Eyewitness Report NP Contributor Beaulieu succumbs to Swine Flu

get well

Hope you stay well.

Get well soon Beaulieu.

  What makes it "swine flu" instead of a summer cold?  Did they do a swab?  In any case, I wish you well.  Continue to pour down the liquids and get lots of rest.

Blessings!

Scary stuff. Hopefully yours is just the "run of the mill" variety (is there such a thing?) and you can duck any complications. Let us have an update on duration and any lingering side-effects if you're able...

But I'm confused about it. So many mixed messages from "it's all overblown hype" to "It's 1918 Spanish flu coming to kill us all". The blandishments from official sources don't help with their vague-ish pronouncements and lack of usefully presented data. What's the infectivity (sic) percentage compared to other illnesses? What's it's lethality compared to other flu's? After the public lies told about the Iraq war and other ongoing events my faith in any govt. pronouncements is at an all time low.

I think if the Government was really serious about Swine Flu, they would ban large crowds, such as wedding parties, birthday parties and people going on the tube. I cycle to work so I can't have caught it out in the fresh air but, as part of my job, I mix with people who get together for family parties and they bring people of all age groups with them. My friend caught it recently, and I could have caught it from him but I think he uses the London underground a lot.

 

 

 

The Government 'suggest' that people who may have flu to avoid crowds but that doesn't stop people from going to a 'fun wedding party'.

My throat has just been sore, not nasty like tonsilitus so that is a good thing. It hasn't inflamed. It feels like a run-of-the-mill sore throat. Good.

The most annoying thing is just the headache, one minute it is here, the next minute, it is gone.  I don't seem to shake it off properly.  It is not like a migraine, I do not have to be in the dark all the time. So another run-of-the-mill headache. A good sign.

The second worst bit is the chesty cough and I highly recommend getting some chesty cough liquid in your store cupboard because it is hard to breathe sometimes with all that cataarh. A little scary. I am so glad that I found some in the cupboard this afternoon.

I am still feeling hot and cold chills.

It still doesn't feel like proper Swine Flu, the one whereby the Government threatens will kill loads of people. Even normal flu kills lots of people, such as people with low immune system and the Government doesn't talk about that.

I have had no major complications - yet.

 

 

 

I won't be getting Tamiflu till Monday, but these are the side effects I may look forward to. This comes from Tamiflu.com:

"Rare but serious skin reactions and allergic reactions have been reported. Stop taking TAMIFLU and call your doctor if you experience any of these reactions, as they could be very serious.

People with the flu, particularly children and adolescents, may be at an increased risk of self injury and confusion shortly after taking TAMIFLU and should be closely monitored for signs of unusual behavior. A healthcare professional should be contacted immediately if the patient taking TAMIFLU shows any signs of unusual behavior.

The most common side effects of TAMIFLU are mild to moderate nausea and vomiting. TAMIFLU is generally well tolerated.

In addition, take the following precautions when using TAMIFLU:

• You should not take TAMIFLU if you are allergic to oseltamivir phosphate or any other ingredients of TAMIFLU.
• TAMIFLU is normally not recommended for use during pregnancy or nursing, as the effects on the unborn child or nursing infant are unknown. If you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant or breastfeeding while taking TAMIFLU, talk to your doctor before taking TAMIFLU.
• If you have any type of kidney disease, talk to your doctor before starting TAMIFLU therapy.
• The use of TAMIFLU along with an intranasal flu vaccine like FluMist®* has not been evaluated. However, due to the possibility for interference between these products, an intranasal flu vaccine should not be given within 2 weeks before or 48 hours after taking TAMIFLU, unless it is deemed appropriate by your doctor. The type of flu vaccine administered as a shot through the skin can be given at any time relative to use of TAMIFLU.

As with any medication, be sure to discuss with your doctor any over–the–counter or prescription medicines you are currently taking before beginning TAMIFLU therapy."

 

I haven't had any vomiting yet, it looks like Tamiflu may make me feel a lot worse.

Just paint a big red 'X' on your front door - kidding.

My friend's friend in the UK also had swine flu, she got better after a few days, but rest up and get well! Take care of yourself!

Sorry to hear your suffering.  I commend you on your journalistic skills to document your illness.  I look forward to the post that you are on the mend and feeling better.  Your documentation could help others.  I will also lift you up in my prayers for recovery and comfort.

 

Some ingredients of Tamiflu (Thanks to Contributor Barbara for reminding us that we have to be more aware of the ingredients in our vaccines (and medicines).  I found this off a blog about Tamiflu side effects.

