Saturday, August 8, 2009

FEARS RISE OVER SIDE EFFECTS OF TAMIFLU AS CASES OF ADVERSE REACTIONS DOUBLE IN A WEEK

August 3, 2009

By Daniel Martin

Fears over the side effects of Tamiflu grew last night as it was revealed that the number of suspected adverse reactions had doubled in one week.

Figures from the drugs safety watchdog, seen by the Daily Mail, show there have been 293 reports of side effects from the powerful antiviral since the beginning of April, when the swine flu outbreak began.

This compares to the 150 reported the week before - a jump of 143 in only seven days. The cases include heart and eye problems, and psychiatric disorders.

More than half of children who take Tamiflu suffer from nausea, nightmares and other reactions, a study found.

The figures come only a few days after a study showed that more than half of children who take Tamiflu suffer from nausea, nightmares and other reactions.

The massive rise coincides with the launch of the National Pandemic Flu Service, which allows Britons for the first time to get Tamiflu over the phone or internet without the intervention of a GP.

In the first three days of its operation - between 24 and 26 July - no fewer than 150,000 Tamiflu packs were handed out.

A growing number of doctors have raised concerns over whether the drug is being handed out too readily, putting many at needless risk of side effects when in the majority of instances, swine flu is a mild illness.

[To read article in its entirety.]

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Author's Note: One of my favorite sites to check adverse reporting on drugs is askapatient.com. If you are considering taking Tamiflu, I highly recommend you check out www.askapatient.com to see what others are saying before you agree to taking a drug that is highly suspect and merely shortens the duration [disputably] of the flu.