I found many people confusing over the usage/medication of ‘Amantadine; I just have found a lot of info over the drug and I just wanna put the condensed form of the info here…let me know if you find the note helping.
Amantadine having its brand name Symmetrel is a synthetic anti-viral drug that can inhibit the replication of viruses in cells and is believed to be an indirect DOPAMINE agonist; this means that it releases the neurotransmitter dopamine from nerve terminals in the brain. To prevent a viral infection, the drug should be present before exposure to the virus. Writing more clearly this is not practical for most viral infections.
It was initially used to prevent influenza A during flu season, and, if given within 24 to 48 hours of the onset of flu symptoms, to decrease the severity of the flu. Later amantadine was found to cause improvement in the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. However the mechanism of action of amantadine on the Parkinson’s disease is not fully understood.
Amantadine is prescribed for the prevention or treatment of infections with influenza ‘A’ virus, especially for individuals at high-risk such as immuno suppressed patients and nursing home residents. It is also used for control of the symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
For more information you may visit some good informative sites like-
www.drugdelivery.ca/s3855-s-SYMMETREL.aspx ,
www.medicinenet.com/amantadine/article.htm ,
www.drugs.com/MTM/amantadine.html etc