Amantadine for TBI

Question

Has anybody out there experienced a dramatic effect after being prescribed Amantadine for TBI? After a clipping of PCOM aneursym I became increasing fatigued and apathetic- to the point of being close to non-functional. Testing showed I now have a verbal learning deficit, but my MRI is normal. A neurologist decided to treat it as TBI and prescribed the Amantadine. He said it might improve my memory, but what actually happened was a huge change in perception and the disappearance of the fatigue. I felt a "wave" go through my head the first dose follwed by a odd perceptual change. By the second dose I suddenly felt everything around me was "real" again. My neurologist was surprised when I described my reaction to the medication. I know Amantadine can affect dopamine levels, but little else about it's use in TBI. Was my reaction that unusual? Do low dopamine levels normal cause the symptoms I had?

LifeDancer · Answer

Hi! Glad it helps. I tried it post mtbi and it seemed to help with a lot of symptoms....except it caused insomnia (which is already bad with brain injury). Did that affect you and if so, what did you do about it? I am leary about taking sleeping pills to dea, with thr side effects of other pills. Any thoughts? Thanks, m

DaisyMommy · Answer

Yes!!!! Amantadine has made a dramatic improvement for me for post-concussion syndrome. I am 8 months post-concussion after getting hit on the left temple by a baseball pitch. CT scan normal, no bleeding or injury. Symptoms had increased over time, but the pressure, migraines, and sensitivity to certain sounds were almost unbearable. I moved to a city with a concussion specialist and have started Amantadine for my initial treatment. Pressure is gone while on the med, migraines reduced, clarity and organization in my thoughts, no irritability or sensitivity to sounds. It has dramatically improved the quality of my life! Best wishes!

rebeccafam · Answer

My friend, 16 years old, is 9 months post accident with servere TBI.  They have just recently started Amamtadine as a treatment.  Anybody out there have any experioences in this area?  ***@****

DrNoopurMD · Answer

Hi,

Amamtadine has been evaluated in clinical trials for its effect on improving mentation and motor function in patients with traumatic brain injury but there is no confirmatory evidence so far. However it has emerged as a reasonable option for improving neuropsycological function in patients with TBI. So I would say your reaction was not unusual at all.