Death By Flu Med!!!

Many of us saw the Finale of House, when Amber dies, May 20th 2008. The science behind the show is accurate ~you CAN risk dying ........
Amantadine can result in serious complications, even if an overdose or poisoning was not to take place, the side effects alone are disturbing enough.

Amantadine, an antiviral drug that has been approved by the FDA in fighting influenz a, has many side effects and overdose effects.

So think carefully before you think of short term relief .......

Amantadine (flu medication) 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.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.

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.

Declining effectiveness of amantadine

Early in the 2005/2006 flu season, the United States' Center for Disease Control [CDC] found rates of amantadine resistance to be much higher than in previous seasons. Looking at samples from 26 states yielded the following findings:

A total of 193 (92.3%) of 209 influenza A(H3N2) and 2 (25%) of 8 influenza A(H1N1) viruses analyzed contained point mutations resulting in a serine-to-asparagine change at amino acid 31 (S31N) of the M2 protein that conferred amantadine resistance.

A resistance rate of 92% for the major flu strain was called "alarmingly high". The CDC issued an alert to doctors not to prescribe amantadine any more for the season. Among some Asian countries, A/H3N2 and A/H1N1 resistance has reached 100%.

~Tamiflu .....

Tamiflu, the anti-viral drug manufactured by the Swiss Roche Holdings, is the only neuraminidase inhibitor approved for the treatment of influenza in the United States. Tamiflu treats influenza by trapping the influenza virus in cells that are already infected. It is approved for use on children over one year and on adults who have had symptoms for less than two days.

The first concerns raised about Tamiflu related to skin reactions. By December 2005, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had received reports of severe, and sometimes fatal, skin reactions and allergic reactions. These included 24 cases of Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a potentially fatal skin condition caused by an allergic reaction to a drug, and 14 cases of erythema multiforme, a similar condition. There were also several cases of anaphylactic reactions, including 17 cases of potentially deadly anaphylactic shock. These reactions caused three deaths in adults. On December 21, 2005, the FDA required an update to the Tamiflu label warning about these reactions.

So think carefully before you think of short term relief .......
Again, with all medical advice - seek professional care and information. Be aware - be safe.