Why You Should Think Twice Before Taking Tamiflu
I think we can agree that the H1N1 flu virus has garnered plenty of attention. Fortunately, although its wreaking havoc and making many people ill, it appears some of the concerns about the lethality of the virus may have been overstated. However, the possibility exists that we may be creating another problem along the way.
In many ways, we’ve become a pill-centric culture. Whenever we have a health problem, we go to the doctor and ask for a pill to fix us. It happens with bacterial infections, blood pressure, cholesterol – and the list goes on. While pharmaceuticals are a useful and necessary part of healthcare, their improper use can also have a dark side.
Does The Overuse Of Antivirals Create Resistant Viruses?
The development of antiviral drugs has opened the door to similar behavior with viral infections. At this stage, it’s not uncommon for me to hear friends talk about calling their doctor and asking for a Tamiflu prescription. Usually they’re talking about their kids, who are displaying flu-like symptoms. I understand the sentiment – after all, what parent wants their kids to be sick? But if the overuse of antibiotics is creating antibiotic-resistant bacteria, how much more quickly are antiviral resistant viruses emerging?
It turns out that Tamiflu resistant strains of H1N1 have started showing up around the globe. They’ve been found as close as Houston,TX, and as far away as Denmark or Japan. While CDC recommendations suggest the use of Tamiflu for at-risk H1N1 patients, they also acknowledge that this could change at any moment if resistant strains emerge. Not only that, but here-say is many doctors aren’t even testing for flu before writing prescriptions. This presents yet another problem.
Tamiflu Found In Sewage Discharge
A group of Japanese researchers came to an inspired realization. It turns out Tamiflu isn’t fully metabolized in the body. Quantities end up in the kidneys, and eventually get excreted in urine. They decided to look for the active ingredient in Tamiflu at sewage treatment facilities, where they not only discovered the drug, but also learned it isn’t destroyed through standard sewage treatment processes. Its getting discharged with treated water into streams and rivers. If it’s happening in Japan, we can probably bet its happening in other countries as well.
We’re talking about very small quantities that are being discharged. But there’s worry that birds and other animals end up ingesting low doses of the drug. One of the greatest fears of scientists is that an avian flu could jump to humans, and lead to an avian-based pandemic flu. What if this happened with a virus that had already developed resistance to our antiviral medications? It’s something to think about.
Does this mean we should completely avoid the use of antivirals? Absolutely not. But it does mean we should be very judicious in their use. If we’re not, its entirely possible that our best intentions will lead to worse problems down the line.
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Very, very true. Evolving viruses are the reason we hardly see peniclin used anymore. Used to be one shot of that stuff would cure anything in the world, but nowadays it will hardly scratch the viruses out there.
Even scarier, at least in my opinion is some research that is starting to suggest that overusing antivirals actually weakens a body’s ability to produce its own antibodies when under attack. Not only are we making stronger bugs, but weaker bodies!
I’m not a wacked out herbal remedy only, don’t vaccinate your kid type, but we definetly need to rethink how we use our medicines.
I took this stuff, Tamiflu, over a year ago. It nearly killed me. Turns out I was very allergic.
I’ve known a few other people who were allergic as well. Bad news, that. Landed one in the hospital. Hopefully your experience wasn’t that bad!
I’m in my 16th year of a progressive illness that couldn’t be diagnosed even at NIH – which recently started a program for folks with undiagnosed conditions.
My impression through all the years of rare disease research is that people in the baby boom generation and younger seem to get stricken in the prime of life by strange diseases far more often than members of the WWII generation did.
Nobody on either side of my family has any sort of rare disease, and I can’t help but wonder if people like me might not be “the canary in the mineshaft.” With all the stuff we’ve put into the environment – I mean, no one can possibly have studied how the different combinations of things in the air and the water might be affecting us.
Wow!
You’re right that there’s no way all the possible combinations can be studied. Sadly, its the law of unintended consequences, I suppose…
I wish you the best of luck with your condition.
I will refuse to take the H1N1 vaccine even if my employer mandated it. I’d rather be fired than be forced to stick more mercury and crap in my body. The same goes for Tamiflu.
What happened to letting nature take it’s course. I contend that humanity is becoming weaker and weaker because we aren’t letting our natural immune systems to heal and protect us.
I know this is a contentious issue because some people think that it sounds like eugenics when one talks like this.