Remantadine or Rimantadine: what is the difference?

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:

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.

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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

Rimantadine

Rimantadine is an antiviral drug that is a derivative of adamantane and is used in the prevention and treatment of the early stages of influenza. The mechanism of the antiviral action of the drug is based on the suppression of the early phase of specific reproduction from the moment the virus enters the cell and before the start of RNA transcription. The pharmacological effectiveness of rimantadine is ensured by its ability to inhibit viral reproduction at the earliest stage of the infectious process. The drug exhibits its activity against strains of influenza A virus (primarily type A2), as well as against viruses of Central European and Russian spring-summer tick-borne encephalitis. After oral administration, it is slowly but almost completely absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. The concentration of the active substance in the nasal mucosa is 50% higher than in the blood plasma. The half-life of the drug is 24-36 hours; excreted along with urine, partly - unchanged, partly - in the form of metabolites. In persons suffering from chronic renal failure, the half-life is doubled, which can cause the accumulation of the active substance in toxic concentrations (the same is true for elderly patients). The dosage regimen of the drug is individual and determined by the indications, the age of the patient and the treatment regimen used. Diseases such as hypertension, epilepsy, cerebral vascular atherosclerosis, although not direct contraindications to the use of rimantadine, require special caution when prescribing it. Rimantadine may cause an exacerbation of diseases already present in the patient. Elderly patients with hypertension are at risk of developing hemorrhagic stroke. If the patient has (including a history of) epilepsy, taking rimantadine may provoke an epileptic seizure. In such situations, the drug is used at a dose of 100 mg per day in combination with anticonvulsant therapy. As a preventive agent, it is advisable to use rimantadine in direct contact with infected people, during the spread of the disease in closed groups and during periods of epidemic trouble.

At the same time, the emergence of viruses resistant to the drug cannot be ruled out. It is not recommended to combine rimantadine with astringents, enveloping agents and adsorbents, since all these drugs impair its absorption. Drugs that shift the pH of urine to the “acidic” side (vitamin C, ammonium chloride) reduce the effectiveness of rimantadine due to the accelerated excretion of the latter by the kidneys.

Not so long ago, the “area” of prevalence of rimantadine did not extend beyond the borders of post-Soviet countries (for reference: it was first synthesized in the Latvian SSR), but today this drug is recognized overseas. Thus, according to a comparative analysis of costs and benefits conducted by American scientists, rimantadine in combination with influenza vaccination is the most effective strategy for combating the incidence of influenza among the healthy US population. As the study showed, the prescription of rimantadine led to the receipt of economic bonuses that more than covered the costs of purchasing drugs for symptomatic anti-influenza therapy. If we operate in less global categories, then for mere mortals this will mean obvious recognition of the effectiveness of rimantadine by competent foreign experts. There is, however, a small fly in the ointment here: despite the fact that the prescription of rimantadine was considered the most cost-effective (and, therefore, therapeutically effective) among all antiviral treatment options, a slightly higher number of undesirable side reactions were observed with its use. If we look in more detail at the prevention of influenza A, then the effectiveness of rimantadine in such cases, according to various estimates, ranges from 70 to 90%. If taking the drug is combined with vaccination, then the development of stable immunity should be expected at about 14-15 days. In addition, rimantadine can be used in those individuals for whom vaccination is contraindicated.

Pharmacology and pharmacokinetics

Rimantadine, like all its analogues (including rimantadine), has good bioavailability. When taken orally, they are completely absorbed into the small intestine within the first hour. Binds to blood proteins for more than 24 hours, which explains the duration of its action. Metabolized by liver enzymes, after which it is excreted by the kidneys without causing any harm to the body.

Both drugs have an antiviral effect, suppressing most known strains of influenza. Viruses that cause ARVI (colds), herpes and encephalitis are also deactivated. Efficacy is determined by the ability of rimantadine to prevent virus reproduction in the initial stage. In addition, the drug stimulates natural immune processes in the body.

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If we compare the effectiveness of rimantadine and rimantadine, their performance is almost identical. The only difference is the increased concentration of active ingredients in rimantadine, which somewhat speeds up the healing process. On the other hand, an increased dosage increases the risk of side effects. When choosing a medicine, you must follow the doctor's instructions.

Indications for use

Rimantadine is prescribed as the main drug for the treatment of colds and flu. In complex therapy with other drugs, it is used to treat more serious pathologies: encephalitis, herpes, hepatitis. Unfortunately, at the moment, rimantadine is no longer the most effective antiviral drug. Many viruses have developed resistance to its effects - for this reason, rimantadine is not able to cope with serious diseases on its own.

