Stopping amantadine
 

The doctor has suggested my husband stop taking the amantadine he has been on for several years (3 x's daily). It seems to have lost its usefulness. He is adding azilect, .5mg daily for 2 weeks, then 1.0mg for the next 2 weeks. My husband forgot to ask how to cut the amantadine. I thought he could stop the morning dose for a week, stop the afternoon dose the next week, and by the third week he could stop the evening dose. Is this enough time to allow for the amantadine to clear his system? We appreciate your input...thanks!

I know from a friend's experience that it must be tapered off very slowly or there are consequences such as prolonged freezing. Please, however, call the doctor for advice.

Ann

Yes...SLOWLY
 

I just recently went off of Amantadine (b/c of side effects).

I triated off just as you said...only in the opposite direction. I cut the evening dose the 1st week - afternoon dose 2nd week & then the morning dose the last week.

I was taking it about 18 months.

I started Azilect as well and it works great!

Good luck!

No ill effects.
 

I also stopped taking Amantadine about a month ago. I was only taking 100 mg per day, having cut down from 200 mg per day over a year ago.. I have not had any problems either time.
I upped my carb/lev 25/100 to two pills per day ( from one and a half) a month ago, when I stopped Amantadine. The only difference I feel is that my stomach feels less bloated. And I am glad to see the purple veins fade away on my ankles.

birte.

Amantadine
 

Bite

Why did you first reduce and then stop taking Amantadine?

I am also currently reducing to see what happens.

I already take levodopa 125 x 4 per day.

Thank you

Chris

Crhis,

I cut down Amantadine by half because my head began to buzz. My ears seemed to hear through a layer of wool, and the buzzing inside my head seemed to reverberate. AND I had visual disturbances - I saw pink and green lace patterns on the ceiling when I did my lying down stretches, and in the sink and bath tub. The patterns were very pretty, very symmetric, but after a while I decided that I'd be better off without seeing them.
I continued with the 100 mg for another year for the sake of my balance, but stopping now seems not to have made my balance much worse - a little maybe. Since I stopped I have had a couple of little falls - in situ, you could say. One moment I'm standing, next moment my left leg buckles and I'm down - on my left hip and left bum every time. I just list left.

I'm beginning to know what addiction feels like. I love those little yellow carb/lev pills....


birte

dear jo clay
 

hello dear jo,
it is an anti -viral - there should not be side effects... although it does increase dopamine in the nervous system
call your pharmacist for a titration schedule...

also please do not allow him to take any of the medication with grapefruit juice...

here is a link to what amantadine is - I use to take it about 5 years ago,
it gave me a rash on my face?
so I quit taking it -after having been on it a month or two...

http://www.answers.com/amantadine?ca...&ver=2.1.1.521

Amantadine

Definition

Amantadine is a synthetic antiviral agent that also has strong antiparkinsonian properties. It is sold in the United States under the brand name Symmetrel, and is also available under its generic name.

Purpose

Amantadine is used to treat a group of side effects, called parkinsonian side effects, that include tremors, difficulty walking, and slack muscle tone. These side effects may occur in patients who are taking antipsychotic medications used to treat mental disorders such as schizophrenia. An unrelated use of amantadine is in the treatment of viral infections of some strains of influenza A.

Description

Some medicines, called antipsychotic drugs, that are used to treat schizophrenia and other mental disorders can cause side effects similar to the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. The patient does not have Parkinson's disease, but may experience shaking in muscles while at rest, difficulty with voluntary movements, and poor muscle tone. These symptoms are similar to the symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

One way to eliminate these undesirable side effects is to stop taking the antipsychotic medicine. Unfortunately, the symptoms of the original mental disorder usually come back; in most cases, simply stopping the antipsychotic medication is not a reasonable option. Some drugs such as amantadine that control the symptoms of Parkinson's disease also control the parkinsonian side effects of antipsychotic medicines.

Amantadine works by restoring the chemical balance between dopamine and acetylcholine, two neurotransmitter chemicals in the brain. Taking amantadine along with the antipsychotic medicine helps to control symptoms of the mental disorder, while reducing parkinsonian side effects. Amantadine is in the same family of drugs commonly known as anticholinergic drugs, including biperiden and trihexyphenidyl.

Recommended dosage

Amantadine is available in 100 mg tablets and capsules, as well as a syrup containing 50 mg of amantadine in each teaspoonful. For the treatment of drug-induced parkinsonian side effects, amantadine is usually given in a dose of 100 mg orally twice a day. Some patients may need a total daily dose as high as 300 mg. Patients who are taking other antiparkinsonian drugs at the same time may require lower daily doses of amantadine (e.g., 100 mg daily).

People with kidney disease or who are on hemodialysis must have their doses lowered. In these patients, doses may range from 100 mg daily to as little as 200 mg every seven days.

Precautions

Amantadine increases the amount of the dopamine (a central nervous system stimulant) in the brain. Because of this, patients with a history of epilepsy or other seizure disorders should be carefully monitored while taking this drug. This is especially true in the elderly and in patients with kidney disease. Amantadine may cause visual disturbances and affect mental alertness and coordination. People should not operate dangerous machinery or motor vehicles while taking this drug.
Side effects

Five to 10% of patients taking amantadine may experience nervous system side effects, including:

dizziness or lightheadedness
insomnia
nervousness or anxiety
impaired concentration
One to 5% of patients taking amantadine may experience other nervous system side effects, including:

irritability or agitation
depression
confusion
lack of coordination
sleepiness or nightmares
fatigue
headache
In addition, up to 1% of patients may experience hallucinations, euphoria (excitement), extreme forgetfulness, aggressive behavior, personality changes, or seizures. Seizures are the most serious of all the side effects associated with amantadine.

Gastrointestinal side effects may also occur in patients taking amantadine. Five to 10% of people taking this drug experience nausea and up to 5% have dry mouth, loss of appetite, constipation, and vomiting. In most situations, amantadine may be continued and these side effects treated symptomatically.

One to 5% of patients taking amantadine have also reported a bluish coloring of their skin (usually on the legs) that is associated with enlargement of the blood vessels (livedo reticularis). This side effect usually appears within one month to one year of starting the drug and subsides within weeks to months after the drug is discontinued. People who think they may be experiencing this or other side effects from any medication should tell their physician.

Interactions

Taking amantadine along with other drugs used to treat parkinsonian side effects may cause increased confusion or even hallucinations. The combination of amantadine and central nervous system stimulants (e.g., amphetamines or decongestants) may cause increased central nervous stimulation or increase the likelihood of seizures.

Resources

BOOKS

American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. AHFS Drug Information 2002. Bethesda: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, 2002.

DeVane, C. Lindsay, PharmD. "Drug Therapy for Psychoses." In Fundamentals of Monitoring Psychoactive Drug Therapy. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins, 1990.

peace to your heart~

never had ANY problems with amantadine.I quit 2x 100mg/daily cold turkey without any problems either. (post DBS)

Birte;
I list to the right, we should be a "pair"!! LOL

Sinemet dependancy is not often spoken of, but it is a real problem for some. They get addicted to the "high" sinemet gives them. This is not a problem for the vast majority of PD'ers, and is usually overcome with a DBS.

Charlie