I've not heard that before. Why would Tamiflu only work once? It's an anti-viral and works afaik by inhibiting the replication of the virus which is why it needs to be taken very quickly after onset.

If you have symptoms then you may not be able to fly. Airlines were refusing to take obviously infected people. Taking Tamiflu is supposed to speed recovery by a day or so but it has possible side-effects and some people are allergic to it.

Just my opinion but if it wasn't for the holiday then I wouldn't bother taking it if I were normally healthy and just had normal flu symptoms. Difficult one.

maybe its one of those rumours then that it only works once? My fella took it pretty easily tbh, he had a mild snotty nose and bang straight away he was on the tamiflu (now he is a drama queen if there ever was one!)

I don't know if i should just let this thing run its course or just take the pills?!!

I went down with those symptoms earlier this summer and with aching limbs, but it was a feverish cold. I felt as though it could have been flu at one stage and was very worried because of the talk about swine flu as both of us have those "underlying medical problems" that the health authorities love to talk about, but although I've never had flu I know that it is really bad and from what I have heard flu is unmistakeable. Whatever it was, (I rarely ever get colds) it lasted for about a week.

I can't advise you what to do. Only perhaps see how you feel over the next 24 hours? I hope you feel better soon.

quote:

Originally posted by Mummy Maz:
maybe its one of those rumours then that it only works once?

Might be worth googling or asking an M.D/pharmacist about that one if it might affect your decision.

go to the docs and get it checked out.
as for flying, some countries are screening people on arrival and if you have swine flu you be sent straight back.

quote:

Originally posted by *BB*:
I went down with those symptoms earlier this summer and with aching limbs, but it was a feverish cold. I felt as though it could have been flu at one stage and was very worried because of the talk about swine flu as both of us have those "underlying medical problems" that the health authorities love to talk about, but although I've never had flu I know that it is really bad and from what I have heard flu is unmistakeable. Whatever it was, (I rarely ever get colds) it lasted for about a week.

I can't advise you what to do. Only perhaps see how you feel over the next 24 hours? I hope you feel better soon.

PS. The last sentence was the real me talking. I loathe and detest taking medication and put off taking any new meds until the very last minute or end up feeding them to the lavvy instead. I am NOT recommending this by the way.

quote:

Originally posted by ContessaQ:
go to the docs and get it checked out.
as for flying, some countries are screening people on arrival and if you have swine flu you be sent straight back.

I've rung the doctors and they dont want me to come in with the symptoms i have - they've referred me to the NHS direct who tell me to get Tamiflu

quote:

Originally posted by *BB*:
or feeding them to the lavvy instead

Please, no-one do this. It's a very bad idea as far as our water supply is concerned. Especially for anti-biotics. Chemists will take unused medicines back and destroy them properly for free and without fuss.

quote:

PS. The last sentence was the real me talking. I loathe and detest taking medication and put off taking any new meds until the very last minute or feeding them to the lavvy instead. I am NOT recommending this by the way.

i agree with you actually, i don't even take tablets for headaches or period pains, i hate taking them but i do feel shocking, i said on Thursday night i'd see how i felt on friday night but today i feel just as bad, i need something to help me

MM all I can say to you is when my cousin who is a nurse had it, she said there was no mistaking, took her to her bed for 5 days and took nearly 3 weeks to get over it, said she had never felt anything like it.

Have u rang the NHS direct yet?

quote:

Originally posted by Daniel J*:

quote:

Originally posted by *BB*:
or feeding them to the lavvy instead

Please, no-one do this. It's a very bad idea as far as our water supply is concerned. Especially for anti-biotics. Chemists will take unused medicines back and destroy them properly for free and without fuss.

It won't make any difference to the water supply where I live. And antibiotics should be taken until the full course is finished. I thought everyone knew that. Oh and I can't just jump in a car and take scripts back to the chemist. It's a heck of a palarva getting my meds collected for me from the chemist every two months anyway.

quote:

Originally posted by love greek sunsets:
MM all I can say to you is when my cousin who is a nurse had it, she said there was no mistaking, took her to her bed for 5 days and took nearly 3 weeks to get over it, said she had never felt anything like it.

Have u rang the NHS direct yet?

I've rung them yes and they've advised the tamiflu, i genuinely don't feel like i could go out of the house, I'm completely shattered but can't sleep, feel really poorly. I am one of those "get up and get on with it" kinda people and i know if this was just a cold I'd be feeling a tad sorry for myself but I'd be up doing things - I've Florida to pack for, my house to sort out for moving next week..it couldn't have come at a worse time Jen!!!

quote:

Originally posted by *BB*:
It won't make any difference to the water supply where I live. And antibiotics should be taken until the full course is finished. I thought everyone knew that. Oh and I can't just jump in a car and take scripts back to the chemist. It's a heck of a palarva getting my meds collected for me from the chemist every two months anyway.

