to think "nightmares" is not a valid side-effect of Tamiflu?

[JoesMummy09]

ITV have run a story on the news about possible side effects of Tamiflu on children under 12. Fair enough.

They then have a woman telling us that her children had reactions to the drug, including the side-effect of "nightmares".

Am I being unreasonable to think that this is rubbish?

Nightmares can be so much more than a scary dream that goes when you wake up- I would hate to willingly inflict a traumatic experience on my child, real or imagined. As a parent of a child who suffered repeatedly from night terrors, I know how scary this can be for all involved.

I think to be fair to OP what is worse for some children nightmares that their parents can at least help them through or death/very traumatic serious injury from Swine Flu?

frightening

not rubbish at all.

i took an anti-malerial once that caused awful nightmares.

sorry if you don't consider disrupted sleep and waking up with panic attacks enough to qualify as a side effect.

psychological side effects happen with lots of drugs. Just as nasty as physical ones.

I was on nicotine patches and they caused the most terrible nightmares and disturbed sleep. Not surprising as nicotine is a stimulant and I was absorbing it 24/7!!!

I think JoesMummy probably realises by now that she's wrong.

yes they are

Insomnia is also a side-effect of Tamiflu- I had a very sick 7 month old who could not sleep for more than 20 mins without waking up screaming. Of course, she had no way of telling me whether or not she had a nightmare, but she was in very real distress- much more so than without the drugs. I stopped giving it to her, and she slept. I wish I had known the drug was not licensed for use on babies.

I think if something interferes with sleep in this way, nightmares could be part of that, and can be very distressing for all concerned; I would want to know. If you don't see nighmares as a problem, go ahead and give your child the drug- simple.

I didn't think it was 'lazy reporting' as I sang the 'horsey horsey' song ad infinitum at 4am in the dark.

in The news today. WHO: "medics have also expressed concern including sickness, nightmares and insomnia in Children"

I was given Tamiflu as a preventative because I was exposed someone with it in the first few weeks of this whole palaver. I did not have flu, so no fever. Before I took them, I only read the brief leaflet we were given by the HPA, which only had a brief list of side effects such as nausea, so I had no idea about the neurological effects - so my experience was not all in my head.

I felt appalling. Terrible insomnia. Incredibly violent distressing nightmares - I was killing people, witnessing terrible acts of violence etc. Would wake up in a cold sweat. Felt slowed down and unable to cope with the simplest tasks, partly I guess through lack of sleep, but also very depressed (and I am normally quite a perky person).

A number of people in my social circle took Tamiflu at the same time, and these side effects were very common, among adults and children. It really can be vile. The drug company themselves agree that taking it carries risk of suicide.

At the time, no-one knew how swine flu would turn out, and I can understand why the govt. gave it out, but now we know it is mild in most cases Tamiflu really should be only for those at high risk from other factors, because it isn't fun stuff at all.