Amantadine-induced serotonin syndrome in a patient with renal failure

  • Cheng, Po-Liang MD
  • Lau, Chi-Ieong MD
  • Hung, Shih-Wen MD
  • Chong, Chee-Fah MS, MD
  • Lin, Li-Wei MD

  • Emergency Department, Shin-Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei 111, Taiwan, ROC (Cheng, Hung, Chong, Lin)

    Neurology Department, Shin-Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei 111, Taiwan, ROC (Lau)

    School of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei 242, Taiwan, ROC (Chong)

E-mail address:[email protected].

Received for publication May 30, 2007; accepted July 19, 2007

American Journal of Emergency Medicine 26(1):p 112e5-112e6, January 2008.

Amantadine, an anti-influenza agent, is commonly used in the treatment of parkinsonism. It also has serotonergic activity. Amantadine can induce toxicity in patient with renal dysfunction because it is excreted mainly in the urine. We report a rare case of amantadine-induced serotonin syndrome in a 78-year-old man with Parkinson's disease and renal failure who developed confusion, hallucination, agitation, myoclonus, fever, diarrhea, and hypertension after amantadine use.

Copyright © 2008 W.B. Saunders Company, a Harcourt Health Sciences Company