Tamiflu produces side-effects, nightmares in 50% of children

The researchers concluded that a "high proportion of school children may experience side-effects of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) medication".

Another study, also published by Eurosurveillance, found that more than half of 85 children in three London schools had side-effects when given the drug as a preventative measure after a classmate was diagnosed.

Of the 45 children who suffered side-effects, 40% reported gastrointestinal problems including nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pain and cramps, while 18% reported a "neuropsychiatric side-effect" such as poor concentration, inability to think clearly, problems sleeping, feeling dazed or confused, bad dreams or nightmares and "behaving strangely".

SHOOT: Feeling dazed and confused... Wonder where this drug actually works? In the neurotransmitters? In the brain?

clipped from www.guardian.co.uk More than half the children in England taking the swine flu drug Tamiflu suffer side-effects such as nausea, insomnia and nightmares, researchers have found. Two studies from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) show a high proportion of schoolchildren reporting problems after taking the antiviral drug. Data was gathered from children at three schools in London and one in the south-west of England who were given Tamiflu to try and stop them developing swine flu after classmates became infected. Of the 248 pupils involved in the study, 51% reported side-effects, including nearly a third (31.2%) who felt sick, nearly a quarter (24.3%) who suffered headaches and more than a fifth (21.1%) who had stomach ache. The researchers said "likely side-effects were common" and the "burden of side-effects needs to be considered" when deciding whether to give Tamiflu to children as a preventative measure.