Info on Amantadine Poisoning?!
Question: Info on Amantadine Poisoning!?
Saw it on House, learning some stuff from TV!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
Yeah!. Amantadine is medication for the flu!. Her kidneys were crushed in the bus accident!. Without her kidneys functioning, her body was unable to filter the pills she took just before the crash!. Usually dialysis would take care of her problem, but this particular drug is unable to be flushed out of the blood by dialysis!. If you were a patient on dialysis, you would never be given this drug because of this complication!. Unfortunately, this was just a very horrible coincidence that resulted in Amber's death!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Amantadine can cause Rhabdomyolysis, which I believe played a part in an earlier episode of House!. Rhabdomyolsis is often a complication in crush/traumatic injuries, where muscle tissue breaks down causing an overload of myoglobin at levels that become toxic to the kidneys!.
Treatment for Rhabdomyolysis is dialysis!. Cut and dried, once diagnosed!. The diagnosis is the tricky part here!.
Treatment for Amantadine poisoning is far more problematic, as it is an anticholinergic in some of its effects!. Severe effects on the CNS are the results!. Some effectiveness with intravenous physostigmine has been shown, but its dicey at best!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Treatment for Rhabdomyolysis is dialysis!. Cut and dried, once diagnosed!. The diagnosis is the tricky part here!.
Treatment for Amantadine poisoning is far more problematic, as it is an anticholinergic in some of its effects!. Severe effects on the CNS are the results!. Some effectiveness with intravenous physostigmine has been shown, but its dicey at best!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Apparently, Amber suffered kidney damage as a result of the bus crash!. Now her body was unable to filter out the amantadine which ended up poisoning her!. Even though she was on hemodialysis drugs that are highly bound to plasma proteins cannot be removed -- so she dies!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
I am no expert on the drug but from my little understanding, amantadine for anti-viral therapy blocks the M2 protein which prevent viral uncoating, which in turn inhibits the replication of the virus!. Amantadine is a drug that is poorly regulated by the human body and most, approx 90% get excreted in its original form through the kidneys!. However in patients with renal problems this can result in increasing circulation of the drug!. As the toxicity leave is reached the symptoms include confusion, depression, aggressive, jittery, nausea, hypotension, and congestive heart failure!. It is also noted that the patients may have exhibit ataxia, and hallucinations!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
I am responding to the last comment about Amantadine's use, Amantadine is also frequently taken by MS patients, for fatigue relief!. I take Amantadine a few times a month and needless to say, that House season finale alarmed the heck out of me! I bet neurologist's all over the country are cursing the House writers today!. I know I am calling for some clarification!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
I'd like more info too!. I just did some quick research and it seems amantadine can be toxic in patients with compromised kidneys!. I think the House episode mentioned that Amber had something wrong with her kidneys in the scene from the last episode when they were figuring out that she was in fact Jane Doe #2!. Can anyone clarify!?Www@Answer-Health@Com
Plasmaphoresis is used to remove antibody complexes from serum in patients suffering from some Autoimmune disorders!. The process basically removes the body's blood, and discards the plasma!. The blood cells are replaced in addition to donor plasma and sterile albumin (protein in the blood)!. Since 90% of the Amantadine remains inactive (bound to proteins like albumin!?), would plasmaphoresis have benefited Amber!? However, they painted a pretty grim portrait with the heart failure, kidney failure and liver failure!.Www@Answer-Health@Com