annran
6 posts
Jan 22, 2010
1:49 PM
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I have been on Amantadine, 100 mg once a day, for two weeks. I see no progress. The neuro indicated I should see improvement in my tremor in a week. What do you say?
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ThePharmacist
502 posts
Jan 29, 2010
8:51 PM
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are you taking any other medication? The amantadine can take upto 4 to 6 weeks to see results. It can be increased up to twice daily if a once a day dose is uneffective. Make sure you take the amantadine about the same time every day to maintain constant blood levels. Give it about a month or so, if the tremor has not improved, contact you dr.
Your dr was not wrong when he said you could see a difference in a week. In some people they may see some improvement in a short period of time.
Don't get frustrated, give it some time. I know it is hard but hang in there.Best of health, Mark
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annran
7 posts
Jan 30, 2010
6:09 AM
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I don't take any other meds for PD. Just Lorazepam and Doxepin for other isssues.
The dr. has increased it to twice a day. I have been taking the first dose every day at 9:00. They want the second dose taken at noon. Sound right?
I'll be patient. Thanks.
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ThePharmacist
511 posts
Jan 30, 2010
10:23 PM
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it does sound correct. Then you will see how symptoms go in the afternoon and evening. If not good, then you will probably move the noon to 3:00 or so. Hang in there and give the medicine a chance, Best of health, Mark
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simplysue
32 posts
Feb 01, 2010
9:38 PM
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Hmmm. I tried Amantadine for six weeks, twice a day,morning and evening. Didn't touch a thing! But I notice that you take yours at 9:00 and then at noon...Am I wrong to be taking mine 12 hours apart? Is there an advantage to the times you take it?
Thanks!
Sue
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annran
8 posts
Feb 03, 2010
4:10 PM
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Well, this is only day four on the 9:00 and noon dosage. I am being cautiously optimistic, but its too soon to tell. I'll keep you posted.
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ThePharmacist
517 posts
Feb 07, 2010
10:12 PM
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the timing of the meds is really dependent on the person. With pd meds especially. I have been looked down on by many in the parkinson medical community for my view on medication management. I always tell them," Look, you may treat it, but I have it." I am logical on my approach but it frightens dr's to hear me say this. My view with parkinsons meds is this.
We will use amantadine as the example. The directions of twice a day are an ideal standard. Ideally, it should be taken 12 hours apart. But when it comes to pd, it is a different story. Pd is one of the very few conditions where your body will tell you when you need your meds. What we need to do is listen to our body, and take the meds before our body tells us.
If we take sinemet at 9:00 am and wait long enough, our body will tell us we need more. It will tell us by shaking us, making us move slow, drool, you know, all that sexy stuff. This all happens at 3:00 pm. So we don't get those symptoms, we take the meds at 2:00 pm.
This is where I got into trouble. Your body will tell you when you need your meds. If the sinemet directions say," take 3 times a day" and you took your 3rd dose at 7pm and it is now 9pm and your symptoms are coming back..take another tablet. Is it going to kill you? Probably not. Why suffer if you do not have to. I am not saying to take it 7 times a day if the directions are 3 times a day. But what is 1 extra tablet going to hurt.
Ok, I am off the soapbox. Twice a day for some may be every 12 hours. In others it may be 8 hours apart. Your body will tell you. Just make sure you keep your dr informed.Best of health, Mark
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annran
9 posts
Feb 12, 2010
5:06 PM
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Well, I'm ending my second week with twice daily Amantadine and I gotta say I'm seeing definite improvement. I am shaky still, but nothing close to what it was. Can now hold a newspaper and read it, can hold the phone receiver and it stays close to my ear. Hoping it will continue to improve. 9:00 am and noon are the times. I can definitely tell the second dose helps.
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ThePharmacist
524 posts
Feb 27, 2010
8:10 AM
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I think we all want results now. Especially with the position we are in. When we have pd, we feel time is against us and it is hard to wait. Best of health, Mark
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Bob R
6 posts
Mar 10, 2010
3:58 PM
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Currently I am taking amantadine 100mg up to 4x's a day. Along with my sinemet 250mg 6x's in a 24 hour day including the night. The sinemet induces dyskinesias, at even the lowest levels, but the amantadine settles out the dyskinesias. I have not been so able to do things for years. And it is exactly because my Dr said, do what you need to do. I was being really scheduled before, not listening to what my body needed. He said remember when you exercise you will need more, when you don't do very much you will need less.
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