Photo: yandex.ru
Victoria Mamaeva
Chief editor of Filzor. Specialist in the field of Pharmacy
Rimantadine
and
rimantadine
belong to the class of antiviral drugs. They have been widely used for the treatment of acute diseases for more than 50 years.
Even now, when visiting a doctor with complaints of characteristic cold or flu symptoms, the patient will most likely be prescribed rimantadine or remantadine. This sustainable practice of use is due to the high pharmacological qualities of these drugs:
- safety;
- high bioavailability;
- prolonged nature of action;
- strengthening the body's immune response.
The following discusses in detail the principle of action of rimantadine and rimantadine, recommendations for use and their main differences.
Price issue
Every time you are prescribed a drug, you wonder how much it will cost you. Many employees of Russian pharmacies say that the patient often begins to choose a cheaper substitute for the drug prescribed to him. However, there are situations when this should not be done, because a cheaper analogue does not always have the same effect as the original drug, and if you take a cheap analogue, the consequences for you may be sad.
Still, what's the difference?
What is the difference between Rimantadine and Remantadine? Both tablets contain one substance that has the main effect. Its name is rimantadine hydrochloride. The only dosage option in which Rimantadine tablets are available is 50 milligrams. "Remantadine" is available in 50 milligram or 100 milligram versions. Since we can conclude that the composition of the drugs is identical, this means that their mechanism of action is also identical. This means that these tablets are interchangeable analogues.
When a pathogen enters your body, rimantadine binds to the virus, preventing it from reproducing. Its action also prevents the virus from binding to the cell. Rimantadine hydrochloride is very effective against various viral infections. It is also useful as an immunomodulator.
In what cases are these drugs prescribed?
What are the indications for tablets called "Remantadine"? The instructions for use say that this is a drug against viral infections such as influenza and many others, including, for example, encephalitis. Also, according to the instructions, Remantadine is used for prophylactic purposes to prevent infection by viruses with which it can bind.
When can you be prescribed Rimantadine? The instructions say that this is a preventive remedy, as well as a remedy for the treatment of viral diseases. That is, in simple terms, the reasons for prescribing these two medications are the same.
Is it possible to take Remantadine during pregnancy and lactation?
The antiviral substance penetrates the placental barrier and can disrupt the normal development of the fetus. Pregnant women need to choose other groups of medications for treatment. It is also undesirable to use it during breastfeeding due to the high risk of allergic reactions in the child. If infection with influenza is suspected and prophylaxis with Remantadine is necessary, it is recommended that nursing mothers temporarily change the type of child’s diet by switching to adapted formulas or reserves of expressed milk.
When should these medications not be prescribed?
Then the differences begin. What is the main difference between the tablets "Remantadine" and "Rimantadine"? The first type of medication is not prescribed during pregnancy. Also, according to the instructions, it cannot be prescribed for liver pathology, thyrotoxicosis and intolerance to individual components of the drug.
Let’s open the instructions for the Rimantadine tablets and turn to the “Contraindications” section. It says that the drug should not be taken by children under seven years of age, as well as by women during the period when they are pregnant or breastfeeding. Restrictions are also imposed on those patients who have problems with the liver, kidneys and thyroid gland. To this, as in the first case, is added an allergy to one of the components of the tablet. As you can see, despite the fact that the drugs have the same active ingredient, the second version of the drug, Rimantadine, has more contraindications.
How many tablets should I take?
Now let’s consider how many tablets and in what dosage you will have to take. The tablets are taken once a day. If you use this drug to treat a disease, then the duration of use increases by five to seven times, but the dosage remains the same. To prevent viral infection, Rimantadine is prescribed in the amount of two tablets per day, which totals 100 milligrams of the active substance. The dosage intended for children can be set at the rate of 5 mg per kilogram of body.
Let's move on to Remantadine. Let us remember that this medicine is available in two dosages - 50 and 100 milligrams, so be careful when calculating the dose - it is easy to confuse it. Here, for preventive purposes, a whole tablet or half is used, depending on the dosage of the drug, which is 50 mg. If you are being treated for a viral disease, then the medicine is prescribed to you for a week, and its dosage increases to six or three tablets depending on the dosage, that is, up to 300 milligrams.
