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제 1 호 Side Effects of Tamiflu; Is It Okay to Take?

  • 작성일 2019-03-25
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Kicker: WORLD(HEALTH)



Side Effects of Tamiflu; Is It Okay to Take?


By Min-gyeong Lee, Editor        

lee.mkpeach@gmail.com

By Su-jeong Sim, Reporter

tlatnwjd97@naver.com


  On December 22, 2018, in Busan,there was an unfortunate accident. A 13-year-old girl taking the flu drug Tamiflu, after showing hallucination symptoms, fell from the apartment window and passed away.Thereafter, the aunt of the middle school girl who passed away after taking Tamiflu posted a national petition; the government should have doctors notify their patients about the side effects when prescribing that drug.


△ An antiviral medication, Tamiflu


  “Oseltamivir”, which is well known as “Tamiflu”, is an antiviral agent against the influenza virus, which is sold worldwide. However, it has been steadily reported that some influenza patients, especially children and adolescents, who had taken Tamiflu, have suffered from side effects(hallucination, auditory hallucination etc). Should we still take Tamiflu when we catch the flu, despite those side effects?



Is Tamiflu only “evil”? 

  Not really. Tamiflu is one of the antiviral drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment and prevention of influenza. According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are lots of benefits of using this antiviral agent. 

  First, it can decrease the amount of time that flu symptoms last as long as taken within 48 hours after symptoms have begun. Furthermore, it can prevent the risk of complicating disease that come from the flu, such as pneumonia, ear infections, hospitalization, and respiratory failure. It is more likely to be worse if they're under the age of 5 years or they have a health problem including asthma, lung disease, diabetes, epilepsy, heart disease, kidney or liver problems, blood disorders, cancer, immunodeficiency, or cerebral palsy. For this reason, even though the FDA didn’t approve Tamiflu to be used for babies aged under 2 weeks, some institutions encourage to use it for children. The CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend using Tamiflu to treat babies under 14 days old with the flu and to prevent the flu in children ages 3 months to 1 year.

  Nevertheless, there have been reports of suspected cases of side effects of Tamiflu around the world and such news is spreading fear among people. If you notice any serious side effects while you are on Tamiflu, call 119 right away.


Side-effects of Tamiflu

  The most common side effects of the antiviral are nausea and vomiting. These likely symptoms could be relieved by taking the medicine with foods according to the FDA. In addition, other side effects may occur, including mild stomach pain, nosebleeds, headache, and fatigue. Besides, there are reports that Tamiflu may have adverse effects on mental, neuropsychiatric health, especially in Japan, such as hallucinations, self-injury, abnormal behavior, and suicidal thoughts. Those symptoms are now updated in prescriptions and advertisements.



  • △ Side effects of Tamiflu


What Korean experts say?

-The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(KCDC) 

  The Health authority said that they need to be careful as the influenza epidemic season begins. KCDC announced that, “The percentage of patients suspected of influenza has exceeded the trend standard (7.8 per 1,000 people) from November 4 to November 10, 2018.” KCDC also said that, “We need to get vaccinated as soon as possible, and pay attention to personal hygiene such as hand washing.” “If you have symptoms of sudden 38°C or higher fever, cough, and sore throat, you should be taken quickly to the near medical center.”


-Seoul National University Hospital

  The Drug Risk Management Center of Seoul National University Hospital said, “We need to be careful because adolescents under their 20s have higher possibilities of neurological adverse reactions such as hallucination and auditory hallucination than other age groups after taking Tamiflu.” The Center analyzed data of 7,045 patients who had been prescribed Tamiflu at Seoul National University Hospital from 2014 to 2018. As a result, a total of 29 people (0.41 percent) were found to have had side effects.

Professor Jo Sang-Hyeon(the chief of the Center) said, “If you choose natural healing due to concerns about side effects of Tamiflu, you might suffer from pneumonia, or you may die in severe cases. You should consult with a doctor or pharmacist rather than avoid medical treatment.”


-Food and Drug Administration(KFDA)

  The KFDA said, "The cause is unclear, but among children over 10 years of age, abnormal behavior can be detected after taking Tamiflu. When prescribing the drug to children and adolescents, explain it to them and their families so that the patients would not be alone for at least two days." 



Why should we think seriously about the flu?

  Many people often think that flu is just a bad cold so they do not take it seriously. It's a serious respiratory illness that kills as many as 56,000 people every year in the United States. It could be dangerous to not only the elderly but also infants. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), people who suffer from flu often feel some or all of these symptoms; fever or feeling feverish or chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, and fatigue. Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more likely in children than adults.



  • △ Symptoms of having the flu



Prevention more important than a cure

  The best way to prevent infection is vaccination and there are also flu antiviral drugs like Tamiflu. However, having good health habits helps to protect yourself or stop spreading the virus. Here are tips to prevent the spread of flu from the CDC:

1. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others.

2. Stay home when you are sick if possible.

3. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.

4. Wash your hands often.

5. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

6. Always take care of your health; be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.



  • △ Flu Prevention Tips





Sources:

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/how-serious-are-side-effects-of-tamiflu

https://www.verywellhealth.com/tamiflu-side-effects-2633814

http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/society/health/876884.html

http://h2.khan.co.kr/201812251649001

http://www.hankookilbo.com/News/Read/201812261165012288

http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/society/area/875610.html

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/habits/index.htm

http://www.koreadaily.com/news/read.asp?art_id=6845545

http://www.southcentralunified.org/vnews/display.v/ART/580a3a7b1e22c

https://williamsonmedicalcenter.org/in-the-community/healthyu/2019/01/18/flu-prevention-tips/