Your experience of Tamiflu for child or you?

[Mouse]

My 11 year old son seems to have bought swine flu back from our holiday

I completed the online questionnaire & have got a reference to go & get Tamiflu for him, but I'm in two minds about it as I've read that, particularly in children, the side effects can be worse than the actual flu.

He is otherwise fit & healthy, no health problems at all. I'm tending towards just letting him ride it out dosed up with Calpol & Ibuprofen, but DH is erring towards the Tamiflu. At the moment DS doesn't seem too bad (he's typing away on his laptop now) and Calpol or Ibuprofen do work well whan he does start to feel bad.

If you've taken Tamiflu yourself or given it to your children, what are your views on it?

[sarah707]

I haven't taken it... but I have read the reports.

i would be tempted to get the medication and sit on it... if he seems to be feeling it more, it's in the cupboard isn't it?

the worst at the moment seems to be people with other illnesses slipping through the net and not being examined.

If he gets worse insist he is seen.

Hope he doesn't suffer too badly

[Princess Sara]

Personally, as with normal flu, I wouldn't worry until they're laying on the sofa hardly being able to move. I think far too many people are using the medicine unnecessarily, anything with a fever over 38.5 seems to be getting diagnosed as swine flu atm.

[Mouse]

Thank you both.

You're echoing my view that he probably doesn't really need Tamiflu.
The collection point is a 5 minute walk from my house, so if he shows signs of getting worse over the next day or so it'll be easy enough for me to go & collect it.

I'm still surprised at how easy it is to get the medication

[Blaze]

I gave it to all of my children as they are all asthmatic & being ill was really affecting their breathing. the only thing I found was to give it with a full meal ie between meal & pudding - else it gives stomach cramps / causes vomitting (usually milk & a biscuit will suffice - but found with Tamiflu that mioer is needed). HTH & your son gets well soon. x

[Mouse]

Thanks Blaze.

He's normally fit & healthy with no asthma or anything like that. I guess that if he had 'normal' flu he wouldn't be given anything for it as he's in a very low risk group.