I recently read a headline from a medical news feed that claimed Tamiflu was not available in a liquid form for children.  It is supplied like many pediatric medicines in a powder that can be mixed with water and taken as a suspension.  There have been periods of time in our community when not every pharmacy had Tamiflu in capsule or powder in stock but it was available elsewhere.  It appears to be effective against the novel H1N1 virus.

It has a few side effects, most of them are effects on the digestive system, but generally it is well tolerated.  I have heard stories told to some one about a friend of a friend having a horror story about taking Tamiflu, but of the prescriptions I have written, the main complaint has been nausea and vivid dreams.  Since nausea is a component of the flu, it was not clear that Tamiflu is the culprit.

I do not think Tamiflu is a panacea, but it is effective when started early in the course of the flu.  Other things you can do to help yourself are to stay well hydrated before you get the flu - 2 quarts of water a day. Keep your stress level down, deep breathing once or twice an hour helps with this.

Get enough sleep!  Extra rest, meaning more than normal when normal for you is less than 8 hours. Don’t stress your system with lots of extra sugar or over eating.

A few supplements are recommended also. Vitamin D3 at 1000IU per day when well and 3000IU per day when sick is a reasonable idea.  Ask your doctor if these amounts are OK for you.  A little extra selenium in the form of a few Brazil Nuts per week can be helpful but only a few a week are needed.  Other nuts supply you with Vitamin E, alpha linoleic acid and fiber.  Eating a tablespoon of ground flax seed is great too. They provide lots of fiber, lignans and other good stuff.

Which of these do you do?  Do you have a habit that you think protects you from illness?  Share it with us in the comments section.

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