If your 6-7yo got the flu, would you give Tamiflu? Was talking about flu season with a friend who is a pedi who said she’s on the fence about Tamiflu for this age group due to side effects. What would you choose?
If your 6-7yo got the flu, would you give Tamiflu? Was talking about flu season with a friend who is a pedi who said she’s on the fence about Tamiflu for this age group due to side effects. What would you choose?
My 6 yr old, who has severe asthma was diagnosed with influenza A last week. He was prescribed Tamiflu, as he is at high risk. He had absolutely no side effects from it. I think it helped him, as he started to improve within a day. He also was on increased doses of steroids to help as well.
That said, my healthy 8 yr old got the flu as well. Since there is a shortage of Tamiflu in our area, it is only for high risk patients. So he didn’t get Tamiflu. He was pretty much back to normal within 48 hours.
Both of my kids had the flu shots, which is supposedly helping to lessen the effects and shorten the duration of the flu. If offered Tamiflu, id try it. But with the shortage, if your child doesn’t have risk factors, they may not even prescribe it.
My three year was on it (severe asthmatic). My 8 year old was on it last year. Love the stuff.
Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains
Is Tamiflu something you can stop once started (if side effects occur)- or is it like antibiotics that optimally shouldn’t be stopped?
It is only for 5 days, so not very long. I guess you could stop it, but when it is very expensive and can be a huge help, it would take pretty severe side effects before I’d consider stopping it. Considering there is a shortage of it, if you aren’t committed to it, then I wouldn’t even bother getting it, and letting another patient who needs it more get it. Does your child have health issues that put her at high risk?? If not, it may not even be an option for her. Your best bet is waiting to see if she even gets the flu, and then discuss the pros/cons with her doctor, if she is even a candidate for Tamiflu. You may be spending all this time worrying for nothing. I was so worried about this flu season given my son’s health issues, but at the end of the day, it was no worse than any of the other respiratory illnesses that he has gotten. I think RSV has been harder for him than this flu was.
DS1 had the flu at the end of June and Tamiflu didn't help with the duration or lessening of symptoms. He had no side effects. But I would still use it again if offered.
My best friend, who is a family practice doctor told me that she would only hesitate to give it to children under 9, and people over 70, as it seems to have more side effects for them, for some reason.
No, I treat all illnesses the same-- lots of homemade chicken soup with garlic, elderberry syrup, vitamin D, sodium ascorbate vitamin C powder to bowl tolerance, probiotics, Oscillo, echinacea, eucalyptus baths, and a warm mist humidifier. DS2 just got over a 4 day flu-like virus last week (fever, chills, cough, runny nose, headache). He tested negative for flu.
My sister is the manager of an ER in Pennsylvania and they don't write scripts or suggest Tamiflu unless requested by the patient. They have experienced to many side effects and too little positives from the drug.
Jeana, Momma to 4 fantastic sons
Everything happens for a reason, sometimes the reason is you're stupid and make bad decisions
As someone who has had the side effects from Tamiflu, I don't give it to my kids. Actually, the kids' ped and my GP no longer recommend it unless there are extenuating circumstances, like PP whose child had additional risks. I felt worse on Tamiflu than I ever had in my life.
-Kris
DS (9/05)
DD (8/08)
DD (9/12)