Your unused ones will keep for two months, luv.

Can't tell you what to do MM.Personally I would take vitemin c ,chicken soup, plenty of fluids,rest etc.You probably gather from this that I do not like taking prescribed drugs and prefer to allow my own immune system to fight my battles for me. But that is me!
Take care of yourself MM!

quote:

Originally posted by Daniel J*:

quote:

Originally posted by *BB*:
It won't make any difference to the water supply where I live. And antibiotics should be taken until the full course is finished. I thought everyone knew that. Oh and I can't just jump in a car and take scripts back to the chemist. It's a heck of a palarva getting my meds collected for me from the chemist every two months anyway.

Your unused ones will keep for two months, luv.

They keep a heck of a sight longer than that! The use by date is anything up to 2 years. Seriously, on the rare occasions when my lavvy gets my meds, and it IS rare, we are not on mains sewers so nothing goes into any water supply.

quote:

Originally posted by Mummy Maz:

quote:

Originally posted by love greek sunsets:
MM all I can say to you is when my cousin who is a nurse had it, she said there was no mistaking, took her to her bed for 5 days and took nearly 3 weeks to get over it, said she had never felt anything like it.

Have u rang the NHS direct yet?

I've rung them yes and they've advised the tamiflu, i genuinely don't feel like i could go out of the house, I'm completely shattered but can't sleep, feel really poorly. I am one of those "get up and get on with it" kinda people and i know if this was just a cold I'd be feeling a tad sorry for myself but I'd be up doing things - I've Florida to pack for, my house to sort out for moving next week..it couldn't have come at a worse time Jen!!!

aw honey I know and I really do hope you will get better I know how much yu've been looking forward to Florida, so I personally would take their advice and take the Tamiflu hun

quote:

Originally posted by figtree:
Can't tell you what to do MM.Personally I would take vitemin c ,chicken soup, plenty of fluids,rest etc.You probably gather from this that I do not like taking prescribed drugs and prefer to allow my own immune system to fight my battles for me. But that is me!
Take care of yourself MM!

me too normally Figtree, but she is due to go away next week and might need a helping hand from the Tamiflu

quote:

Originally posted by love greek sunsets:

quote:

Originally posted by figtree:
Can't tell you what to do MM.Personally I would take vitemin c ,chicken soup, plenty of fluids,rest etc.You probably gather from this that I do not like taking prescribed drugs and prefer to allow my own immune system to fight my battles for me. But that is me!
Take care of yourself MM!

me too normally Figtree, but she is due to go away next week and might need a helping hand from the Tamiflu

I'd normally do that that Figgy! There's a lot to be said for natural remedies but i am so scared i won't be able to go to America, I've saved and planned for this since January ..i think i am gonna get the tamiflu

quote:

Hug aw honey I know and I really do hope you will get better I know how much yu've been looking forward to Florida, so I personally would take their advice and take the Tamiflu hun Hug

yeah i think i am going to .. all i have to do now is wait for the BF to get up from his and come see me...could be waiting a while!!

Hi MM, My brother did'nt want to give his son (my nephew) Tamiflu because like you, he was scared it was'nt swine flu and had heard it only works once (and possible side effects). He asked the doctor and he said that it does'nt only work once and did'nt know where this rumour had come from.

Hope this helps, and what ever you decide to do I hope you are feeling better soon.

Have some paracetemol anyway MM! That will probably reduce the symptoms a bit and make you feel slightly better. Let's hope it's just flu-like rather than flu.

The reason it supposedly only works once is because it's meant to keep you immune for over 2 years and by then the virus should have (will have) mutated. The only problem with tamiflu is obviously because trials haven't been running for very long there may be side effects further along the line, but this is a tiny worry so I would suggest if you feel really ill to take it. I felt awful in June this year but didn't phone my doctor as I thought it was self inflicted, it wasn't until a month later when I finally recovered that I found out I had had swine flu.

That reads a bit like a mixup between the new vaccination, which has been under trial and is now available for the approaching winter flu season, and Tamiflu which is a well-established anti-viral drug used for years to treat flu and other viruses. Tamiflu doesn't give immunity, per se.

Oh MM, what an awful thing to happen NOW! just do what NHS are telling you to do hun, and hopefully you will be piglet free sooner

MM, my Friend had it, she was very ill and took the Tamiflu, she honestly felt better within days....I thinks it works pretty fast.

You nned to get rid of the symptoms as AIrlines will not carry you otherwise, I doubt they will ask if you have taken it as how can they prove it if you say you haven't...

