General flu info:

What is the Swine Flu?

Catie’s Experience with the Flu

Treatment for the flu:

Elderberry Extract for the Flu -Natural treatment for the seasonal flu

All About Tamiflu -quick video overview about Tamiflu

What is Tamiflu? -article with some more info about Tamiflu

Tamiflu and Prevention

Tamiflu and Your Child

Tamiflu for Treatment

Relenza -the Other Flu Treatment 

Help with Flu Symptoms:

Relief for Cold/Flu and Allergy Symptoms

How to Treat Dry Cough

Honey for Dry Cough in Kids

Have any questions about the flu?  Go ahead and ask us!

 Here is a picture of the Relenza inhaler:

We have a bunch more articles -just go to All About the Flu to get all the info!

Please take a moment and leave us a comment -we want to hear from you!

Want to learn 90 ways to save money on your prescription drugs?? Well, here you go – a free video course and manual!

What the heck is Tamiflu??

We put this video together to give you the quick 4-1-1 about Tamiflu…

We also have more detailed articles about Tamiflu…

If you have a family member with the flu and want to know if you should take Tamiflu for prevention, read Tamiflu for Prevention of H1N1 Virus.

If your child has the flu and you need info about Tamiflu for kids, read Tamiflu and Your Child.

If you want to know the nitty-gritty about the swine flu, read What is the Swine Flu?

If you want to know more about using Tamiflu to help treat and/or prevent the flu, read Use of Tamiflu for Prevention and Treatment of the Flu.

Lastly (for now), if you want to know more detailed info on Tamiflu, read What is Tamiflu?

One last lastly, all of the links can be found at All About the Flu.

Well, by now I am sure you are all Tamiflu’d out…but if you have any questions or comments please leave them below!  And of course if you want to learn how to save money on drugs -we have a free video course for you!

Type A flu infections are more common and severe than the type B ones.  You cannot tell if you have the type A flu or the type B flu unless a blood test is done – they cause the same symptoms.

The swine flu (I’m sure you’ve heard this name by now!) is a kind of type A flu that is usually found in pigs, but every now and then, it can get into humans.  The swine flu has been around for many years, and it was first found in a human in 1974.

In March and April of 2009, a new type of swine flu (it has changed over the years, and this one has never been found in pigs or humans) was found to have infected many people in Mexico.  Since then, the virus has spread to other countries around the world. 

On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) named this new swine flu virus a worldwide pandemic. 

Note: You may have heard the word pandemic – it is the word used when new cases of a certain disease spread across the world (not in just one area) and infect many people. A pandemic is rare and can lead to many deaths.

As of June 15, 2009, there have been more than 35,900 cases in 76 countries, with 163 deaths.  In the US, over 17,800 people in all 50 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico have been infected. 

Note: Most of the deaths have happened to people with other health problems. 

Between 1958 and 2005, there were 37 people in the general population known to be infected with the swine flu – WOW, that’s a huge difference between then and now!!!

This new swine flu is probably more dangerous than the regular flu you see every winter (also called the seasonal flu) for the following reasons:

1.     There are vaccines for the seasonal flu and not for this new swine flu (scientists are working on this problem)

2.     The seasonal flu happens every year, and even though the virus changes a little from season to season, your body has found a way to fight it so the infection doesn’t get too bad – this is not the case with the new swine flu.   

The signs and symptoms of the swine flu are pretty much the same as those for the seasonal flu – fever, body aches, chills, joint pain, headache, cough, sore throat, and a feeling of being tired.  The difference is that vomiting and diarrhea are a lot more common in the swine flu (you usually do not see these symptoms in the seasonal flu)

You would treat the swine flu just as you would the seasonal flu – lots of rest, plenty of liquids, and an OTC pain reliever for your aches and fever.

Also, it seems that the antiviral drugs, Tamiflu (see “Use of Tamiflu for Prevention and Treatment of the Flu” and “What is Tamiflu?”) and Relenza, may help treat and keep away the swine flu (but this is not known for sure as of yet).

You should go see a doctor if you are having trouble breathing or you cannot catch your breath, or if you have had a fever for more than 3 days.

