Tamiflu (oseltamivir phosphate) Information

May 4th, 2009

Tamiflu(oseltamivir phosphate) is an anti-viral drug used for the treatment and prevention of flu or influenza. Tamiflu attacks the flu virus inside the body and prevents it from spreading. Side effects of tamiflu include nausea and vomiting. Tamiflu is not a flu vaccine and should not be used in place of a flu vaccine.

Tamiflu is a prescription medication manufactured by Roche Pharmaceuticals to be used adults and children 1 year of age and older.

What Is It Used For?

Tamiflu has been licensed for both treatment and prevention of influenza.

For Tamiflu to treat the flu, it must be taken within one to two days of the start of flu symptoms. For prevention, it must also be started as soon as possible after exposure.

How Does It Work?

The medication works by attacking the flu virus inside the body, thus preventing it from spreading. This is different from other flu medicines, which just treat symptoms of the flu.

Tamiflu is part of a class of drugs called neuraminidase inhibitors. Neuraminidase (an enzyme found on the flu virus) allows the flu virus to spread. By blocking this enzyme, Tamiflu limits the virus’s ability to spread.

When and How Do I Take Tamiflu?

Here are some general considerations for when and how to take it:

1. Tamiflu comes in either liquid or capsule form. It is taken once or twice a day, depending on your healthcare provider’s instructions. You may take it with or without food. If it upsets your stomach, take it with food.

2. It should be taken at the same time each day to maintain an even level of the medication in your blood.

3. Make sure that you complete your entire prescription of the medication, even if you start feeling better before it’s finished. This will ensure that the infection is completely treated.


Dosing Guidelines

The dosage your healthcare provider recommends will vary, depending on a number of factors, such as age and other medical conditions you may have.

As with any medicine, there are possible side effects with Tamiflu. However, not everyone who takes it will experience side effects. In fact, most people tolerate the drug quite well.

For adults, the most common Tamiflu side effects are Nausea and Vomiting.

In children, the most common side effect is vomiting; up to 15 percent of children experience this side effect.

Nausea and vomiting usually happen during the first couple of days of treatment, and are usually mild to moderate. Taking Tamiflu with food may help decrease the chances of developing these side effects.

In clinical studies, no drugs were shown to interact with Tamiflu .

Prior to taking this medication, you should tell your healthcare provider if you have:

• Liver disease or liver failure

• Kidney disease or kidney failure

• Heart disease

• Liver disease

• Allergies to any medicines.

• Are Pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant

• Breastfeeding.

Tamiflu comes in the following strengths and forms:

• Tamiflu 30 mg capsules

• Tamiflu 45 mg capsules

• Tamiflu 75 mg capsules

• Tamiflu suspension (liquid), containing 12 mg of Tamiflu per mL.

There is currently no generic Tamiflu available for sale.

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The Pandemic - 1918 Flu or Spanish Flu

May 4th, 2009

This well known 1918 Flu or Spanish Flu pandemic caused the highest number of known influenza deaths. An estimated one-third of the world’s population (500 million people) became infected and had flu symptoms during the 1918 flu outbreak.

More than 500,000 people died in the United States, and 50 million people or more died worldwide. Many people died within the first few days after infection while others died of complications. Nearly half of those who died were young, healthy adults.

What Caused the 1918 Flu or Spanish Flu Pandemic?

The specific virus that caused the 1918 flu was the influenza A (H1N1) virus, which appears to be an avian-like influenza virus.

How Did the 1918 Flu Pandemic Progressed ?

The 1918 flu pandemic spread more or less simultaneously in 3 distinct waves during a 12-month period from 1918–1919, in Europe, Asia, and North America.

The first pandemic influenza wave appeared in the spring of 1918, followed in rapid succession by much more fatal second and third waves in the fall and winter of 1918–1919, respectively. The 1918 flu pandemic had another unique feature, the simultaneous (or nearly simultaneous) infection of humans and swine.

The Fatality Rate Curve of the 1918 Flu Pandemic

The curve of influenza deaths by age has, generally has been U-shaped, with death peaks in the very young and the very old, with a comparatively low number of deaths at all ages in between.

In contrast, in the 1918 flu pandemic, it showed a distinct pattern that has not been documented before: a “W-shaped” curve, similar to the familiar U-shaped curve but with the addition of a third (middle) distinct peak of deaths in young adults who were between 20 and 40 years of age.

Influenza and pneumonia death rates for those 15 to 34 years of age in 1918–1919, for example, were 20 times higher than in previous years. Surprisingly, nearly half of the influenza-related deaths in the 1918 pandemic were in young adults who were 20 to 40 years of age, a phenomenon very unique.

The 1918 flu pandemic is also unique among influenza pandemics in that risk of influenza death was higher in those who were younger than 65 years of age than in those who were greater than 65 years of age

Prevention and Treatment of the 1918 Flu

Two types of antiviral drugs, rimantadine (Flumadine®) and oseltamivir (Tamiflu®), have been shown to be effective against influenza viruses similar to the 1918 flu virus. Vaccines containing the 1918 flu HA or other subtype H1 HA proteins were effective in protecting mice against the 1918 flu virus

Can the 1918 Flu Pandemic Happen Again ?

