Is Tamiflu worth it?

My husband has the flu right now and feels sooooo sick. He missed the Tamaflu window not believing it was the flu and he is so sorry! He would pay whatever they asked to be able to go back and take it. However, you sound like you may not have it as bad so maybe it won't be as terrible for you. But he is down and out, can't kick the fever and just doesn't seem to be getting any better.

I would say, if you start to feel worse go get it, but if you are about the same and think you can push through then do it.

Two of my kids had the flu this year. We didn't take them to the doc because we didn't see a need. If I was someone where missing one less day made a difference I might have taken them or myself for Tamiflu but it's not that effective and it can make you nauseated which makes it harder to get the needed fluids down.

We just dealt with this, and honestly, I can't say whether or not it helped.

The kids & I were all sick for several days & DH was sick for 2 days. I was never as sick as the kids were. In fact, had they not become sick as well, I would have recovered completely much more quickly. But I couldn't get any extra rest when I was taking care of them, you know?

Anyway, DS #1 went in to the doctor the 2nd day he was sick. His symptoms sounds like strep, so they ordered a rapid & regular strep test and went home & waited 24 more hrs to hear the results, which were negative. Meanwhile, the day that his results came back, the little guy woke up with a nasty fever so DH took him to the doctor that very day. At that point the doctor said that both boys may have had the flu, and offered tamiflu for both of them, but then realized that it was well past 48 hrs for DS #1 and told it it probably wouldn't help him So only DS #2 got the RX.

Well, what a fight that was! They don't make a pill form for the dosage for his weight range, so we had to give him this vile liquid and he worked himself into a frenzy every time he had to take it. Ultimately, he did start it within the first 24 hours, he did take it for 5 full days, and he did return to school the same day his brother did, despite not getting sick until 2 days after him.

However, I don't really know if the tamiflu is why he was better faster or if he just wasn't as sick because he never seemed as miserable as my older son did, even before he started taking the tamiflu. He'd wake up with a fever each day, but he seemed to feel okay most of the time, whereas his older brother was really miserable.

I will add that DS #2 did throw up one day shortly after taking it. But I don't know if his stomach was upset due to the medicine or because he cried so much about taking it. Until he weighs enough to take the pill form, I doubt we'd make the choice to have him take it again.

My older son, however, we probably would have try it if possible because he was truly miserable. the entire time I felt like I was forcing the less sick kid to take the medicine that the other kid could have used. Bad timing on our part with the wasted day due to thinking he may have had strep.

If it's mild and you're already feeling better, I'd save the $117.

  I had the flu last year and took it. If I ever get the flu again, I won't bother with it. A doctor I work with said it's not worth taking.

If no one else in your family is at a higher risk if they get the flu, I wouldn't bother. Both my boys got the flu a few years ago. Our doctor prescribed it for my boys. He also prescribed it as a preventative for DH & I. We all took it. DS1 broke out in hives after 2 doses. We all immediately stopped taking it on the advice of the doctor. None of us will take it again, but we aren't at high risk should we get the flu either.

Same here.  DD and I both got very sick from taking Tamiflu.  I was able to talk myself out of throwing up, but she did with every dose, until we decided it wasn't worth it for her and we stopped it.  I ended up taking Zofran to get through the nausea it caused.  It was awful!!!

I was unlucky enough to have flu once in my life - I thought it was just some virus or a bad cold at first and it was only later I was diagnosed, so would never have made the 48 hour window anyway and I guess many others wouldn't.

I am generally fit and healthy so paying that kind of money on something that 'might' work is not an option I would choose.

Last year I got the flu and got the RX for Tamiflu. Other than it being expensive, I don't think it really helped all that much but I was feeling so miserable that I was willing to try anything.

Later, I read it only gives you one day more of relief so I don't think I would do it again.

Our doctor won't prescribe it unless there is someone in the house with a compromised immune system, or you are living with elderly people or have an infant in the house.

My son was diagnosed with influenza a couple of years ago--he was 2 or 3 at the time. He got sick and then got worse quickly, so we had him at the pediatrician and diagnosed right around 24 hrs. He got a prescription for Tamiflu and I don't remember it being too expensive, so he took it. The next morning, my dh had flu symptoms and got Tamiflu from his doctor. My son was sick for a couple of days and suddenly improved on day three. My dh never got too sick. Neither of them had any side effects that I can recall.

Based on that (and based on how crummy my son felt those first couple of days), I would give my son and my husband Tamiflu again. My son was so miserable that even sparing him a day of that was worth it--but I didn't have a huge copay and he didn't have any side effects. I think my dh would,take it again in the same situation, but again, no huge copay and no significant side effects.

I can't take it as it is a drug to avoid due to my heart condition. I've always wondered though.