"If you are allergic to anything that is listed below for your form of Tamiflu, or you have reacted badly to Tamiflu before, do not take Tamiflu. Talk to your prescriber, pharmacist or nurse at once and check that they still want you to have Tamiflu.

Tamiflu 75mg Capsules

Black iron oxide (E172)

Croscarmellose Sodium

FD and C Blue 2 (indigo carmine, E132)

Gelatin

Oseltamivir

Povidone

Pregelatinised maize starch

Red iron oxide (E172)

Shellac

Sodium Stearyl Fumarate

Talc

Titanium dioxide (E171)

Yellow iron oxide (E172)

Tamiflu 12mg/ml Oral Suspension

Oseltamivir

Saccharin sodium (E954)

Sodium benzoate (E211)

Sodium dihydrogen citrate (E331 (a))

Sorbitol (E420)

Titanium dioxide (E171)

Tutti Frutti flavour

Maltodextrins (maize)

Propylene glycol

Arabic gum (E414)

Natural identical flavouring substances(mainly consisting of banana, pineapple and peach flavour)

Xantham gum (E415) "

 

I rarely get colds and flu in the summer, and I haven't had one this horrible for a while. I don't think I have taken time off for flu in the last 4 years.

I am still reading about Tamiflu.. and doing some research from Wikipedia (as if the Government will tell us much about it, they seem to regard it is as a 'happy pill, and side effects are being played down.

"Oseltamivir is a drug that blocks the influenza virus from spreading between cells in the body. Thus it is an antiviral drug that is used in the treatment and prophylaxis of both Influenzavirus A and Influenzavirus B infection."

 

 

 

 

Then Wiki goes on to say this about the dosage of Tamiflu:

 

 "Oseltamivir is indicated for the treatment and prevention of infections due to influenza A and B virus in people at least one year of age. The usual adult dosage for treatment of influenza is 75 mg twice daily for 5 days, beginning within 2 days of the appearance of symptoms and with decreased doses for children and patients with renal impairment. Oseltamivir may be given as a preventive measure either during a community outbreak or following close contact with an infected individual. Standard prophylactic dosage is 75 mg once daily for patients aged 13 and older, which has been shown to be safe and effective for up to six weeks. The importance of early treatment is that the NA protein inhibition is more effective within the first 48 hours. If the virus has replicated and infected many cells the effectiveness of this medication will be severely diminished, especially over time".

 

The Swine Flu Helpline didn't say that it was imperative to get Tamiflu within 48 hours...

And finally, this is what Wikipedia has to say about adverse effects of Tamiflu:

"Common adverse drug reactions associated with oseltamivir therapy (occurring in over 1% of clinical trial participants) include: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and headache. Rare ADRs include: hepatitis and elevated liver enzymes, rash, allergic reactions including anaphylaxis, and Stevens-Johnson syndrome.

Various other ADRs have been reported in postmarketing surveillance including: toxic epidermal necrolysis, cardiac arrhythmia, seizure, confusion, aggravation of diabetes, and haemorrhagic colitis.[4]

Neurological effects

There are concerns that oseltamivir may cause dangerous psychological, neuropsychiatric side effects including self harm in some users. These dangerous side effects occur more commonly in children than in adults. This stems from cases in Japan, where the drug is most heavily prescribed, consuming 60% of the world's production. Concern has focused on teenagers, but problems have also been reported in children and adults.

In March 2007, Japan's Health Ministry warned that oseltamivir should not be given to those aged 10 to 19.[16] The Ministry had previously decided, in May 2004, to change the literature accompanying oseltamivir to include neurological and psychological disorders as possible adverse effects, including: impaired consciousness, abnormal behavior, and hallucinations.

According to Japan's Health Ministry, between 2004 and March 2007, fifteen people aged 10 to 19 have been injured or killed by jumps or fallen from buildings after taking oseltamivir, and one 17-year-old died after he jumped in front of a truck.[ A renewed investigation of the Japanese data was completed in April 2007. It found that 128 patients had been reported to behave abnormally after taking oseltamivir since 2001. Forty-three of them were under 10 years old, 57 patients were aged 10 to 19, and 28 patients were aged 20 or over. Eight people, including five teens and three adults, had died from these actions.

In October 2006, Shumpei Yokota, a professor of pediatrics at Yokahama City University, released the results of research involving around 2,800 children which found no difference in the behavior between those who took oseltamivir and those who did not. A media source notes that Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. (which produces Tamiflu in Japan) gave Yokota's department 10 million yen (about US$105,000) over five years.[23][24]

To determine whether to lift the 2007 ban, a research team from the Japanese Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry studied 10,000 children under the age of 18 who had been diagnosed with influenza since 2006. The study was finalised in April 2009. Taking into account all degrees of abnormal behaviour, including minor behavioural problems such as incoherent speech, the study found that children who took Tamiflu were 54 per cent more likely to exhibit abnormal behaviour than those who did not take the drug. When the team limited its analysis to children who had displayed serious abnormal behaviour that led to injury or death, it found those who had taken Tamiflu were 25 per cent more likely to behave unusually.[25]

In November 2006, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended the warning label to include the possible side effects of delirium, hallucinations, or other related behavior. This went further than the FDA's previous pronouncement, from a year before, that there was insufficient evidence to claim a causal link between oseltamivir use and the deaths of 12 Japanese children (only two were from neurological problems, although more have died since then)."

 

And Roche comment: "that Tamiflu has been used to treat 50 million people since 1999, and states that influenza may itself cause psychological problems".

And further more in Wikipedia: In March 2007, the European Medicines Agency said that the benefits of oseltamivir outweighed the costs, but that it would closely monitor reports from Japan."

In April 2007, South Korea issued a safety warning against prescribing Tamiflu to teenagers except in special cases".

Well, all this research gives me some idea of whether Tamiflu is necessary for me. Maybe there are some natural alternatives such as fruit and any foods that boost the immune system.

 

I thought I'd dig a little further and find out about more about the ethics of Roche Ag, the company flogging Tamiflu:

Again from Wikipedia:-

 

"Stanley Adams, Roche's World Product Manager in Basel, contacted the European Economic Community in 1973 with evidence that Roche had been breaking antitrust laws, engaging in price fixing and market sharing for vitamins with its competitors. Roche was fined accordingly, but a bungle on the part of the EEC allowed the company to discover that it was Adams who had blown the whistle. He was arrested for unauthorised disclosure — an offence under Swiss law — and imprisoned. His wife, having learnt that he might face decades in jail, committed suicide.[8] Adams was released soon after but arrested again more than once before eventually fleeing to Britain, where he wrote a book about the affair, Roche Versus Adams (London, 1984, ISBN 022402180X).

In 1999 Roche was the worldwide market leader in vitamins, with a market share of 40%. Between 1990 and 1999, the company continued to participate in an illegal price fixing cartel for vitamins, which also included BASF and Rhone-Poulenc SA. In 1999, Roche pleaded guilty in the United States and paid a US$500 million fine, then the largest fine ever secured in the U.S.[9] The European Commission fined Roche €462 million for the same infraction in 2001, also a record fine at the time.[8]

Roche sold its vitamin business in late 2002 to the Dutch group DSM".

 

From Wikipedia:-

"Alleged Tamiflu monopoly

Roche is the only drug company authorized to manufacture the drug, which was discovered by Gilead Sciences. Roche purchased the rights to the drug in 1996 and in 2005 settled a royalty dispute, agreeing to pay Gilead tiered royalties of 14-22% of annual net sales"

I think I am more worried about Tamiflu than Swine flu, as I read this in www.gnn.tv this evening:-

"From the Canadian Medical Journal- Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) unsafe in infants under 1 year old[3]

“The unpublished trial described by the FDA involved 7-day-old rats being fed a single dose of 1000 mg/kg of oseltamivir — about 250 times the dose recommended for children.”

“The treatment was toxic, often killing the animals, and brain levels of the drug were 1500 times those of adult animals exposed to the same dose.”

but then the benefits supposedly override the costs?

Will I take Tamiflu or not, that is the question?

 

Maybe Tamiflu is worth it in an 'emergency' but I am thinking what does it matter if the illness takes a bit longer than usual.

When I was questioned by the Swine Flu helpline there wasn't a single question asking me about my mental health background, particularly considering Tamiflu can cause neurological disorders.  The pills seem to be handed out like 'smarties' to anyone. It would be interesting if any adults who have Swine Flu have experienced neurological disorders after taking it.

 

In the New Scientist, in 2007 "Masato Tashiro, head of flu at Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases, told New Scientist that the drug's withdrawal "is a highly political and sensitive issue, rather than science". However, he says, we know too little about it. "My personal concern is that Tamiflu might invade the brain through the blood-brain barrier."

The barrier forms a highly impenetrable layer of tissue that prevents many chemicals from crossing from the blood into the brain. In 2004, Roche said the drug should not be given to infants under one year of age, after experiments in mice showed it depressed brain activity and caused death in animals too young to have a fully-formed barrier".