Quick Information
Introduction –
Amantadine is a medicine that can be used in the treatment of dyskinesia, which is related to parkinsonism and influenza caused by a type A influenza virus. This medicine acts as an antagonist, agonist, nicotinic, and dopamine.
Firstly, Amantadine was used to treat influenza A but after antiviral properties were introduced in the year 1963, this medicine is approved for prophylaxis against the influenza virus A in the year 1976. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved this medicine for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease in the year 1973. The release of the extended formulation was permitted to treat levodopa-induced dyskinesia.
Uses –
Amantadine is an antiviral medicine that prevents the actions of viruses in the body and is used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. To treat Parkinson’s disease, this medicine can be given alone or with a combination of other medicines. This medicine is also used in the treatment of influenza A in children and adults. This drug is not effective in every flu season due to certain strains of the virus that can be resistant to this medicine. It is also used in the treatment of shakiness and stiffness due to certain medicines that help in treating mental, emotional, and nervous conditions. This medicine is available in capsules, oral solutions, and tablets.
How to take –
Take this medicine through the mouth with or without food, normally once or twice regularly as instructed by your doctor. During treatment, if you are taking this medicine twice daily then it may cause a problem in sleeping so should take the second dose several hours before bedtime. If you take this medicine is in liquid form then should carefully measure the dose of this medicine with the help of a special measuring device or spoon. But do not use a household spoon to measure the liquid dose as it may not measure the right dose.
If the amount of this medicine is kept at a constant level in your body, then it works best during treatment. If you use this medicine to treat viral infection then start this medication immediately. But do not stop taking this medicine instantly as it can result in a degeneration of the infection. The effects of this medicine cannot be observed for some weeks in treating Parkinson’s disease.
Dosage instructions –
The dose of any medicine may be based on your past or present medical conditions, age, and response to treatment. You should take this medicine with a low dose to reduce the risk of side effects. After several days, your dose is decreased gradually as instructed by your doctor.
Miss dose
- Advertisement -– If you miss the dose any time during treatment then take this medicine as soon as possible to make up the dose. But you should not take a double dose as it may cause side effects that may be harmful to you.
Overdose
– During treatment, if you take an overdose of this medicine by fault, it may cause severe side effects then immediately contact to your doctor for medical help.
Side-effects –
There are some side effects of this medicine are given below –
- Headache
- Dry mouth
- Blurred vision
- Problem in sleeping
- Nausea
- Stomach upset
- Dizziness
- Nervousness
- Constipation
Precautions –
There are several important precautions before or after medication are discussed below –
- Do not take this medicine if you use the nasal flu for the past 14 days.
- After taking this medicine, you may feel heat stroke so should be careful in hot weather and during physical activity.
- Amantadine medicine should not be taken if you are allergic to this drug as it may harmful to your health.
- You should not drive any vehicle, or avoid any physical activities after taking this medicine as it may cause dizziness that may responsible for an accident or injury.
Before taking this medicine, you can consult with your doctor about past or present medical conditions.