Amantadine- Effective Anti-Viral Drug for Flu
Amantadine- Effective Anti-Viral Drug for Flu
The role of Influenza anti viral drugs will be of utmost importance if a
pandemic breaks out, especially during the first wave of
infection when pandemic vaccines may not be available. Anti
Virals is the only option available for the prevention and
treatment of Influenza in the absence of vaccines.
In the present scenario, we are encompassed with four types of
Anti viral drugs which are miraculously effectual in shortening
the course of infection if given early during the disease and
are also capable of providing short term protection against
Influenza.
They are-
" Amantadine
" Rimantadine
" Tamiflu
" Relenza
Amantadine- The medication is used to treat or prevent
infections of the respiratory tract caused by a certain virus.
It acts by slowing the growth of the virus. Amantadine is also
used to treat symptoms of Parkinson's disease and to treat the
side effects caused by certain psychiatric drugs.
Amantadine hydrochloride inhibits the replication of influenza A
viruses at low concentrations. The exact mechanism of action
is unknown. In vitro human influenza viruses, including H1N1,
H1N2, H2N2 and H3N2 subtypes are inhibited by 0.2 to 0.7
micrograms/ml or less of amantadine. It is recognized, however,
that not all strains susceptible under in vitro conditions will
be similarly affected in clinical practice.
The medication is only effective against the A influenza
viruses. If used as a treatment it is not capable of preventing
the host immune response for influenza A infection. Prophylactic
administration has no effect on the host immune response to
vaccination with the current inactivated influenza virus
vaccines.
Amantadine Dosage- Generally the medication is
recommended soon after the exposure is suspected and should be
taken continuously for the next ten days. In case of recurrent
or prolonged exposure, it is advised to continue with Amantadine
dosage throughout the epidemic. The suggested dosages of
Amantadine for different age groups are as follows-
" Children aged five-nine years- 100mg once daily
" Children and adults aged 10-65 years- 100mg twice daily
" Adults over 65 years- 100mg once daily
Opt for Amantadine
The fact that makes Amantadine one of the best medications
available against influenza is that it is anti-viral. Even
antibiotics can kill bacteria but they are not effective against
viral infection and since flu is a viral infection it deserves
treatment through an anti-viral medication, which is Amantadine.
So, you should look for the drug information number, or DIN, on
the product, and buy amantadine
from genuine internet pharmacies that provide a street
address and telephone number in case there is a problem.