side effects of tamiflu

[dollydotone]

Ds has been prescribled tamiflu, but am reluctant to give it to him due to horror stories of vomiting, sleep problems and nightmares.
Am not 100% sure he has sf or regular flu, but is coughing a lot and has runny nose, temp fluctuates between doses of calpol and nurofen, but is playing and just wanted a tuna sandwich - nice at 9.30am! 48 hour deadline to start the tamiflu runs out this afternoon. Any advice pls?!

forgot to say he is 4.5.

interested to see replies, dd (40 is much the same - how do you know if its swine flu or a cold? do you get a temp if its just a cold?

dd is not 40 she is 4!

DS2 had what we think was SF (same symptoms - temperature over many day, cough, nose etc) and was off school for a week. However we didn't go to GP or get Tamiflu.

DH had cough/shivers/fatigue for about 3 days. No Tamiflu - recovered quickly.

Last week I had temperature, diahorrea, cough, chest pains, aches etc. After 3 days DH persuaded me to get Tamiflu, and I am now on Day 4.

I find it hard to see that it's made a lot of difference to be honest, and I think it may have given me a few side-effects - sleeplessness and tummy ache.

If you're not sure/ he's eating/ you can 'sit it out' and look after him for a few more days then I wouldn't bother to be honest!

If he's coping well with the illness I wouldn't bother TBH. Tamiflu won't cure him, it will just cut the length of the illness by a day or two. I had swine flu and felt like i'd been hit by a truck at first - I took teh tamiflu as i have three DC and needed to be back on my feet ASAP, but I didn't have any bad side effects

HTH and hope he feels better soon

Both DD and myself had high fever since swine flu jab. According to GP could not have been caused by jabs and we had swine flu (we are in a hotspot, but then again it is of course the GPs saying that it is a hotspot by diagnosing everybody with swine flu ...). Anyway we are both on tamiflu, both sick as a parrot. DD just vomited again.

We also had tamiflu in July when DH had (confirmed) swine flu (was really quite ill, not mild at all) at that time no side effects.

I am not sure at all if I should have listened to GP and started on tamiflu, feel very uncertain if we are doing the right thing in persevering. If my dd feels as bad as I do, it is pretty bad. Odd thing is we started tamiflu on Sunday, neither of us was sick. Both of us did have headache though. Only since yesterday are both of us nauseous, and DD vomiting with still the blinding headache, etc.

Hard to advise anyone what to do, not even sure what to do myself.

Thanks everyone. Still not sure what to do, it's so hard with such conflicting advice!It's the cough that is troubling him the most now.
Have left a message at GP's - waiting for a call back.(hmm)

After speaking to a GP who said that the worry is if he has a bad cough it could cause complications down the line i.e breathing difficulties, pneumonia etc - I was in even more turmoil!
I caved in at 8pm last night and gave him the first dose. Within 40 mins he was screaming, his whole body was shuddering, writhing around the bed - almost hallucinating. This happened approx every 45 mins, each time lasting 10 mins. Bloody awful.
Managed to get to see another GP this morning who thinks he has a bad cough and cold and not SF ( which is what I thought in the first place) - but with the ticklist over the phone once they prescribe Tamiflu you have that sense of doubt and 'what if?'.
Thankfully have ditched the tamiflu, but seriously would question whteher I would give it to my DD if ever needed.
Thanks everyone for advice!

Thats awful dolly! Poor boy, hope he's feeling better soon.

DD had Tamiflu px yesterday

I too was unsure at first, but she looked so poorly... temp of 39.0, bad cough, sore throat, headache, "neck ache", tummy ache, and "painful legs"

She was also vomiting most of yesterday evening

Not sure if the Tamiflu made her sick, but she didn't vomit after the 2nd dose and so far this morning is ok on that front. She slept well and looks a bit brighter, and has eaten a bit of toast and some dry cereal

It's hard though, how do you know if it's SF or not?!

I know, even when we saw the GP yesterday she said she couldn't be 100% sure if he had SF or not or just a v bad cough and cold - without a swab who knows unless you have the full symptoms? You're right it's so difficult to know whats the right thing to do in this situation.
Obviously I would never tell someone not to give Tamiflu,and I guess everyone reacts differently to certain medicines, but it was quite shocking to see how quickly it affected ds.
Really glad to hear your DD is reacting well to the Tamiflu and hope she is feeling better v soon.
DS is still is full of cough and cold and had a rough night, but fairly perky during the day.
Thanks to MamaG for your message!

Hope your ds continues to improve, Dolly

The other thing I'm not sure about is staying in etc... do we all have to stay isolated?

Was told that dd can return to school once she is clear of symtoms for 24hrs and hasn't needed Calpol etc for 24h

But heard that the rest of us can't go anywhere until 3 days after that, incase we are infectious and about to get it?

I feel a bit confused, lots of advice quite conflicting

Yes I've read that once they have been symptom free for 24 hours they are ok to go back to school but not heard that bit about other family members not being able to go out.
Surely thats pretty impossible - and only necessary if you are possibly starting to show early signs of coming down with it?
I agree it is all so confusing and it's only when you are in the situation that you realise how much conflicting info there is.
Hope your dd makes good progress.

Well i've got something probably SF and haven't taken tamiflu yet but have had stomach problems .I have had a lot of trouble sleeping and the high temperature has made me a bit delirious , spiderson the bed , that type of thing.So I think many of the alleged side effects may actually be flu symptoms

I've found Tamiflu has helpd. Not a huge amount, but I don't feel as awful as I did. I was sick after the first dose, then ok. DD had no problems and seems to be coping with it so far.

I'm glad I'm not the only one worried about spiders on the bed. I also 'heard' bees in the curtains.

Hi I was 'diagnosed' with swine flu yesterday and prescribed tamiflu which I now have but am reluctant to take due to the common side effects. I am quite phobic about being sick and have already had a couple of days of nausea and upset tummy so don't really want to get back to it.

I thought I was feeling a bit better last night but today I feel worse, really exhausted and coughing a lot causing chest pain. I have been ill for six days now so is it worth taking the tamiflu? Also coughs last for weeks and weeks at what point are you not spreading germs with your cough?

I was told that Tamiflu was only effective if you take it in the first 2 days, but I'm happy to be corrected if anyone knows any different. I posted on another thread about anti-nausea pills, I tried Buccastem and they're good at relieving the nausea. Hope you feel better soon.