Category- Allopathy
Medicine Highlights
| Uses | 1. To manage Parkinson’s disease 2. To treat Influenza |
| Common Side Effects | 1. Bladder pain 2. Bloody or cloudy urine 3. Blurred vision 4. Confusion 5. Difficult, burning, or painful urination 6. Dizziness or lightheadedness 7. Fainting 8. Falls 9. Frequent urge to urinate 10. Lower back or side pain 11. Seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there 12. Swelling of the hands, feet, or lower legs |
| Additional Information | 1. Avoid driving or any hazardous activity after consuming Amantadine, as it can cause dizziness or drowsiness. 2. Its off-label indications include chorea (involuntary dance movements) in Huntington’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and restless legs syndrome. |
| Storage | 1. The medicine should be stored at room temperature. 2. Keep away from sunlight and moisture. 3. Keep away from the reach of children |
| How to Take This Medicine | Take this medicine orally with a sip of water |
Amantadine Uses
Amantadine 100 mg is an oral medicine belonging to the category of anti-parkinson agents and is used for the following indications:
- Parkinson’s disease
- To treat influenza
Amantadine side effects
More Common
- Bladder pain
- Bloody or cloudy urine
- Blurred vision
- Confusion
- Difficult, burning, or painful urination
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Fainting
- Falls
- Frequent urge to urinate
- Lower back or side pain
- Seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there
- Swelling of the hands, feet, or lower legs
Less Common
- Blindness
- Decreased vision or any change in vision
- Dry eyes
- Eye pain, irritation, or swelling
- Inability to move the eyes
- Increased blinking or spasms of the eyelid
- Muscle spasm
- Sticking out of the tongue
- Trouble breathing, speaking, or swallowing
- Uncontrolled twisting movements of the neck, trunk, arms, or legs
- Unusual facial expressions
How Amantadine works
Amantadine works a bit like a helper switch in the body: when it comes to the flu virus, it blocks the virus’s doorway so it can’t get inside your cells and spread; in the brain, it turns up dopamine, the chemical that helps keep movements smooth, and turns down extra “noise” signals that make movements shaky. This double action makes it useful for easing stiffness and tremors in Parkinson’s disease and related movement problems, while its flu‑blocking role is less common today because many flu strains have changed their “door locks.”
Safety Measures and Warning
Breastfeeding
Amantadine is not recommended during breastfeeding because it passes into breast milk and can cause sedation or low white blood cell counts in infants. If used, both mother and baby need close medical monitoring.
Pregnancy
The safety of Amantadine in pregnancy is not established. Inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to conceive. Amantadine may be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed, and its risks must be weighed carefully against potential benefits.
Kidney and Liver Problems
Amantadine is not known to be safe for use in liver and kidney disease patients. Patients with kidney or liver problems should inform their doctor and be closely monitored when using this medicine.
Heart Problems
Amantadine should be used with caution in heart patients, as its effect can cause heart inflammation and influence blood vessel tone and, in rare cases, affect heart rhythm or blood pressure. Inform your doctor if you have any existing heart problems before using this medicine
Past Mental Health Problems
Amantadine directly acts on the brain and causes different side effects like sedation and drowsiness. Inform the doctor about your past mental health issues before using Amantadine.
Amantadine Interaction with Food Product
Amantadine is generally safe with food, and it is recommended to avoid alcohol and smoking with Amantadine, as they can alter the drug’s effect and may cause severe drowsiness and sedation because of their direct action on the brain.
Amantadine Interaction with Other Medicines
Avoid taking Amantadine 100 mg with the following medicines, as it may increase or decrease the desired effect, or in worse cases, it could be fatal:
Amantadine Chemical Structure
IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry)/ Chemical name
8-chloro-11-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl) -5H-dibenzo [1,4] diazepine
Intake routine/cycle
Daily dose
Take Amantadine exactly as your doctor recommends. The dose may change based on your condition and how well you respond. Do not take more than prescribed without consulting your doctor.
Missed Dose
If you forget to take your medicine, take the medication as soon as you remember. If it’s nearly time for your next dose, skip the missed one and continue with your regular schedule. Always consult the doctor before making any changes to your dosage.
Overdose
It is not recommended to take more than 1000 mg of Amantadine per day, as it may cause severe adverse effects like extreme drowsiness, confusion, low BP, unconsciousness, respiratory depression, and arrhythmia. Patients consuming alcohol or any antidepressant medications should not take Amantadine, as it causes severe overdose.
Storage
- Store the medicine at room temperature
- Keep away from sunlight and moisture
- Keep out of reach of children
Directions for use
- Take Amantadine exactly as prescribed by your doctor, at the same time each day.
- Do not stop taking Amantadine without your doctor’s approval, even if you feel better.
- If you forget to take Amantadine, take it as soon as you remember. If it’s almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose.
Amantadine Summary
used to help people with Parkinson’s disease and certain movement problems caused by other drugs. It works in the brain by boosting dopamine (the chemical that helps control movement) and calming down extra signals that make movements shaky. Doctors sometimes also use it for fatigue in multiple sclerosis or recovery after brain injury. It’s usually taken as 100–200 mg a day but taking too much (around 1,000 mg or more) can be dangerous, causing confusion, hallucinations, heart problems, or seizures. Older adults, people with kidney problems, and those with mental health issues need extra care when using it, and alcohol or caffeine can make side effects worse.
FAQ’s
What are the uses of Amantadine tablets?
Amantadine tablets are mainly used to ease stiffness, tremors, and movement problems in Parkinson’s disease or those caused by certain medicines. They work by boosting dopamine, the brain chemical that smooths movement, and reducing excess signals that make movements jerky. Though once used for influenza A, this role is rare today due to viral resistance
What is amantadine resistance?
Amantadine tablets can cause side effects like dizziness, nausea, insomnia, dry mouth, and blurred vision. In some people, especially the elderly, it may also lead to confusion, hallucinations, or irregular heartbeats.
What are the side effects of Amantadine tablets?
Amantadine can cause everyday issues like nausea or tiredness, but more importantly it may harm the lungs, thyroid, liver, eyes, or heart, so close medical monitoring is essential.
What is the Amantadine drug class?
Amantadine belongs to the adamantane antiviral class and also acts as a dopaminergic anti parkinsonism agent. Used in Parkinson disease.
Reference
- National Center for Biotechnology Information. Amantadine. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 [cited 2025 Dec 4]. Available from.
- WebMD. Amantadine oral: Uses, side effects, interactions, pictures, warnings & dosing. WebMD [Internet]. 2025 [cited 2025 Dec 4]. Available from.
- Drugs.com. Amantadine: Uses, dosage, side effects, warnings. Drugs.com [Internet]. 2025 [cited 2025 Dec 4]. Available from.
- Mayo Clinic. Amantadine (oral route): Description and side effects. Mayo Clinic [Internet]. 2025 [cited 2025 Dec 4]. Available from.
- National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 2130, Amantadine. PubChem [Internet]. 2025 [cited 2025 Dec 4]. Available from.
Authors
Siva Krishna Adithya Bhumireddy completed Bachelor of Pharmacy from GIET School of Pharmacy affiliated to Andhra University and from his 3rd year of graduation itself he was working as a freelance Medical and Publication writer and having expertise in Systematic reviews and clinical research. With his keen interest and skills in research and documentation practices he also reviewed more than 100 manuscripts from international journals like Elsevier, Springer Nature, Sage Journals and all the manuscripts were indexed and appeared in Pub Med, Scopus and Web of Science databases and received honorary recognition letters and certificates from all of them. Siva Krishna Adithya also published few systematic, narrative reviews and few chapters of international expertise.