The evolutionary path that led to pandemic emergence of the 1918 flu is not known, but it appears to be different in many respects from the current situation with H5N1 (avian flu).

Even with modern antiviral and antibacterial drugs, vaccines, and prevention knowledge, the return of a pandemic virus equivalent in pathogenicity with the 1918 flu would likely kill more than 100 million people worldwide.

This has made experts very worried about this current A(H1N1) flu. Despite symptoms being relatively mild as compared to the avian flu, WHO has warned against complacency.

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A(H1N1) Virus Crossing Species

May 3rd, 2009

Recently, Canadian officials have discovered a case of pigs being infected by humans and the first evidence that the A(H1N1) virus had crossed to another species. About 200 pigs on a farm were infected by a farm worker who recently returned from Mexico.

Officials believe the worker may have sneezed or coughed near the pigs.

Now that the swine flu virus has passed from a farm worker to pigs, could it jump back to people? The question is important, because crossing species again could make the A(H1N1) virus more deadly.

The A(H1N1) virus was created when genes from pig, bird and human viruses mixed together inside a pig. Experts fear the virus that has gone from humans back into pigs could mutate further before crossing back into humans again. No one can predict what will happen. It could lead to another wave of the epidemic leading to a disastrous pandemic.

With the mutation, it can go both ways. The A(H1N1) virus could gain virulence or it could become milder.

Pigs are of special concern because they share some basic biological similarities with humans, and they have served as the medium in which various flu strains have swapped genetic material.

There have been sporadic cases of pigs infecting humans with influenza in the past. Most cases resulted in mild symptoms, typically among people who were in close contact with sick pigs. A few deaths have been recorded, and limited human-to-human transmission also has been documented, but nothing sustained.

Given that the past three flu pandemics — the 1918 Spanish flu, the 1957-58 Asian flu and the Hong Kong flu of 1968-69 — were all linked to birds, much of the global pandemic preparedness has focused on avian flus.

The focus has been on birds, and now we have a virus that’s coming from a swine reservoir and ending up as a human virus. It creates a lot of worry for the future. It is therefore important not to be complacent regarding the A(H1N1) virus. Symptoms may be mild but with the crossing of the species for the virus, the future may be uncertain.

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Tips on How To Prevent Flu

May 3rd, 2009

Since there are no easy cures for flu, a proactive approach is to make your whole life healthier so your immune system is well prepared to prevent any flu attack.

The other way on how to prevent flu is to get the flu shot. It may not be natural, but it works better than anything else.

Nevertheless there are some general tips on how you can prevent flu.

#1 Wash Your Hands

Most flu viruses are spread by direct contact. So wash your hands often. If no sink is available, rub your hands together very hard for a minute or so. Or rub an alcohol-based hand sanitizer onto your hands.

#2 Don’t Cover Your Sneezes and Coughs With Your Hands

Because germs and viruses cling to your bare hands, muffling coughs and sneezes with your hands results in passing along your germs to others. Use a tissue and throw it away. If you don’t have a tissue, turn your head away from people near.

#3 Don’t Touch Your Face

Cold and flu viruses enter your body through the eyes, nose, or mouth. That is how children pass colds on to their parents.

#4 Drink Plenty of Fluids

Water flushes your system, washing out the poisons as it rehydrates you.

#5 Take a Sauna

In one 1989 study, it was found that people who steamed twice a week got half as many colds as those who didn’t. The reason is not clear but it could be that in a sauna, it is too hot for flu viruses to survive.

#6 Get Fresh Air

Fresh air is important, especially during cold weather when people stay indoors with more germs are circulating in crowded rooms.

#7 Do Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise speeds up the heart to pump larger quantities of blood; makes you breathe faster to help transfer oxygen from your lungs to your blood; and makes you sweat once your body heats up. These exercises help increase the body’s natural virus-killing cells.

#8 Eat Healthy and Nutritious Foods

Foods like dark green, red, and yellow vegetables and fruits contain phytochemicals which can improve your overall health and help to prevent flu..

#9 Eat Yogurt

Some studies have shown that eating a daily cup of low-fat yogurt can help to prevent flu by 25 percent. Researchers think the beneficial bacteria in yogurt may stimulate production of immune system substances that fight disease.

#101 Relax

If you can teach yourself to relax, you can activate your immune system on demand. There’s evidence that when you put your relaxation skills into action, your interleukins — leaders in the immune system response against cold and flu viruses — increase in the bloodstream.

#10 Don’t Smoke

Statistics show that heavy smokers get more severe colds and more frequent ones.

Even being around smoke profoundly zaps the immune system. Smoke dries out your nasal passages and paralyzes cilia. These are the delicate hairs that line the mucous membranes in your nose and lungs, and with their wavy movements, sweep cold and flu viruses out of the nasal passages. Experts contend that one cigarette can paralyze cilia for as long as 30 to 40 minutes.

#12 Cut Alcohol Consumption

Heavy alcohol use suppresses the immune system in a variety of ways. Heavier drinkers are more prone to initial infections as well as secondary complications. Alcohol also dehydrates the body — it actually takes more fluids from your system than it puts in.

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