It should be noted that rimantadine is widely used as a prophylactic agent. It is prescribed for those at risk of influenza epidemics, as well as for persons with reduced immune system function. The drug helps improve the body's immune response, stimulates the production of antibodies and specific cells. Rimantadine, being an analogue of rimantadine, has similar indications given its increased dosage.

Instructions and recommendations for use

Remantadine.
Photo: stranadetstva.ru Despite the fact that rimantadine and remantadine are almost identical in their effectiveness and composition, the instructions for their use have some discrepancies. They are associated both with heterogeneous dosage and with the presence of additional components in the composition of rimantadine.

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For prophylactic purposes, rimantadine is taken once or twice a day, the recommended dosage is 100 mg (two tablets). The dosage for children under 10 years of age is calculated based on their body weight - no more than 5 mg per kilogram. The drug Rimantadine Avexima with prophylaxis is prescribed according to the following regimen: adults 50 mg 1 time per day for 30 days; Children over 7 years of age are prescribed 50 mg once a day for no more than 15 days. For the same purposes, rimantadine is prescribed in an amount of no more than 50 mg per day due to its higher activity for 10-15 days.

Important! Follow the instructions for medical use of the drug.

Therapeutic dosages can be adjusted as directed by the physician, not exceeding 300 mg per day. To reduce irritation, rimantadine is taken after meals.

Rimantadine Avexima. Photo: rsnmurman.ru

RIMANTADINE (tablets)

moment "Ozone".
I bought others, but there is no difference, the principle of action on the virus, the dosage regimen are the same. By the way, there are about 10 branches with Rimantadine on the site. it seems that every second person writing a review considers it their duty to create a new object. This made me very happy.

This is what a plate with tablets looks like.

And here are the tablets themselves, small, but very bitter.

Rimantadine is sold in all pharmacies, available without a prescription, and is very inexpensive, but before taking it, I would advise you to either consult a doctor (ideally), or at least carefully read the instructions. The fact is that the drug has many side effects and contraindications. For example, my husband spends a lot of time driving (this is the nature of his job), and he recently got sick and took Rimantodine. The drug helped very quickly, but my husband had terrible weakness all these days. Then I read that when taking it, you should be careful when driving. This is what carelessness and inattention can lead to. Mine, in particular, is not worth reading carefully.

Since I jumped from fifth to tenth, starting with contraindications, I note that Rimantadine is not recommended for elderly patients with high blood pressure, it is prohibited for pregnant women, nursing mothers, children (under 7 years old), and for chronic kidney and liver diseases.

In addition, it is not recommended to take it simultaneously with paracetamol and other antipyretic drugs, as its effectiveness is reduced. It is clear that we are trying to bring down the temperature by any means, but it is better to at least wait a couple of hours after taking Rimantadine.

In general, I can say that Rimantadine really works. It is taken for the prevention and treatment of viral diseases in the early stages. Please note - early ones. If you have been sick for several days, then it is stupid to start taking it, don’t even try. But as soon as you feel unwell, drink according to the scheme. Strictly speaking, on the first day. So, don't miss the moment. Usually on the third day a noticeable improvement is felt. At least that's how it was for me. I will note that this is important. I didn’t go to the doctors, so I can’t say whether I had the flu or ARVI, I think it was the latter. But doctors do not diagnose “flu”; the disease can only be confirmed or refuted by conducting a laboratory blood test. Is it possible to take Rimantadine for ARVI? The answer is unequivocal - yes.

So, what is this improvement expressed in? Usually, with influenza and ARVI, high fever, body aches, headache, and rhinitis are observed (not always). Rimantadine works to relieve these symptoms and does so quite effectively.

I didn’t use it for prevention; I repeat, I prefer vaccinations. If it was not possible to get the vaccine for some reason, then I took regular vitamins, relied heavily on vitamin C, and one year I took Kagocel for preventive purposes.

The dosage regimen for prevention and for an already established disease is different, you can read about this in the instructions.

I recently read that according to research, Rimantadine is currently considered an outdated drug and is not prescribed by doctors. Influenza has more than 100 strains and many of them have already been adapted to this drug. There may be some truth in this, but the scary thing about the flu is that you never know what strain you are fighting. This is why it is unsafe to self-medicate. The trouble is that our doctors do not always prescribe adequate treatment. For example, many people prescribe Ergoferon, the same Kagocel. And these drugs are very controversial, with unproven scientific effectiveness. I also read that not all experts recognize Arbidol.

I recommend the drug Rimantadine Ozon LLC (as well as any other manufacturer of this medicine) for use, but read the instructions. But most importantly, don’t risk your health. If you suspect you have the flu, call your doctor.