The reason it may only work once could be because, like normal flu, it changes, that's the reason we can get flu & clods more than once....please, take their afvice...I do hope you feel better soon

Lots of fluids and healthy nourishing food as well MM, and as much rest as you can get

It's a recession... we always have to have a lil scary disease to worry about when the economy is tits up and we need distracting.

Swine flu is just another strain of flu. It's no worse and no better. The virus is constantly mutating.

I've had flu once.. when there was that pandemic winter 99/00. I'm not a sicky type person but it knocked me out and I was praying for death. What I did was take to bed and stayed there for 24hrs and just let the fever take its course and it broke by the next day. As long as your temperature stays around 38 degrees (if it gets to the 40s then cool down!) then your probably ok. High fever is the body's way of fighting infection and activates your immune system.

Bed, plenty of fluids, keep an eye on your temperature and sweat the bugger out.

quote:

Originally posted by Daniel J*:
That reads a bit like a mixup between the new vaccination, which has been under trial and is now available for the approaching winter flu season, and Tamiflu which is a well-established anti-viral drug used for years to treat flu and other viruses. Tamiflu doesn't give immunity, per se.

I was told my university lecturer in immunity that Tamiflu- no mention of the vaccination- should provide "immunity" for upto 2 years. As in the virus should not be able to reinstate itself within your body due to the longevity of the drug.

MM If I were you I would be takin ghte Tamiflu, resting as much as you can and trying to eat and drink to keep your strength up. I'm a bit scared about your plans for America on Monday

My 8 yr old neice was prescribed Tamiflu when she wasn't well and my sister asked the doc what would happen if it wasn't really swine flu and what if my niece needed teh Tamiflu in Winter for a bad case of swine flu....he said it will work just as well the 2nd time round. I really hope you get better....and get to go on your trip. xx

I'd take the tamiflu, take massive doses of Vit C (500 mg), and paracetamol type action to help releive the pain (for me it would be co-codamol).

The only works once thing, is probably cos we are only allowed to order tamiflu once per person from NHS direct. I suspect this is a cost issue, and to stop people selling it on.

Poor Maz... Flu is the pits

Here's Roche's (ie. the manufacturer's) fact sheets:

Fact sheet summary pdf

and

More complete one from Roche's site

Worth a look for advice and probably better than an alleged university lecturer.

quote:

Originally posted by Daniel J*:
Here's Roche's (ie. the manufacturer's) fact sheets:

Fact sheet summary pdf

and

More complete one from Roche's site

Worth a look for advice and probably better than an alleged university lecturer.

Nowhere within either of those fact sheets does it disagree with anything I have said...you appear to assume I think tamiflu is a vaccine. I do not.
And you can allege that I'm not really at university all you like.

And just to be clear I think you should take the Tamiflu if you do think you have swine flu, I wasn't saying don't.

MM, why did you ring NHS Direct if you are only going to question the advice they give?

see how you go Mummymaz, if you are not feeling any better then take it. Toughy really, as dont want you to get any worse by not taking it.

As for the flying im not sure, hope it wont tamper with your flight.

Hope you feel better soon!!

quote:

Originally posted by Blackpudlian:
MM, why did you ring NHS Direct if you are only going to question the advice they give?

just because i know of a few folk who embraced the thought of a week off work with an excuse - i hate being off and i hate taking medicine ..but i've taken their advice (and the advice of some on here too, thank you) and my BF is collecting my tablets as we speak

Having flu will almost certainly give you antibodies for the future. The drug is an neuraminidase inhibitor, which is well described on the net over how it actually works. I think we can infer the extent of its immunity-potential from that fairly easily.

quote:

Originally posted by Mummy Maz:
just because i know of a few folk who embraced the thought of a week off work with an excuse - i hate being off and i hate taking medicine ..but i've taken their advice (and the advice of some on here too, thank you) and my BF is collecting my tablets as we speak

If you decide not to take them then I'll buy them off you. I have Paypal.

quote:

Originally posted by Daniel J*:

quote:

Originally posted by Mummy Maz:
just because i know of a few folk who embraced the thought of a week off work with an excuse - i hate being off and i hate taking medicine ..but i've taken their advice (and the advice of some on here too, thank you) and my BF is collecting my tablets as we speak

If you decide not to take them they I'll buy them off you. I have Paypal.

Maz... don't underestimate your local pharmacist, or even hospital ones (there is usually a pharmacy hotline in most hospitals for the public... just that few people know about them).

Pharmacists can give you excellent advice, and in terms of pharmacology, usually better than that of a doctor!

I went to New York for christmas about 4yrs ago and caught flu on the plane I think, had to have a doctor come to see me he gave me tamiflu,and it worked wonders I was only in bed for two days. I have only had flu once before and was in bed for a week.