Amantadine |
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Amantadine is used to treat Parkinson's disease, sometimes called paralysis agitans or shaking palsy. It may be given alone or with other medicines for Parkinson's disease. By improving muscle control and reducing stiffness, this medicine allows more normal movements of the body as the disease symptoms are reduced. Amantadine is also used to treat stiffness and shaking caused by certain medicines used to treat nervous, mental, and emotional conditions. Amantadine is sold under the name Symmetrel and Vyregit for use both as an antiviral and an antiparkinsonian drug. Rimantadine is a closely related derivative of adamantane with similar biological properties.
amantadine, adamantan, viregit, amantadine dosage. (key phrases)
| Dosage |
Packing |
Price |
Add to basket |
| 100 mg |
30 tab ($0.47 per tab) |
USD 14.00 |
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| 100 mg |
90 tab ($0.43 per tab) |
USD 39.00 |
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Amantadine: Medications and Prescriptions
Generic name: adamantan
Product Brand Name: Viregit
Amantadine description
For Amantadine, the following aspects should be considered:
Allergies
Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to amantadine. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.
Pregnancy
Studies have not been done in humans. However, there have been reports of birth defects, including birth defects of the heart, when women took amantadine during the first trimester of pregnancy. Also, a malformation involving the lower leg occurred in one infant. In addition, studies in some animals have shown that amantadine is harmful to the fetus and causes birth defects. Before taking this medicine, make sure your doctor knows if you are pregnant or if you may become pregnant.
Breast-feeding
Amantadine passes into breast milk. However, the effects of amantadine in newborn babies and infants are not known. It may be necessary for you to take another medicine or to stop breast-feeding during treatment. Be sure you have discussed the risks and benefits of the medicine with your doctor.
Children
This medicine has been tested in children over 1 year of age and has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems in these children than it does in adults. There is no specific information comparing the use of amantadine in children under 1 year of age with use in other age groups.
Older adults
Elderly people are especially sensitive to the effects of amantadine. Confusion, difficult urination, blurred vision, constipation, and dry mouth, nose, and throat may be especially likely to occur.
Other medicines
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking amantadine, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:
Amphetamines or
Appetite suppressants (diet pills), except fenfluramine (e.g., Pondimin), or
Caffeine (e.g., NoDoz) or
Chlophedianol (e.g., Ulone) or
Cocaine or
Medicine for asthma or other breathing problems or
Medicine for colds, sinus problems, or hay fever or other allergies (including nose drops or sprays) or
Methylphenidate (e.g., Ritalin) or
Nabilone (e.g., Cesamet) or
Pemoline (e.g., Cylert)—The use of amantadine with these medicines may increase the chance of unwanted effects such as nervousness, irritability, trouble in sleeping, and possibly seizures or irregular heartbeat
Anticholinergics (medicine for abdominal or stomach spasms or cramps) — The use of amantadine with these medicines may increase the chance of unwanted effects such as blurred vision, dryness of the mouth, confusion, hallucinations, and nightmares
Quinidine (e.g., Quinaglute Dura-tabs, Quinidex Extentabs) or
Quinine or Trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole (e.g., Bactrim, Septra)—These medicines may increase the amount of amantadine in the blood and increase the chance for side effects.
Other medical problems — The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of amantadine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
Eczema (recurring)—Amantadine may cause or worsen eczema
Epilepsy or other seizure disorder (history of)—Amantadine may increase the frequency of convulsions (seizures) in patients with a seizure disorder
Heart disease or other circulation problems or
Swelling of feet and ankles—Amantadine may increase the chance of swelling of the feet and ankles, and may worsen heart disease or circulation problems Kidney disease—Amantadine is removed from the body by the kidneys; patients with kidney disease will need to receive a lower dose of amantadine.
Mental or emotional illness — Higher doses of amantadine may cause confusion, hallucinations, and nightmares
Substance abuse (drug or alcohol abuse), history of—The chance of side effects from this medicine may be increased
Amantadine notes:
Amantadine, with a brand name, Viregit is an antiviral drug prescribed to treat influenza (flu) infections (type A). It is also used in the treatment of Parkinsonism and drug-induced extra pyramidal reactions.
