Young suffer Tamiflu side-effects

Young suffer Tamiflu side-effects

uk.news.yahoo.com

More than half of children taking Tamiflu suffer side-effects such as nausea, insomnia and nightmares, researchers have said.

A total of 248 pupils took part in the study and were given Tamiflu prophylactically. Compliance with prophylaxis was high, with 77% of children taking the full course, the researchers said.

But they added: "Fifty-one per cent experienced symptoms such as feeling sick (31.2%), headaches (24.3%) and stomach ache (21.1%).

(visit the link for the full news article)

The article continues as follows:

Government chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson said Tamiflu should still be given to children if they have established symptoms and there are no existing medical reasons not to prescribe the drug.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "All drugs do have side-effects. It is always a case of deciding the balance between benefiting a patient from a treatment and the side-effects. "Most of the side-effects are relatively minor - a degree of nausea,g a bit of a tummy upset, the sort of thing you get quite often with antibiotics."

Is Sir Liam Donaldson serious or is he just trying to make an extra buck from Tamiflu as Government chief medical officer?

Have you had any medication in the past with such a high chance of side effects?

uk.news.yahoo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Please don't ever use the word "sir" ever again.

So take your pick, would you prefer temporary and reversible symptoms, or lung damage and possibly death? Taking medications is ALWAYS about weighing the risks, and if someone has a related pre-existing condition which leaves them extremely susceptible to dying from the Influenza, and they have not yet been Inoculated, then taking an antiviral is often their only hope. I have witnessed lives saved by antivirals, and I am glad that such an option for fighting Viruses does in fact exist.

Originally posted by TheAgentNineteen
So take your pick, would you prefer temporary and reversible symptoms, or lung damage and possibly death? Taking medications is ALWAYS about weighing the risks, and if someone has a related pre-existing condition which leaves them extremely susceptible to dying from the Influenza, and they have not yet been Inoculated, then taking an antiviral is often their only hope. I have witnessed lives saved by antivirals, and I am glad that such an option for fighting Viruses does in fact exist.

I will definately take the anti virals if i get swine flu. at the moment, Im just making sure i wash my hands all the time after contact. Eating more vitamin c. I think if you do these things there be no need for a vaccine

reply to post by TheAgentNineteen


That's a good point. That's why I'm asking about the importance of taking medicine despite possible side effects. Which is worse, as Donaldson asked...the actual disease or the vaccine side effects?

Still, I think more than 50% is a little much for having side effects.

My wife and I refuse to take the swine flu vaccine and are glad that Taiwan is not a member of the WHO at this point.

reply to post by thoughtplacebo


But "Sir" is a title often given to criminals today, so it's not such a big deal. Just be proud not to be a "sir"

I'm still trying to find sources proving that Donaldson is a criminal though. He must be as the head with the finger on the panic alert button. I wonder what % he's receiving for causing such a kerfuffle amongst the people of Britain.

reply to post by woodwardjnr


What bothers me most is that a patent was registered for this two years ago, so they had plenty of time to prepare vaccines just in case of a so called "accident".

Now they say the supply is so low that they need to add adjuvants to the vaccine in addition to the mercury. Yummy!!

Well, do we wanna die now or in the long run before God comes calling for us? That's the choice

Originally posted by woodwardjnr


I will definately take the anti virals if i get swine flu. at the moment, Im just making sure i wash my hands all the time after contact. Eating more vitamin c. I think if you do these things there be no need for a vaccine

Hey, I completely agree that common sense preventative measures are the single best way to avoid the contracting of an illness, you will find absolutely no argument from me against such. However, I had the awful experience one time of catching the regular, seasonal variant of the Influenza without the full effect of the Vaccine. I contracted the Virus roughly One week after having received the shot, and it takes about Two weeks for the Vaccine to become fully effective. However, I have no illusions that the Vaccine prevented my Flu symptoms from becoming worse than they did. Still, I had a severe Fever (Including extreme Chills), for more than a Solid Week, a VERY Sore and Swollen Throat, Extreme Congestion, Muscle Cramps, and I missed Two Straight Weeks of School. If I had not had the Vaccine at all, I am fairly certain that I would have contracted Pneumonia in addition to the aforementioned.

I can state that with the Vaccines so far, I have never suffered any ill side effects, despite the fact that I have been Inoculated annually for over 20 years. I honestly have no idea about this New H1N1 vaccine, and the sheer number of shots does worry me some, but I guess that I will have to make a decision eventually.

Originally posted by MightyAl
reply to post by TheAgentNineteen

 

That's a good point. That's why I'm asking about the importance of taking medicine despite possible side effects. Which is worse, as Donaldson asked...the actual disease or the vaccine side effects?

Still, I think more than 50% is a little much for having side effects.

My wife and I refuse to take the swine flu vaccine and are glad that Taiwan is not a member of the WHO at this point.

This might be a somewhat silly question, but were Body Temperatures monitored in relation to the Patients in question? The reason that I ask this, is that I know for a fact that times before when I have been through a fairly pronounced fever, I have undoubtedly experienced vivid nightmares. I do not typically have nightmares, especially not the type which make you jump awake, but when suffering from a Significant Fever due to a Cold, Influenza, or Bacterial Infection, I have experienced such. I have no doubt that Fevers and Nightmares are somewhat directly related, the reason for it remains a question however. It could be the lack of deep sleep due to the Fever, which in turn places you in a nearly constant or prolonged state of REM.

"Flu drugs 'unhelpful' in children

Research has cast doubt on the policy of giving antiviral drugs to children for swine flu.

Work in the British Medical Journal shows Tamiflu and Relenza rarely prevent complications in children with seasonal flu, yet carry side effects.

Although they did not test this in the current swine flu pandemic, the authors say these drugs are unlikely to help children who catch the H1N1 virus.

The government has stuck by its policy of offering them to anyone infected".

from :

news.bbc.co.uk...

Donaldson was also asked a while ago on the BBC 5 live drive program, I paraphrase, "how much does a single dose of Tamiflu cost the govt".

His answer was something like "it's a commercial confidentiality".

OK said the beeb mouth, and moved on. So that's OK then.

Why I wonder did he choose to say nowt, and why don't the beeb get someone to probe a tad deeper than the first nanometer ... maybe the answer is the same to both questions.