Relenza

[mummynumnum]

Think have s flu, although bearing up well and have yet to phone mid wife/GP. Can anyone tell me a bit more about relenza as dont know how safe it is in preg. Also have a daughter who suffers from feb convulsions. Are they likely to give her anti-virals as a precaution?

I think so-touch wood I appear to have mild casex

Saying that after feeling ok today, temp has just shot up, thrown up and feel bla again

Poor you mummynumnum. What are you taking? Hope your being looked after!

Being looked after nicely. Taking paracetomol. Have relenza but trying to hold off as dont feel 100% confident about it being pregnant, but then also scared that if get really ill that will be bad for baby as well.

Good! Take care xx

I have just been advised to collect relenza for myself and tamiflu for the kids by the national pandemic line as well as calling gp and asking for new script for my inhalers. I am 32 weeks with asthma and hypothyroid. I would rather take limited risk and take the relenza that leave this to run it's course as I feel like death warmed up temp is all over the place and I am struggling to do stuff.

Sounds like you need it. I seemed to get it mildly and keep finding it comes back in waves that knock me for six. Now have lingering cough as well!

mummyhill Hope you have a speedy recovery.

mummynumnum That's how I was. I was never 100% certain it had been SF but the recovery was certainly very flu like. I would think I was doing fine & try to do something then suddenly I'd have a hot flush & be completely wiped out for the next few hours & have to take to my bed. I am still pretty weak actually, though definitely making slow progress. I have heard that is fairly classic for recovery from flu, that it can go on for a long time and that you have to be very careful not to overdo it for quite a long time as you are more vulnerable to other viruses and also there's is the danger of post viral syndrome (eg Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) being triggered if you don't listen to your body and give in to those waves of weakness. So do please continue to look after yourself - and ask for help if you can.

I was advised by my GP that Relenza isn't good for asthmatics as it can irritate the lungs, and that since I had an underlying condition (asthma!) they would prefer me not to take the non-medicated route either, which leaves Tamiflu (which they KNOW gets through the placenta, but don't know the effects of). It sounds like a couple of you are asthmatics but have been given Relenza. Did nobody raise this issue with you?

RamDhan

Yes - it is in the leaflet that it is to be used with caution with asthmatics & I discussed it with the GP who prescribed it to me. My asthma is well controlled & the leaflet does make it clear that the constriction of the windpipes associated with relenza is an extremely rare side effect, seen only in 1-10,000 cases. I got into a panic initially as I was simply told relenza couldn't be given to asthmatics but it's not actually true. It is not usually given to severe asthmatics that's all. The advice was to take two puffs of my blue inhalor before using & keep blue inhalor to hand during use as you can have up to 10 puffs in one go. I was quite reassured by this & never felt the slightest difficulty after using the relenza. Obviously I was told that if I did turn out to be the 1 in 10,000 I was to call 999 immediately. TBH once I had read the leaflet & talked it through with my GP I really wasn't worried about it anymore. How severe is your asthma?

As for tamiflu & the placenta - my understanding was that it has not been trialled in pregnant women (obviously) so they don't actually know that it is is harmful, they actually think it's very unlikely to be harmful, but they prefer to go with relenza for pregnant women because the method of delivery (straight to lungs) makes it significantly less likely to pass through. The choice as I understand it is more because they are relatively convinced of the safety of relenza, rather than that they know tamiflu to be unsafe.

I hope that is some reassurance.

It is! My asthma's not severe so I'll def ask for Relenza if need be. Thanks

Here's a question then. Has anyone or anyone you know, taken Relenza and given birth to a perfectly healthy baby. That would be reassuring.
A guy who works for my DH came to work the other day with all the symtoms coming on fast that day, said nothing, phoned the doc who phoned him back to confirm it sounded like he had it. He is now at home really really ill.
I was the one (i think on this thread) raving (and I did sound like a raver) on about the fact people would do that very thing. Anyway, now im really worried. I was saying earlier I wouldn't trust the vaccine, still don't, but would be very unsure about relenza too. Remember all the children born without limbs after a 'new' pill. Im not even going to try and spell the condition, you'd all laugh at me!