood pressure is very low in the morning and I read that one of the side effects of amantadine is lightheadedness. Still don’t notice any change in stiffness or movement. I am going to ask the neurologist if we need to continue with this. The only thing that helps movement is exercise.

[aliciamq in reply to Caro2132]

It is my understanding ,as well, no drug will address the gait issues.

[aliciamq in reply to aliciamq]

My huz gets a little lift/brighterness, albeit shortlived, from the added dopamine and feels it's worth taking.

[aliciamq in reply to Christine47]

I can say the pretty much the same as Christine47! My huz has been taking C/Ldopa with amantadine(symetrel)(diff name in UK?) all along. He has not had stiffness nor noticible tremors. If he falls asleep before taking his feet jump around a little while he sleeps. With the C/L they stay calm.. Rumors run rampant in wherever you go ~ even Drs. Get them. In their heads. You can try something and if it doesn't work, you can stop.

[Bhakthan]

Armodafanil or Waklert is what our neurologist prescribed@ one tablet in the morning. This would help the patient' alertness she said. Didn't find much cheer. Apart from the usual Dopamine/ Levodopa @ 1 1/2 tablets four times daily! Don't find any benefit - wife still having clenched tight fist! Can't let go of the medication for fear of something worse!

She's also getting bedsores, in spite of the airbed. Poor wife! Having to bear all in silence!

[Birdman34265]

Hi i haven't heard of that drug ,i know that drugs for Parkinson's is not

suitable for psp, the only drug i know which had been tested is amitriptyline 10mg ,my Kathy has been on it for 12 months and has worked for relieving stiffness. All drugs will work for a while but in the end psp will take over,it's a terrible disease and we have shed many

tears over it's.all the best . Peter and Kathy

[AliBee1]

Hiya

Nigel was put on Amantadine once daily but I felt that it was causing him his bad dreams at night, which outweiged any benefits in the day, so withour GP and Neurologists advice I took him off them. He has CBD. However I have a friend whose husband has PSP and was put on 2 daily and it has had a really positive effect for him. The neurologist siad the second one must not be taken after midday. So good luck. I hope they will help you. Love AliBee

[JA10]

My Mum (PSP) was on Amantadine, but about a year ago her neurologist took her off it. I am not sure what effect they were hoping from taking it, but I assume it was no longer working as she came off.

Looking at the drug information, it can help with tremors in Parkinson's, so maybe it just helps with limb control for PSP?

With so little that helps PSP, it is worth trying anything that may help symptom control. Julie

[Kevin_1]

Hi Rhinoree

I believe that Amantadine is not often used for PSP in the UK. The side effects can be worse than the symptoms they are trying to control.

Summarising the research I've read Amantadine can have some beneficial effects on stiffness, but there is not enough research to show it is always effective.

"Amantadine is also used in Parkinsons Disease [48], with a variety of pharmacological actions, including NMDA antagonism [49]. Although there have been no clinical trials in PSP, we have often used amantadine in people with PSP, not only for its potential effect on akinetic rigidity but also to improve alertness, motivation, speech and balance. Our approach is to start on a low dose, 100 mg once daily, and escalate slowly over 2 months to a maximum dose of 200 mg twice daily or less according to tolerance, having carefully briefed the patient and carer about side effects."

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

So Amantadine may help a little.

However the down side is:

"Important warnings

Suicide warning: Some people who have taken amantadine tried to die by suicide, even some without a history of psychiatric illness. Also, amantadine can worsen mental health problems in people who have psychiatric problems or substance abuse problems. When people attempt suicide, they usually show abnormal behaviors beforehand. These may include confusion, depression, personality changes, agitation, aggressive behavior, hallucinations, paranoia, excessive sleepiness, or insomnia.

Vision problems warning: If you have blurry vision or other confusion after taking amantadine, you should not drive or work in a situation in which you need to be alert or be able to move well.

Warning about stopping the drug too quickly: If you’re taking amantadine for Parkinson’s disease, do not abruptly stop taking it. If you do, you may experience serious side effects, including agitation, hallucinations, slurred speech, and stupor depression.

Common side effects

nausea

dizziness and lightheadedness

insomnia

If these effects are mild, they may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. If they’re more severe or don’t go away, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Serious side effects

Serious Side EffectsCall your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. Call 911 if your symptoms feel life-threatening or if you think you’re having a medical emergency. Serious side effects and their symptoms can include the following:

Hallucinations

Abnormal thoughts

Coma

Intense urges, such as new or increased urges to gamble, have sex, or go on impulsive shopping sprees.

Parkinson’s disease. If you take this drug to treat Parkinson’s, you should have a healthcare provider check your skin regularly.

Heart failure. Symptoms can include:

fluid buildup (edema) in your legs

fluid buildup in your chest

shortness of breath

getting more easily out of breath

irregular heartbeat or faster heartbeat or both

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome. This is a rare but sometimes fatal reaction caused by increased dopamine in a certain part of the brain. Symptoms can include:

fever

rigid muscles

involuntary movements

altered consciousness

mental status changes

fast pulse

fast and shallow breathing

high or low blood pressure"

healthline.com/health/amant...

I hope this helps a little.

Best

Kevin

[Chasechance]

My husband had a horrible HORRIBLE reaction to amantadine. It resulted in a 10 day detox in the hospital and then rehab and he never did get back to his baseline. I am in a rush right now but I can share more details later if you want me to. Be very careful.

[Marilyn_cbd12]

Hello, and welcome to the conversations that we have here. My husband's Mayo Clinic neurologist wants to prescribe Amantedine for the intractable muscle spasms around his cervical vertebrae since he has not responded to 1450 mg/day of Sinemet. Husband is a CBD patient. His head was been sharply pushed forward for 13 months now, and he, sadly, cannot see people's faces - just their shoes. Our problem is that our local neurologist, who would be supervising the day-to-day administration of meds, does not want to use it and she feels it has too many "down" sides. So, he has not yet begun it. We did try CBD oil when there was no response to the high dose of Sinemet but saw no benefit and it was suppressing his appetite. At 125 pounds, we did not want to do that.

My understanding is that Amantedine has been around for years, and was introduced as an influenza drug. It was observed that the patients with Parkinson's who had flu and took Amantedine seemed to do better in terms of muscle control, and so the off-label use of Amantedine commenced.

Marilyn

[Nanny857]

Hi my husband was put on Amantadine to counteract his constant feeling of tiredness but had no effect.