Amantadine: Uses, Side Effects, and More

Amantadine is a medication used to prevent or treat certain types of flu infections caused by influenza A virus.
Category
Drug
Where to get
Available by prescription at pharmacies.
Applicable for
Prepared by Shruti Sahoo, reviewed by Dr. Eugene Smith

Amantadine FAQ

What is amantadine used for?

What is amantadine? Amantadine is an antiviral medicine that blocks the actions of viruses in your body. Amantadine is used to treat Parkinson's disease and "Parkinson-like" symptoms such as stiffness or tremors, shaking, and repetitive uncontrolled muscle movements that may be caused by the use of certain drugs.

Is Amantadine an antiviral or anti-Parkinson's disease drug?

Amantadine belongs to a class of drugs called antivirals. A class of drugs is a group of medications that work in a similar way. These drugs are often used to treat similar conditions. It’s not fully understood how amantadine works as an antiviral or anti-Parkinson’s disease drug.

Is amantadine safe?

The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses. Amantadine oral capsule is used to treat Parkinson’s disease.

When was amantadine first used?

Amantadine was first used for the treatment of influenza A. After antiviral properties were initially reported in 1963, amantadine received approval for prophylaxis against the influenza virus A in 1976. In 1973, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved amantadine for use in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

How many forms of amantadine are there?

Amantadine comes in five forms: oral immediate-release capsule, extended-release capsule, immediate-release tablet, extended-release tablet, and syrup. Amantadine oral capsule is used to treat Parkinson’s disease. It’s also used to treat drug-induced movement problems, and to prevent and treat infection with influenza (flu) A virus.

What information is available on amantadine?

More information is available on amantadine including side effects, age restrictions, food interactions, whether the medicine is available at a government subsidised price on the pharmaceutical benefits scheme (PBS) as well as other useful information.

Amantadine References

If you want to know more about Amantadine, consider exploring links below:

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