That is all I have for you for now – I hope this article was helpful!

Let me know if you have any questions or need more information by commenting on this post or e-mailing me at cate@getpharmacyadvice.com.

I’ll definitely keep you updated if something else comes up about the swine flu!  If you want to read some more articles, please see our series All About the Flu.

“It sounds like the main reason for taking Tamiflu is to prevent coming down with the flu. If your cousin does get the flu, what should she do?”

So, here is my answer to her question (and a little extra)!

Tamiflu is used to both treat the flu and to keep you from getting it.  The drug is given to patients to get rid of the flu just as often as it is given to avoid the flu.

Here is an example of how Tamiflu would be used for both reasons – When one person in a family gets the flu they would be given Tamiflu to help them get better, and the rest of the family would be given the drug to keep them from getting the illness. 

When the drug is used to treat the flu, it should definitely be started within 2 days of when you come down with the symptoms.  If you start Tamiflu later than 2 days after you begin to feel ill, there will be little to no chance that it will work for you.

If it has been 7 days or lesssince you have had contact with an infected person, you should start taking Tamiflu to keep you from getting the virus – after this amount of time, it is not necessary to take the drug (there is a good chance you will not end up with the flu!).

However, when trying to avoid the flu, Tamiflu should only be used in people that would be in a lot of danger if they got the illness – it is possible that the drug will eventually not be able to work on the flu virus if it is used too much (just like with antibiotics).  Healthy adults should not need Tamiflu, but there are high-risk situations where your doctor may think it’s a good idea for you to take the drug (even if you are the healthiest person on Earth!).

You would take Tamiflu twice a day for 5 days to treat the flu and once a day for 10 days to keep you from getting it.  

Tamiflu is safe for children to take (even the really young ones), and it comes in a liquid so it will be easier for your child to swallow.  Your child will take the drug for as many days as the adult would.

So, about my cousin….even though she is very healthy, since she is at a camp with a lot of people there is a higher chance she would get the swine flu from the infected counselors. 

If she does get the swine flu, she should treat it like any other flu infection – get lots of rest, drink plenty of fluids, and take an OTC pain reliever for fever and aches. 

She should go see a doctor if she is having trouble breathing or you cannot catch her breath, or if she has a fever for more than 3 days.  Tamiflu is also an option she could use to treat her flu, but it would not be necessary in her case.  

Tamiflu is not the only drug around for use against the flu – a drug called Relenza is an option too.   Soak up the Tamiflu information first, and I’ll be back soon to help you learn about Relenza!

P.S.  Please see our All About the Flu series to learn more about the flu!

Don’t forget to comment on this post or to e-mail me at cate@getpharmacyadvice.com – I’ll be waiting to hear from you! 

My cousin just started a summer job as a camp counselor and 10 of the people she works with tested positive for the Swine Flu (YIKES)!  She did not have the flu, but she was given Tamiflu to keep from getting the viral infection. 

Tamiflu is a drug that is used to prevent or treat certain types of the flu virus.

She was worried about the side effects of Tamiflu, especially because she has had allergic reactions to other drugs in the past.  Here is what I told her:

1.    Other drugs should still work right if you take Tamiflu with them.

2.    You could have the usual side effects – nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, dizziness, and headache.

3.    You could end up with a cough from taking this drug.

4.    It is not common to have a reaction to this drug, but if you do, you may get a rash, hives, itching, and swelling of the lips, face, or tongue.

5.    You should start Tamiflu within 2 days of being around people with the flu.

6.    You need to start the drug within 2 days of when your symptoms started (It is not known if Tamiflu will help with your flu symptoms if you start it any later).

7.    You can take it with or without food.

8.    By taking Tamiflu, your symptoms (if you end up with the swine flu) will probably be better about 1 day sooner compared to if you do not take the drug. 

I told my cousin that I think Tamiflu is a safe drug, but it will probably not work as well as she would like (if she were to come down with the swine flu).

I will definitely make a post very soon with an update on the swine flu so bookmark our site and come back soon!!!

Please see our All About the Flu series for more fun, informative articles!