The tablet is washed down with plenty of water in both cases. It is advisable to take the tablets after meals.
What is the difference between Remantadine and Rimantadine?
Rimantadine.
Photo: lekoboz.ru Rimantadine is the official name of an antiviral chemical. The drug was patented back in 1965; during this time, several dozen products of varying effectiveness were produced, based on rimantadine. Thus, rimantadine is a pure chemical substance, and its analogues contain additional components.
The most popular analogue is remantadine, which contains many auxiliary components. Some of them are ballast substances, others increase the pharmacological effectiveness of the drug. It is worth noting that rimantadine is much cheaper than rimantadine: prices for the latter range from 56 to 240 rubles, while rimantadine costs from 46 rubles per pack.
Effective cold and flu powders 61
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In addition to the price, both drugs differ only in dosage: rimantadine is available in tablet form with an active ingredient content of 50 mg and in the form of a syrup with an active ingredient content of 2 mg per 1 ml. The amount of active ingredient in rimantadine is 50 mg and 100 mg, available in the form of tablets and capsules.
It is important to consider that independently purchasing and taking cheaper rimantadine analogues can slow down the healing process, and in some cases, cause serious complications. Always follow your doctor's recommendations and take only certified medications.
Rimantadine kids syrup. Photo: stolichki.ru
Remantadine. Photo: onlinetrade.ru
Where are there fewer side effects?
Any drugs have side effects, in addition to the main one, and the drugs we are considering are no exception. It will be important to know that the use of the drugs Rimantadine and Remantadine increases the risk of stroke and other chronic pathologies of the cardiovascular system. For this reason, before you start taking it, you should definitely contact a specialist who will tell you whether you should use these pills.
Both instructions have approximately the same set of side effects. The first and most important thing is a possible allergy to the components of the tablet. More rare phenomena are a headache, dry mouth, and an increased amount of gas in the intestines. Some patients complain of pain in the peritoneum. Other effects are less common. On the nervous system side, those taking the drug had complaints of irritability and lack of sleep at night. Patients get tired quickly and their mood often changes. With drug overdoses, many unpleasant reactions occur.
Remantadine-Belmed tablets 50 mg No. 10x2
Name
Remantadine-Belmed tablet 50 mg in container pack No. 10x2
Description
White tablets with a biconvex surface.
Main active ingredient
Rimantadine
Release form
Pills
Dosage
50mg
pharmachologic effect
Rimantadine hydrochloride (hereinafter referred to as rimantadine) is effective against various strains of influenza A virus (especially type 2 A). Active against tick-borne encephalitis viruses (Central European and Russian spring-summer), which belong to the group of arboviruses of the Flaviviridae family. Rimantadine inhibits viral replication early in the cycle, possibly by interfering with the formation of the viral envelope. Genetic studies have shown that the specific protein of the M2 virion gene is important in the antiviral effect of rimantadine against the influenza A virus. In vitro, rimantadine inhibits the replication of all three antigenic subtypes of influenza A virus isolated in humans - H1N1, H2N2 and H3N2. Rimantadine does not affect the immunogenetic properties of the inactivated influenza A vaccine. The correlation between the sensitivity of the influenza A virus to rimantadine in vitro and the clinical effectiveness of the drug has not been established. Rimantadine has an antitoxic effect against influenza caused by virus B. It is not effective against other acute respiratory viral infections. Influenza viruses change over time. The occurrence of mutations that increase the resistance of influenza viruses may reduce the effectiveness of Remantadine-Belmed. Other factors (eg, changes in viral virulence) may also reduce the effectiveness of antiviral agents. Physicians prescribing Remantadine-Belmed should take into account available information on the drug sensitivity of antiviral drugs.
Indications for use
Early treatment and prevention of influenza in adults and children over 7 years of age; prevention of influenza during epidemics in adults.
