Posted by yxibow on January 17, 2006, at 2:00:00
In reply to My PCP gave me Amantadine for Flu?, posted by corafree on January 11, 2006, at 16:08:03
> I just read about Amantadine and it's being helpful for people who gain weight on the bi-polar meds.
>
> I went on to read it should not be stopped abruptly.
>
> Well, she gave me a bottle for the flu and I'll be out of it this weekend.
>
> Anyone taken for the FLU? Anyone know more about this drug? Anyone heard that Tamiflu has caused deaths?
>
> bestwishes, cfThere was a study presented in:
European Neuropsychopharmacology
Volume 15, Issue 1 , January 2005, Pages 13-21"Amantadine for weight gain associated with olanzapine treatment."
Reading the article, Amantadine provided modest but fairly low weight loss; as compared to placebo, there was a weight gain. So one might say that it could cause it to be weight neutral.
Amantadine was originally a Parkinsonian drug, affecting dopamine.
It was discovered accidentally that it also was useful for the flu. It mainly shouldn't be stopped in patients with Parkinsons, because a deterioration in that disorder could occur on rare occasions. If you are seriously concerned that you are running out of the Amantadine, I would page your doctor to get a new prescription for it.
It has been noted by the FDA, because of overuse in Asia that Amantadine and Rimantadine have gained resistance in treating Bird Flu. They are still useful in the treatment of uncomplicated regular strains of flu as far as I know. There is still Tamiflu and Relenza which have not gained resistance to a great extent yet.
http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/antivirals/influenza/default.htm
is a source of information for flu in general
Rat studies of Tamiflu have shown that 800 times the dosage for a one year old child caused no sequelae. At extremely high doses certain groups did have deaths, but not at appropriate human prescribed amounts. The most common side effects from Tamiflu are gastrointestinal -- nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. But that can be countered by meclizine or Tigan or other anti-emetics if necessary.
poster:yxibow
thread:598016
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060115/msgs/599904.html