Amantadine, being an antiviral, prevents the release of viral nucleic acid into the host cells, thereby fights effectively against influenza virus. Amantadine, also an antidyskinetic, is prescribed alone or with other medicines for Parkinson's disease. It improves muscle control and reduces stiffness, and thus allows more normal movements of the body as the disease symptoms are reduced. Amantadine is also used to treat stiffness and shaking caused by certain medicines used to treat nervous, mental, and emotional conditions.
Before starting the course, your doctor should be informed if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to amantadine and or other substances such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.
There have been reports of birth defects of the heart, when women took amantadine during the first trimester of pregnancy. As per studies conducted on animals, amantadine is harmful to the fetus. Since amantadine passes into breast milk, the risks should be discussed with your doctor.
Though not children, older adults are sensitive to amantadine. Confusion, difficult urination, blurred vision, constipation, dry mouth, nose, and throat are likely to occur.
In order to avoid any adverse interaction between two different medicines your healthcare professional should be intimated if you are taking the following: Appetite suppressants except Fenfluramine, Caffeine, Chlophedianol, Cocaine, medicine for asthma, cold, sinus problems or hay fever, Methylphenidate, Nabilone, Pemoline, Anticholinergics since the use of amantadine with these medicines may increase undesirable effects.
The presence of other medical problems such as Eczema, Epilepsy or other seizure disorder, Heart disease, Kidney disease, Mental or emotional illness and Substance abuse should be informed to your doctor as it may affect the use of amantadine.
Amantadine bews:
Amantadine restricts the passage of M2 proton channel facilitating entry of the influenza virus
Based on the research findings carried out by the Iwoa State University’s Mei Hong, amantadine an anti- viral drug blocks the M2 proton channel which is considered as a pre – requisite for the virus to infect the healthy cells. According to Hong, Iowa State's John D. Corbett Professor of Chemistry and an associate scientist for the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory, this particular research has contradicted all the previous findings and in the mean while has created a new path for the growth of the new anti viral drugs against the influenza virus and the prevalent H1N1.
Contradicting reports were carried out by two papers published by Nature in 2008 about where the antiviral drug amantadine actually restricts the passage of flu virus and accordingly blocks the infection of a healthy cell. One paper based on the X-ray studies stated that the medicine cling to the cavity within the tubular structure (lumen) of the proton channel and confines the virus by blocking the channel while the other paper based on solution nuclear resonance (NMR) technology stated that the drug found near the proton channel blocks the virus by replacing its channel structure.
This research also concluded that presence of amantadine in substantial amount of one molecule per channel helps in adhering to the lumen inside the proton channel, but the drug will hook itself up to a second site on the exterior of the virus protein near the channel when credited to the high density of amantadine in the membrane. Hong said that the study conducted using solid state NMR mechanism distinctly showed that correct confined section (site) is within the lumen channel and that the exterior binding section (site) is engaged by overabundance of drug. He also stated that the medical chemists will now be able to manufacture new drugs to attack the factual binding site of the channel.
Through the process of endocytosis the healthy cell surrounds the flu virus and pulls it inside. Once inside, a proton called M2 is used by the virus in order to open a channel to the healthy cell. This process prolongs to the time till the virus captures the substances of healthy cells and allows them to reproduce and spread. Amantadine acts as a savior with regards in blocking the M2 proton channel which handicaps the entire process and therefore stops the infection of a healthy cell.
With the help of the solid – state NMR spectroscopy, Hong and the research team constructed concrete techniques to analyze the proton channel. These techniques provided the team with an elaborative picture of the structure of the protein at the drug-binding site and it also revealed the association of the antiviral drug within the proton channel. The analyst also concluded that the amantadine functions better when it binds to the inside of the proton channel thereby paving a path for the development of other drugs that will do a quicker job in blocking the proton channel.
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Drug category:antiviral
 Amantadine
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