Directions for use and doses
Take orally after meals with water. Treatment for influenza should begin within 24-48 hours of the onset of symptoms. As a treatment for influenza, Remantadine-Belmed is prescribed according to one of the following regimens: Regimen 1: adults: on the 1st day - 100 mg 3 times a day; on days 2 and 3 - 100 mg 2 times a day; on the 4th and 5th days - 100 mg 1 time per day. On the 1st day of the disease, it is possible to prescribe the drug 150 mg 2 times a day or 300 mg per 1 dose. Regimen 2: adults: 100 mg (two tablets of 50 mg) 2 times a day for 7 days. Children aged 7 to 10 years are prescribed 50 mg 2 times a day; 11-14 years - 50 mg 3 times a day; course of treatment - 5 days. To prevent influenza, Remantadine-Belmed is prescribed 50 mg once a day for 10-15 days. As prescribed by the attending physician, it is possible to increase the dose for adults to 100 mg twice a day. In patients with severely impaired liver function, severely impaired renal function (creatinine clearance 5 to 29 ml/min) or renal failure (creatinine clearance ≥ 10 ml/min) and elderly patients, a dose reduction to 100 mg per day is recommended. Due to the potential for accumulation of rimantadine metabolites in patients with hepatic and/or renal impairment, side effects should be monitored.
Use during pregnancy and lactation
Use during pregnancy and lactation is contraindicated (breastfeeding should be stopped during treatment).
Impact on the ability to drive a car and potentially dangerous mechanisms
When using Remantadine-Belmed, the possibility of a decrease in the ability to concentrate cannot be excluded, therefore driving and other activities that require increased attention and reaction speed are not recommended.
Precautionary measures
When treating patients with renal and/or liver failure, it is necessary to reduce the dose of the drug. When using Remantadine-Belmed, exacerbation of chronic concomitant diseases is possible. Elderly patients with arterial hypertension have an increased risk of developing intracerebral hemorrhage. In patients with a history of epilepsy and anticonvulsant therapy during treatment with Remantadine-Belmed, the risk of developing an epileptic seizure increases. In such cases, Remantadine-Belmed is recommended to be prescribed at a dose of up to 100 mg/day simultaneously with anticonvulsants. If a convulsive attack develops, Remantadine-Belmed should be discontinued. The drug should not be taken by patients with rare congenital galactose intolerance, Lapp lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption. Taking Remantadine-Belmed is not a substitute for early influenza vaccination in accordance with the recommendations of national health authorities. Physicians should consider local recommendations when deciding whether to prescribe Remantadine-Belmed for the prevention or treatment of influenza. The effectiveness of using Remantadine-Belmed for the prevention of influenza A virus has been proven. Remantadine-Belmed does not completely suppress the development of the immune response to an infectious agent, therefore, individuals who took Remantadine-Belmed may develop an immune response due to disease or vaccination, which is important for subsequent contact with viruses with similar antigenic composition. If vaccination against influenza is carried out during an influenza epidemic, Remantadine-Belmed can be used on the recommendation of a doctor for the purpose of prophylaxis during the period necessary for the production of antibodies (2-4 weeks). The effectiveness of prescribing Remantadine-Belmed to children for the treatment of influenza has not been definitively established. If prescribed within 48 hours of the onset of the disease, Remantadine-Belmed reduces the duration of fever and other flu symptoms. At the discretion of the attending physician, Remantadin-Belmed for the treatment of influenza can be prescribed to children over 7 years of age with concomitant diseases (diabetes mellitus, heart disease, sickle cell anemia, etc.) who are at high risk of developing complications.
Interaction with other tools
Enhances the stimulating effect of caffeine. Reduces the effectiveness of antiepileptic drugs. Adsorbents, astringents and coating agents reduce the absorption of rimantadine. Agents that acidify urine (ammonium chloride, ascorbic acid, etc.) reduce the effectiveness of rimantadine (due to increased excretion by the kidneys). Agents that alkalize urine (acetosalamid, sodium bicarbonate, etc.) enhance its effectiveness (due to reduced excretion of rimantadine by the kidneys). Paracetamol and acetylsalicylic acid reduce the maximum plasma concentration of rimantadine by 11%. Cimetidine reduces the clearance of rimantadine by 18%. Intranasal live attenuated influenza vaccine should not be administered until 48 hours after stopping Remantadine-Belmed. Remantadine-Belmed is not recommended to be taken within two weeks after administration of the intranasal live attenuated vaccine, because Rimantadine may interfere with the replication of the virus strains contained in the vaccine.
