Tamiflu PIREP

I had sudden onset of flu like symptoms Tuesday evening and went to the
doctor Wednesday morning. She said she didn't think it was flu but they are
jumping hard on any possible case since it hasn't shown up in our area yet.
She also gave me "Tamiflu" to take. This is the medication that can cut the
duration of the illness by a couple of days if given early.

I spent the centennial of flight sick as a dog with fever and obvious virus.
Thursday I gradually got better and felt quite human by evening. I woke up
this morning (Friday) feeling groggy but by mid morning was bounding with
energy and ran around all day feeling almost euphoric. Very, very different
from the usual "run over by a truck" feeling after being as sick as I was.
Great stuff. Of course it probably was just a mild (relative to flu) virus
and Tamiflu was overkill.

However, looking back at the day, I realize I've done a number of very
spaced out and stupid things. I am really glad I didn't decide to go
flying. I've been sort of in the high altitude without oxygen frame of mind
but buzzing around at high speed. Almost bent the car as well.

There isn't too much experience with this stuff yet and you can't draw any
conclusions from an individual case. Still, this illness and recovery was
unlike anything I've experienced. If you use Tamiflu and feel great, take a
few moments for a really thorough self assessment before you fly. The body
may recover quite a bit before the mind.

--
Roger Long

Roger Long wrote:

If you use Tamiflu and feel great, take a
few moments for a really thorough self assessment before you fly.

Thanks for the warning. I've been floored since Tuesday by something
like this, and
might well have been suckered if I took it upon myself toi visit the
doc. The
weather has been fantastic (though a bit cold).

George Patterson
Great discoveries are not announced with "Eureka!". What's usually
said is
"Hummmmm... That's interesting...."

I wouldn't not use it on the basis of my single experience. You should be
cautious after any illness.

I don't think I was any less competent yesterday than I would have been in
the dragged out haze that usually follows an illness like this. I just felt
so good I didn't realize it still wasn't quite with it.

I think the stuff is probably a tremendous advance in medical science and
would certainly try to get it again. I just would adjust my flying plans
accordingly.
--
Roger Long

G.R. Patterson III wrote in message
...


Roger Long wrote:

If you use Tamiflu and feel great, take a
few moments for a really thorough self assessment before you fly.

Thanks for the warning. I've been floored since Tuesday by something
like this, and
might well have been suckered if I took it upon myself toi visit the
doc. The
weather has been fantastic (though a bit cold).

George Patterson
Great discoveries are not announced with "Eureka!". What's usually
said is
"Hummmmm... That's interesting...."

The Influenza bug has been moving across the country from west to east...
Just saw my first true influenza bug her in the mitten of Michigan,
yesterday... Temp 105.9 F I was impressed he hadn't seized, limp as a
dish rag, cherry red lips, etc... Sent him to the ER for fluids and
evaluation... He wound up going home after some 8 hours of hydration and
treatment... I expect to see a bunch more of this now... Gonna be a lot of
sick kids for xmas...
Denny
"Roger Long" om wrote in
message ...
I had sudden onset of flu like symptoms Tuesday evening and went to the
doctor Wednesday morning. She said she didn't think it was flu but they
are
jumping hard on any possible case since it hasn't shown up in our area
yet.
She also gave me "Tamiflu" to take. This is the medication that can cut
the
duration of the illness by a couple of days if given early.

I spent the centennial of flight sick as a dog with fever and obvious
virus.
Thursday I gradually got better and felt quite human by evening. I woke
up
this morning (Friday) feeling groggy but by mid morning was bounding with
energy and ran around all day feeling almost euphoric. Very, very
different
from the usual "run over by a truck" feeling after being as sick as I was.
Great stuff. Of course it probably was just a mild (relative to flu)
virus
and Tamiflu was overkill.

However, looking back at the day, I realize I've done a number of very
spaced out and stupid things. I am really glad I didn't decide to go
flying. I've been sort of in the high altitude without oxygen frame of
mind
but buzzing around at high speed. Almost bent the car as well.

