Image from video at CBS DFW.
by Brian Shilhavy
Editor, Health Impact News
As the U.S. is in the midst of one of the worst outbreaks of influenza in years, frightening reports are coming in regarding an FDA-approved drug being given to allegedly lessen the effects of the flu: Tamiflu.
Local CBS news affiliate DFW in Dallas, Texas, has reported the story of a 6 year old girl who was given Tamiflu and suffered horrible hallucinations, allegedly trying to kill herself:
A North Texas family says their daughter’s side effects from the popular drug Tamiflu were beyond what they ever could have imagined – and left them saying ‘never again.’
Like so many others, the 6-year-old’s flu diagnosis came with a choice: whether or not to take Tamiflu to speed up the course of the dreaded illness.
The family from Allen, who wants to remain anonymous, says the side effects were stunning: hallucinations, running away from school and an attempt, they believe, to hurt herself.
‘The second story window was open, which is in her bedroom, and she used her desk to climb up onto it, and she was about to jump out the window when my wife came up and grabbed her,’ her father said.
It is written in the fine print …. there’s always a chance of a side effect with any drug. The little girl’s parents say they wish they had known.
‘I don’t think the 16 hours of symptom relief from the flu is worth the possible side effects that we went through,’ her father said.
As is usual with most corporate “mainstream” media stories regarding anything negative about a pharmaceutical product, the report included testimony from a doctor assuring the public that such side effects are very rare, and that the drug is very safe.
But is it?
Here are some comments from the article that were posted:
My nieces’ 53 year old husband took one dose of Tamiflu and died suddenly from respiratory failure. – Sally Baumann Rogers
My husband suffered from hallucinations attributed to Tamiflu last year after he was hospitalized for flu with pneumonia (despite getting a flu shot). He had been prescribed the drug after being discharged from the hospital. We called the pharmacist who was already aware of this as a side effect, as was the doctor who prescribed it. No one had mentioned this fact to us. He discontinued taking it immediately, but this is not a sudden discovery. – Vicki Lore Foley
I almost died from Tamiflu in 2013 after developing TTP, which is rare and almost always fatal blood disorder. For 5 days, in the ICU, I had to have blood transfusions and complete plasma transfer. I barely made it.TTP has a 95% morality rate. The Wisconsin Blood Center (a leading authority) studied my case for months to find a cause. I took Tamiflu and in 36 hours I was deathly ill. The doctors at laying the cause for my sudden illness at the feet of Tamiflu. Don’t take it! It does not help that much. My treatment and hospitalization was $48,000.00 for 5 days. – Allison Wiggins
The hallucinations are more common than 1%. My son had them. It is beyond frightening. “The voices, make them stop!” “Don’t let them hurt me!” Tamiflu is subjecting your child to a real life horror movie. What’s even worse, the hallucinations recurred for weeks following our immediate ceasing of the use of the drug. THIS IS REAL. Japan has banned TamiFlu after several children plunged to their deaths off high rise balconies or stepped into traffic attempting to escape the hallucinations. NEVER, NEVER administer this drug to your child. Tamiflu is not a cure. You’re risking subjecting your child to weeks of nightmarish torture for the convenience of lessening flu symptoms for a couple days. Don’t do it! – Davy Lane
I took that stuff once when I got the flu (after having a flu shot). Ended up vomiting for days and developed pneumonia. – Tracy Christine
Cochrane Review: Benefits of Anti-Viral Flu Drugs Do Not Outweigh the Risks
In 2015 Dr. Mercola published a report by the Cochrane Review which had to file a Freedom of Information lawsuit to look at the actual data used to approve anti-flu drugs like Tamiflu:
The Cochrane Collaboration is considered to be the gold standard in evidence-based reviews. Previous versions of their review on anti-viral flu drugs revealed unresolved discrepancies in the published trials, including ‘substantial publication bias.’
While there were numerous studies on the topic, only a limited number had been published.
As a result, the Cochrane Collaboration turned to a more reputable source of data: complete clinical study reports. Clinical study reports are ‘unpublished, extensive documents with great detail on the trials that formed the basis for market approval.’
Until recently, these documents were only available to manufacturers and regulators, but, after a four-year effort, including a Freedom of Information suit, the researchers were able to assess these regulatory documents (all 160,000+ pages of them).
What they found was that the evidence does not support claims that these drugs (Tamiflu and another anti-viral drug Relenza [zanamivir]) lower the risk of complications from the flu (such as pneumonia) or that the benefits outweigh the risks. 2 Dr. Tom Jefferson, who led the study, noted, ‘I wouldn’t give it [Tamiflu] for symptom relief…’ (Source.)
Even a pro-vaccine and pro-pharma corporate media source like Forbes once exposed the fraud behind Tamiflu with this article in 2013:
The Myth of Tamiflu: 5 Things You Should Know
There are safe and effective non-toxic remedies to help prevent the flu or lessen its effect. See our recent article which has links to many others:
Safe and Effective Natural Remedy for the Flu: Over the Counter Hydrogen Peroxide
Comment on this article at VaccineImpact.com.