Health experts in Tamiflu warning

Health experts in Tamiflu warning

www.google.com

Otherwise healthy people who catch swine flu should not be given Tamiflu, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.

The advice contradicts British policy on the issue - which has seen hundreds of thousands of doses of the antiviral given to people with the virus.

The latest WHO advice, from a panel of international experts, comes as new figures show that 45,986 courses of antivirals were given to patients in England in the week ending August 18.

In the previous week, 90,363 courses of antivirals were given out.

This data relates to people collecting the drugs after an assessment vi

(visit the link for the full news article)

Let me repeat that

"Otherwise healthy people who catch swine flu should not be given Tamiflu, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said."

"It said Tamiflu (also called oseltamivir) and another antiviral Relenza (also called zanamivir) should not be given to healthy people."

correct me if I'm wrong but I thought Tamiflu was to prevent the spread of the virus. Not a cure.

What are you thoughts on this?



www.google.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I thought Tamiflu just helped with the symptoms of the flu. Not that it actually stopped the flu. One of us is right though, maybe we should look into this further. If I only had the time.

Tamiflu is not a vaccine. It is a very common misconception.

Oseltamivir (INN) (pronounced /ɒsəlˈtæmɨvɪr/) is an antiviral drug that slows the spread of non-resistant strains of the influenza virus between cells in the body. It is used in the treatment and prophylaxis of Influenzavirus A and Influenzavirus B infection. Like zanamivir, oseltamivir is a neuraminidase inhibitor. It acts as a transition-state analogue inhibitor of influenza neuraminidase, preventing progeny virions from detaching from infected cells. Oseltamivir was the first orally active neuraminidase inhibitor commercially developed. It is a prodrug, which is hydrolysed hepatically to the active metabolite, the free carboxylate of oseltamivir (GS4071). It was developed by US-based Gilead Sciences and is currently marketed by Hoffmann–La Roche (Roche) under the trade name Tamiflu. In Japan, it is marketed by Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., which is more than 50% owned by Roche. Oseltamivir is generally available by prescription only.[1]

Wiki

It is a medicine, and is used in treating swine flu.

The first vaccines would come in September hopefully.

The first swine flu vaccines are likely to be licensed for use in the general population in September, the World Health Organization has announced.

BBC

And the reason why healthy persons are advised not to take Tamiflu is because, resistance would be built up to the virus by the body and so, when the swine flu really strikes, the Tamiflu will not be effective for treating it. And since there is no other medicines available for treating this, we must make sure that resistance does not build up.

Update, 3 July, 16:48 : Japan and Hong Kong have also reported finding Tamiflu-resistant H1N1 viruses. The Japanese virus, like the Danish case, was from a patient receiving prophylactic Tamiflu, but the Hong Kong virus was sampled June 11 from a girl travelling from the US who was not known to have taken the drug.

New scientist

Hope that helps.

reply to post by TrainDispatcher


It is an "anti-viral" it shortens the duration of the flu and tempers the symptoms somewhat. If you are not able to take it within the first 3 days, then it has absolutely no benefits. In addition, it causes severe night terrors and other side-effects in 50% of the children that take it, yet they still recommend giving it to all victims under the age of 5!!!

Originally posted by getreadyalready
reply to post by TrainDispatcher

 

It is an "anti-viral" it shortens the duration of the flu and tempers the symptoms somewhat. If you are not able to take it within the first 3 days, then it has absolutely no benefits.

I think that it is not necessary that the medicine has to be taken in the first 3 days. I have heard many patients go for testing after a week of showing symptoms and then getting treated. So, it primarily depends on how strong your immunity is in holding up against the virus and also on how healthy you are. If there is any health conditions like asthma, diabetes and obesity, the consequences would be severe in a very short time, making even the most earliest treatment unsuccessful.

[edit on August 21st, 2009 by peacejet]

reply to post by peacejet


I think the 3 day cutoff was because it shortens the duration, and if 3 days have already passed, the duration will be the same regardless of taking it or not. It doesn't hurt to take it later, it just doesn't help any.

Edit to add: That is what the ER told my brother when he asked for it.

I also wanted to add that they did prescribe it for his son, and he stopped giving it to him after about a day and a half. His son would not stop crying, and did not sleep all night! The flu symptoms were easier to handle than medicines symptoms!!

[edit on 21-8-2009 by getreadyalready]

I think it's ALL bulls**t. This SWINE flu and vaccine stuff that is.
If people could just wake up and stop eating the "foods" that plug up their bodies and overburden it with chemical crap we as a society would have no need for doctors. White flour is nothing but PASTE. Drinking milk is consumming an ingredient just like Elmers Glue. I could go on and on but nobody would have any interest and would say I'm nuts but I have experimented on myself many times to see what would happen. I know what it does for or to me and have seen my ideas help several of my friends.
90% of my food comes from the produce section and I am very selective from the rest of the so called "foods"
NO hydrogenated fats or oils, NO MSG, NO High Fructose Corn Syrup,(totally undigestable substance) NO cheese "Food" (they are hardened with ALUM.) that's aluminum folks. Most packaged baked goods use Baking Powder. That's another source of ALUMINUM. Alzheimers anyone?


[edit on 21-8-2009 by Muundoggie]