Contraindications
Hypersensitivity to the drug, acute liver diseases, acute and chronic kidney diseases, thyrotoxicosis, pregnancy and lactation (breastfeeding should be stopped during treatment), children under 7 years of age. Carefully. Epilepsy, arterial hypertension, cerebral atherosclerosis, chronic renal and/or liver failure.
Compound
Each tablet contains: active substance: rimantadine hydrochloride - 50 mg; excipients: lactose monohydrate, calcium stearate (E-470), methylcellulose, potato starch.
Overdose
When using Remantadine-Belmed in high doses, increased side effects are observed. An overdose of amantadine (a drug similar to rimantadine) was manifested by the development of agitation, hallucinations, cardiac arrhythmias, and possible death. If symptoms of overdose occur, stop taking the drug and consult a doctor.
Side effect
From the central nervous system: decreased ability to concentrate, insomnia, dizziness, headache, nervousness, increased excitability, excessive fatigue, ataxia, depression, gait disturbances, euphoria, increased motor activity, tremor, hallucinations, convulsions. From the digestive system: dryness of the oral mucosa, anorexia, nausea, gastralgia, vomiting, flatulence, diarrhea. From the respiratory system: dyspnea, bronchospasm, cough. From the senses: tinnitus, impaired or loss of taste, impaired sense of smell. From the cardiovascular system: palpitations, tachycardia, arterial hypertension, cerebrovascular disorders, heart failure, fainting. Other: hyperbilirubinemia, allergic reactions (skin rash). The incidence of adverse reactions, especially those related to the gastrointestinal tract and nervous system, increases significantly when taking doses higher than recommended. If the above adverse reactions or adverse reactions not listed in these instructions for medical use of the drug occur, you should consult a doctor.
Storage conditions
In a place protected from moisture and light at a temperature not exceeding 25°C. Keep out of the reach of children.
Important Notes
The instructions for using Remantadine tablets do not provide for restrictions that should be specifically stated. On the contrary, the instructions for a medicine similar to it contain a lot of restrictions. For example, taking Rimantadine with sorbents is not allowed - they will absorb the medicine and it will not help. The simultaneous use of Rimantadine with antipyretics, which invalidate the effect of any antiviral agent, is not allowed. If you need to reduce your temperature, you should wait at least three hours after taking the pill.
Mechanism of action
Remantadine prevents the transmission of viral RNA into the cytoplasm; its particles surround pathogens and block the fusion of their membranes with cell membranes. The drug is effective against pathogens of influenza serotype A and encephalitis. It is able to prevent the multiplication of infection during initial contacts with viruses, weakens the symptoms of the developed disease and shortens its course. The therapeutic effect is most pronounced when the product is used in the first 10–15 hours after infection.
It has been established that the drug has a moderate antitoxic effect in acute respiratory viral infections, relieves fever, and improves the well-being of those suffering from influenza.
Remantadine is absorbed slowly from the gastric cavity. Most of the substance is concentrated in nasal mucus. In plasma its content is less than 50%. Transformed in the liver. Metabolites are filtered and excreted by the kidneys within 1–1.5 days after administration. With reduced function of the urinary system, this period doubles.
So, what should you choose?
We have analyzed how the two presented medications differ in composition. Medical professionals say that the drug Remantadine has been studied much more deeply than its analogue. Thanks to this, its instructions are more complete - more side effects are described there, because the drug has been thoroughly tested, which means it is safer than its analogue. Therefore, it is definitely worth choosing “Remantadine”, if, for example, a woman is breastfeeding. But if you are still in doubt, ask your doctor what the difference is between Rimantadine and Remantadine. The doctor will certainly tell you about this in more detail and you will not leave him without valuable advice. Do not be ill!
Which is better: Remantadine, Arbidol or Kagocel
Due to the constant mutation of influenza viruses, Remantadine may be powerless against the next infection. For these reasons, it is important not only to use antiviral therapy, but also immunomodulators - agents that increase the body’s specific defense against certain pathogens.
Arbidol and Kagocel are not analogues of Remantadine, although they are also used for the prevention and treatment of influenza at an early stage. These drugs stimulate the production of their own interferons, which destroy the infection. They are effective against several groups of pathogens. The advisability of prescribing a particular medication can only be determined by the attending physician after examination.
