What to do if you are poisoned with Remantadine?

Not often, but it happens that an overdose of Remantadine becomes a serious reason for hospitalization in a hospital, and sometimes in the ITIR department (intensive care unit). This happens only in the most severe cases.

The severity of the patient’s condition is determined by the amount of medication dose taken and the speed of providing first emergency and medical (specialized) care. In most cases, the victim or his relatives are able to cope with the situation on their own.

General characteristics

Remantadine is a pharmaceutical from the group of antiviral drugs, the action of which is aimed at destroying the influenza A virus, herpes and tick-borne encephalitis. However, today this drug is considered “outdated with unproven effectiveness”, since the vast majority of type A virus strains are highly resistant (resistant) to its action. Since 2007, the prescription of Remantadine for treatment has been considered inappropriate.

The drug has two official names - Rimantadine (trade) and Rimantadine (international). This medicine was first discovered in 1963, and a patent for it was received in 1965. The high clinical effectiveness of Remantadine was demonstrated in 1969 during an influenza epidemic among prisoners in a US prison.

Pharmacodynamics

An antiviral agent, an adamantane derivative, has a pronounced immunomodulatory and antitoxic effect. It circulates in the blood for a long time due to slow metabolization, which serves as sufficient justification for the use of Remantadine for both therapeutic and prophylactic purposes.

The drug suppresses the development of the virus at an early stage, prevents its exit from the damaged cell, stimulates the production of its own interferon, and increases the activity of lymphocytes (killer cells of the immune system).

Prescribing Remantadine in prophylactic doses reduces the risk of viral infections. Its use in the first 16-18 hours from the onset of the disease reduces the severity of clinical manifestations of influenza.

Pharmacokinetics

After oral administration, rimantadine is almost completely absorbed in the small intestine, circulates in the blood for more than a day, and then is broken down in the liver within 30-38 hours. Almost 3 days are excreted from the body through the kidneys in the form of metabolites (up to 85%) and in an unchanged state (15%).

Chronic liver failure almost doubles the metabolism time of Remantadine. In people suffering from kidney failure, children and the elderly, the drug can accumulate in the body in fairly high (toxic) concentrations.

Indications

1. Flu types A and B;
2. Prevention of influenza after contact with a sick person and during an epidemic of viral infections;
3. Prevention of the development of tick-borne encephalitis;
4. Treatment of herpes infection (as part of complex therapy).

How often can you take Remantadine?

The drug is used during outbreaks of viral infections 1-2 times a year. Medication dosage regimen:

1. for prophylactic purposes, 50 mg * 1 time per day for a month (adults) and 50 mg * 2 times per day for 5 days (children);
2. for the treatment of viral infections and influenza - according to the scheme described in detail in the instructions for use of Remantadine.

Contraindications and adverse reactions

1. Allergy to Remantadine; Hallucinations from Remantadine can be visual and auditory. A person with glitches becomes emotionally unstable, perceives what is happening inadequately and can be dangerous to those around him.

   Consequences

   Rhythm disturbances increase the risk of sudden cardiac arrest and death. In people suffering from hypertension, an overdose of Remantadine increases the risk of developing a hypertensive crisis, which in turn can provoke an attack of acute myocardial infarction or hemorrhagic stroke.

   First aid

   What to do in case of an overdose of Remantadine?

   1. Call an ambulance immediately!
   2. Before the doctor arrives, rinse your stomach. You can do this yourself like this: drink at least 0.5-1 liters of clean still water and mechanically (by pressing your fingers on the root of the tongue) induce vomiting. Repeat the manipulation 2-3 times (ideally until the rinsing water is clean).
   3. After gastric lavage, take any sorbent internally: Activated Carbon, Polyphepan, Polysorb, Filtrum-STI, Lactofiltrum, Smecta, Enterosgel, Atoxil, Silix, etc.
   4. Drink more liquid: lingonberry or cranberry juice, tea with lemon, still mineral water.

   If the measures taken are ineffective, the introduction of a special antidote to Remantadine will be required. The following drugs block its toxic effect:

   1. Physostigmine;
   2. Neostigmine;
   3. Prozerin.

   Treatment

   Peculiar antidotes for intoxication with Remantadine are:

   1. Domperidone;
   2. Metoclopramide;
   3. Motilium;
   4. Motilak;
   5. Passengers.

   These drugs improve intestinal motility and promote faster elimination of toxic substances from the body.

   Antihistamines are mandatory for use in cases of Remantadine poisoning. This:

   1. Erius;Important! Aspirin and Paracetamol, which are familiar to everyone, when taken simultaneously, effectively reduce the concentration of Remantadine in the body.

      How to prevent overdose

      1. Before using Remantadine, be sure to consult with your doctor to determine its compatibility with other medications or to determine possible contraindications to treatment.
      2. Under no circumstances should you use medicine that has expired.
      3. Do not leave tablets freely available to small children.
      4. Do not exceed the dosage recommended by the doctor and the instructions.
      5. Do not take tablets together with alcoholic beverages.

      Is Remantadine harmful? The drug, according to clinical studies, shows lower toxicity and higher efficiency than Amantadine, which is also a derivative of adamantane. And, nevertheless, the medicine is not recommended for use today due to the high level of resistance of influenza A viruses to the drug. In comparison with other modern antiviral drugs, the toxicity of Remantadine is an order of magnitude higher.