At a hospital appointment the consultant said I should try Amantadine, it might help the sinemet last longer. I took her letter to my GP and asked for a prescription and picked it up from Boots.
The box said Amantadine hydrochloride for protection from flu!!! In the information leaflet the only mention of Parkinsons is that if you are taking levodopa this may interfere with Amantadine.
Does anyone know if I have been given the right thing? The helpline seems very busy, I am reluctant to go back to GP as the surgery is in trouble with CQC and is in the process of being amalgamated with another place.
I’d advice going back to your pharmacist as they can look online on their system whether it’s correct. If not, I’d contact your Parkinson’s Nurse to see if they can advise.
Hope you manage to get this sorted and best wishes,
Laura.
Hi Mosie, I take 3 of those everyday, you have been prescribed the correct medication. Does it work/help? … I’m not convinced in my instance. Good luck.
Hi Mosie - this link explains it well, originally an anti-viral prescribed for flu though no longer recommended for that as now ineffective. But a chance finding proved it to be a useful drug in PD.
Thank you so much for your replies. I went into a complete panic because things have been rather chaotic from time to time at the surgery, I have been a patient there for 14 months now, the doctors all seem to be employed on temporary part time contracts, I never know who I will see, no-one knows me, everything has to be explained from scratch every time. I’ve just looked at the info sheet in the packet again, revised in Feb 2019 but nothing about a positive use in Parkinsons.
Thanks again, panic over
Mosie
Happy to have helped. There are so many drugs in all sorts of conditions used for illnesses they were not originally developed for - not surprising we sometimes panic!
I thought amantadine is to control involuntary movements ie dyskinesia and entacapone is for making your Parkinson’s drugs last longer. As this is what I take. Azilect is a good Parkinson’s drug alot of people benefit from this.