There isn't too much experience with this stuff yet and you can't draw any
conclusions from an individual case. Still, this illness and recovery was
unlike anything I've experienced. If you use Tamiflu and feel great, take
a
few moments for a really thorough self assessment before you fly. The
body
may recover quite a bit before the mind.

--
Roger Long

Roger Long wrote:
I think the stuff is probably a tremendous advance in medical science and
would certainly try to get it again.

Or, for a fraction of the cost (particularly important since your
doctor did not apparently think you had influenza, although based
on your story I'm not sure why not), you could have taken amantadine,
which has been around for about 40 years and also works well against
influenza A (the strain that is currently causing most of the problems).

--
David Rind

Dennis,

Since you're a doctor, I'd be interested in your take on my experience.
Shooting in very dim light I know but do you think the Tamiflu could be
related to my rather odd recovery from what was probably an intestinal
virus? Can you tell us how Tamiflu works?

--
Roger Long

Roger Long wrote:
Dennis,

Since you're a doctor, I'd be interested in your take on my experience.
Shooting in very dim light I know but do you think the Tamiflu could be
related to my rather odd recovery from what was probably an intestinal
virus? Can you tell us how Tamiflu works?

--
Roger Long

I'm not Dennis, but if you did not have influenza, it is incredibly
unlikely that Tamiflu (oseltamivir) had any effect on the virus.
Oseltamivir is a neuraminidase inhibitor -- neuraminidase is
an important enzyme for influenza that I believe is pretty unique
to this particular virus.

Intestinal bugs frequently only last a day or two, so almost anything
you take for them might seem to be working over a 24 hour period.

--
David Rind

If you had any intestinal symptoms, by definition you did not have the flu,
which is characterized primarily by fever and upper respiratory symptoms.

In article ,
David Rind wrote:

Roger Long wrote:
I think the stuff is probably a tremendous advance in medical science and
would certainly try to get it again.

Or, for a fraction of the cost (particularly important since your
doctor did not apparently think you had influenza, although based
on your story I'm not sure why not), you could have taken amantadine,
which has been around for about 40 years and also works well against
influenza A (the strain that is currently causing most of the problems).


But is not, formally at least, approved for prophylaxis as Tamiflu is,
but I completely agree

Tamiflu 5 days $70
Amantidine 5 days $1.60

(wholesale of course)

That's what I have though and believed. What threw my doctor and myself off
was the fact that I was feeling very short of breath. When I breathed in,
it was like I hadn't gotten any oxygen and couldn't wait to get the air out
and take another breath. My lungs weren't congested. Thinking back, it was
probably some CNS effect from the toxin that was making my airways reactive.
I was very sensitive to lights, sound, etc.

I also think the impending flu thing had a lot to do with it. I realize now
some of the pressure doctors live with. How would you like to be the one
that let Patient Zero for you community go home with the usual "It will
probably clear up in a day or two, call me if it doesn't." She was being
very conservative but this flu is killing children.

For the conspiracy theorists (No comment on believability, I just pass it
along): Latest urban legend is that the CDC knows a really bad pandemic or
epidemic is coming but is responding to pressure to downplay it until after
the Christmas shopping season so the economy doesn't take a hit that might
help put a democrat in the White House. Really ugly thought because
encouraging all those people to go out and mingle as they pump money into
the Bush re-election scenario will spread the germs around wonderfully.

I went to the "Return of the King" with my kids and their friends. Even
though I was clearly better, my wife made me drive separately and sit a row
away "Just in case". The people behind them hacked and gobbed through the
whole show

--
Roger Long

G.R. Patterson III wrote in message
...


David Rind wrote:

Intestinal bugs frequently only last a day or two, so almost anything
you take for them might seem to be working over a 24 hour period.

According to my microbiology professor years ago, "24 hour bugs" are
invariably
some form of food poisoning.

George Patterson
Great discoveries are not announced with "Eureka!". What's usually
said is
"Hummmmm... That's interesting...."