Flu Outbreak

[Jackoh]

Just out of interest- with many folk being exposed to and catching the flu is it advisable if you contract the flu to contact your GP and ask for tamiflu? Don't know anything about this or if you're on steroids if you can take it or whether it will be given.

[HeronNS]

Seems like it's probably not worth it:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[Jackoh in reply to HeronNS]

Thank you Heron.

[Gosingen in reply to HeronNS]

Thanks HeronNS for the link. Makes for interesting/disturbing reading for sure. Agree with your statement.

[Nitrobunny]

I was given Tamiflu the second day I had the flu. My doctor believes it can cut the time you have the flu in half. I felt slightly better the day after I started it but I was ill for over a month and still have some bronchitis left over afterwards. Hands down the worst flu I’ve ever had.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

To be honest - don't know if it is worth it even for us. I'm fairly sure the evidence was that it shorten the symptoms by a few hours and doesn't prevent hospitalisation for the people who become really ill. And I'm told by someone who had it - the side effects are almost as bad as the flu!

[Jackoh]

Thank you everyone for taking the trouble to reply. Doesn't sound as if it is very effective does it. Just wondered as where I live ( West Midland- near Birmingham) there are so many folk with the flu.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Jackoh]

Avoid crowds, wear scarf when out and handwash, handwash, handwash...

[Dovelady]

My family think I am over the top with my precautions, am avoiding anywhere there are lots of people, am wearing gloves, using hand gel when out and not using public transport at the moment. Not even eating out or going to the pub. It’s not for long but with three long term conditions I’m right up in the risk category. And ditto the hand washing. I even cleaned my steering wheel and gear stick on my car after it had been in for it’s MOT. I’ll be jolly annoyed it if I get it after my enforced purdah!

[navejasjoe]

My wife went to her GP on the 5th day of flu symptoms, thinking at first it was a typical cold. She was given Tamiflu, but in the area that we live in California, the pharmacies all ran out of Tamiflu that day and could not start on it until the 6th day when it became available. It became the worst flu she has ever had, continuing with a brutal cough for which she was given promethazine with codeine. Finally after 17 days the flu seems to be gone, thank God!

The one good thing about getting the flu was that my wife rested a whole lot, and she says all the shoulder and upper arm pain she has always had even with prednisone disappeared all the time she was resting.

Joe

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to navejasjoe]

Hope she's well on the way to recovery Joe - best wishes to her