Originally Posted by Koffee Brown
CB , I feel ya. The cellular bio explanation really does help clarify what you're saying.
Still, if I decide not to take the flu shot, what would you recommend to be a good remedy for me if I come down with the flu?
Koffee
If you start a neuroaminidase inhibitior within the first 48 hours of symptoms, you halt the replication of the virus. There are two out on the market Tamiflu
http://www.tamiflu.com/howworks/index.asp (has great cartoon teaching about uhow it works. ) and relenza. The latter is more cumbersome to use since it is an inhaler vs. a pill but it is good for those who are pregnant and get the flu. (pregnancy class B) However, relenza should not be used in those with severe underllying lung disease or asthma. I have used them in the past and they are very safe and definately shorten the course and severity of symptoms. All clinicians are given viral assay kits to test on patients clinically suspected of flu so we can send them off to the CDC. The confirmed cases helped us assess how truley efficacious they were. However, they do not work well after 48 hours of onset of symptoms. The nice thing is they work against influenza A and B. The older drug, amantadine only works against one type. The internet link I provided also gave a good wheel to assess for the differences between a cold or flu. (for instance, sneezing and runny nose is actually quite rare in the flu) By the way if you get symptoms that exactly mimic the flu in the summer, you probably have a tick borne illness( rocky mountain, ehrlichiosis...don't know if i spelled it right this time of nite.)
By the way, tamiflu is the only approved to prevent the flu after exposure.
Tamiflu Approved for Flu Prevention; Concern About Lyme Vaccine Reactions; TB Vaccine in Works; Use Same DTaP Vaccine for All Five Doses; Flu-like Symptoms: Think Coccidioidomycosis
from Infections in Medicine ®
Steven Fox
Roche's Tamiflu Okayed for Flu Prevention
The FDA has announced its approval of Tamiflu (oseltamivir phosphate) for prophylaxis against influenza virus strains A and B. That makes Tamiflu the only agent approved for both treatment and prevention of influenza A and B.
Hoffman-LaRoche and Gilead Sciences, the developers of the drug, cite data from clinical studies indicating that Tamiflu has a 92% efficacy in preventing influenza in adolescents, adults, and elderly individuals.
The company stresses, though, that Tamiflu should not be used as a replacement for flu vaccinations. Instead, the company says, Tamiflu should be considered an additional protection option, especially for individuals judged to be at high risk