Why is no one talking about Rummy and the Tamiflu side effects?

[Sydnie]

This is a big story on our local news here. It's being reported that Tamiflu (remember, it was to be the Bird Flu treatment of choice) has some very disturbing side effects in children. The FDA is updating the label to inform consumers of these side effects now. They are saying it can lead to bizarre psychiatric behavior, with 103 reports of illnesses in children being reported, although most of these reports are coming from Japan. Side effects being reported include:

Abnormal behavior
Delirium
Hallucinations
Delusions
Convulsions

The reports are based out of Japan because they have used it there to combat Bird Flu for some time.

Shouldn't this be front page news just as it was when Bird Flu was the terror du jour way back when? Shouldn't we be telling the people with as much enthusiasm about the side effects as we told them about how wonderful Tamiflu was going to be if and when we needed it? Rummy certainly has made his money off this drug. Shouldn't we investigate it with as much interest as we did, say, Vioxx? Why no conversations about it in the MSM to make people aware that it could be dangerous to use it?

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

1. I wondered the same thing

and I also wonder if the timing of his resignation may play.

Most people do not know about Rummy and flu.

That said, NPR had a bit on it

[Bitwit1234]

2. They Won't

When the members of bush's administration are the key stockholders in that they won't publish anything about it....Did they tell that bush's daddy was one of the major stockholders of the Caryle Group who were pushing to give the arabs control of our ports, because bush's daddy's company had an interest in the stock of those companies.

[peacetalksforall]

13. Then it's sealed off by the press - perhaps because all the

key people are given some of the stock (stock market stock)?

[havocmom]

3. Everybody's too busy battling side effects of aspartame?

He made a bundle on that too, after it was rushed through FDA approval safeguards.

[jobycom]

4. Geeze, it's the only story I've seen on the news today. I've been expecting

people to start complaining about how the media is focusing on it instead of on whatever else they feel the media should be talking about instead.

[irislake]

5. Worse

why isn't Rummy in trouble for pushing the FDA into accepting Aspartame? Amazingly the stuff still hasn't been taken off the market in spite of overwhelming evidence of its harmful effects. But it will happen.Just takes time, unfortunately.

[noonwitch]

14. Aspartame is not harmful to everyone who ingests it

I've been drinking Diet Coke for years-less of it now than I used to when I was younger, but at least 2 glasses a day. I've never had any kind of adverse reaction to it. I drink less to reduce stomach acid, from the carbonation.

Everyone is sensitive to different things. I'm not sensitive to aspartame, but there are other things that bother me. MSG, for example, yet I know people who don't have any reaction to it.

Splenda is nasty. Saccharine is far worse for people than Aspartame. If anyone can remember diet pop from the saccharine days, you will remember how awful Tab tasted. I want to keep getting my Diet Coke!

[Nikki Stone1]

6. I thought about the same thing when I heard about Tamiflu

Kick and recommend

[Mojorabbit]

7. They haven't used it to fight bird flu in Japan

It's been used for regular flu in huge amts in Japan so there was a good sample size. This news has been out for over a year. The FDA just decided to put out a warning. There was some debate last year on whether some of the problems were due to cultural factors in Japanese children. I don't know if it was ever decided.

[louis-t]

8. I thought Tamiflu didn't work on bird flu.

* ordered millions of doses to "protect" us from bird flu, yet there is no evidence it even works. Don't get me started.

[Sydnie]

10. My local news is saying it is being used for Bird Flu in Japan

not regular flu. I must have missed it when it was first reported because this is the first I have heard about it at all.

What cultural factors could they be referring to? Differences in diet or climate? :shrug:

[Avalux]

12. What bird flu? Your local news is wrong.

There is no bird flu epidemic in Japan. The people they're talking about who have had these symptoms were diagnosed with human influenza (flu). As I stated in another post - these symptoms could just as easily be attributed to a high fever.

[Mojorabbit]

16. As far as I know there hasn't been bird flu in Japan

but I could be wrong. I know that Japan has used a whole lot of it for treatment of seasonal flu.
It does seem to be helping those in Indonesia who have contracted bird flu though.

From what I remember a couple of children commited suicide. The article I had read mentioned the high stress that Japanese students have in their schools and the pressure to excel. There were also questions re hallucinations possibly being a byproduct of high fever vs the drug. That is all I can recall.

[xultar]

9. Well let's see. I bet the whole WH and Pentagon is on it. The symptoms

describes the WH and the Pentagon PERFECTLY.

[Avalux]

11. There's no definitive evidence that Tamiflu has caused these side effects.

I'm not defending the product; I'm a researcher and have seen the data; these side effects may very well be attributed to a high fever from the flu. The label is being updated by the FDA because there might be a connection, not because there definitely is.

That said, Tamiflu is not a wonder drug. At best, it lessens the symptoms of human influenza and the bulk of clinical safety data has been done on adults, not children. More data needs to be collected and the last thing needed is hysteria whipped up my misinformation.

[BlackVelvet04]

15. I posted it yesterday and got few responses.....

everybody too busy with the freeper/fake anthrax story.

[WiseButAngrySara]

17. Very good point, but the MSM never reported on Rummy's

Tamiflu connections and 'terra'-profiteering in the first place! I found out about that on DU.