Psychiatric Problems from Tamiflu? The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) issued a Tamiflu warning in 2006 after more than 100 people reported to suffer from uncommon psychiatric effects after taking Tamiflu as their preferred treatment against the flu. Most of the reports came from Japan, and they include cases of suicide and self-injury. Tamiflu Reports The post-marketing report of abnormal behavior and delirium among patients with influenza who were taking Tamiflu describes people who suffered from fatal injuries. Of the 103 reported cases of psychiatric problems with Tamiflu, 95 were in Japan. Most of these people who suffered delirium as a side effect of the treatment were children and adolescents. Close to 60% of affected patients were 17 years old or less and some cases even include suicide. Since these events were voluntarily reported during clinical practice, it is not possible to make an accurate estimate of frequency; however, they are unusual based on standard Tamiflu usage information. Even though these cases were reported mostly among kids and adolescents, they had an abrupt start and a quick resolution. It has not yet been established if Tamiflu contributed to these episodes. The FDA advised parents to be careful with the use or misuse of this antiflu drug. The psychiatric problems seem to appear more often in pediatric patients, as the FDA first noted. So the FDA recommends that patients with influenza must be constantly and very closely monitored for any sign of unusual behavior while taking the treatment. Tamiflu developer Roche and the FDA informed doctors and healthcare specialists of the neuropsychiatric issues associated with this drug among patients with influenza. Influenza is often related to several behavioral and neurological symptoms, such as events of abnormal behavior, delirium, and hallucinations. Some of these events result in fatal outcomes. These cases may happen in the setting of encephalopathy or encephalitis, but of course they can also happen without these severe illnesses. Common Side Effects of Tamiflu and Precautions If you or someone close to you suffers from influenza, you should watch out for any sign of unusual behavior. In the case of neuropsychiatric symptoms, you should call your closest healthcare specialist to assess if you should continue treatment considering the risks and benefits of the drug and its side effects. The same side effects that are supposedly caused by Tamiflu are coincidentally caused by the flu itself. Patients, who have the flu, and particularly children, can experience episodes of unusual behavior and develop nervous system problems that can lead to a fatal outcome. If your child has the flu and he or she is
experiencing seizures, shaky movements, speech problems, confusion, having hallucinations, or hearing voices, you should talk to your doctor or healthcare provider as soon as possible. Common side effects of Tamiflu that have been tested and verified on patients who use it as a treatment of the flu include headaches, vomiting, and nausea. These are the most common side effects; however, their percentage rate is fairly low, most of them appearing in less than 5% of patients taking the treatment. Common symptoms of the flu are often mistaken for asthma or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). It is not recommended to use a Symbicort inhaler to treat the flu because it is used to prevent bronchospasms in asthmatic or COPD patients. For more information on the flu, side effects, diagnosis, and treatment, visit www.FindaTopDoc.com. Please follow us on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter