My 7 year old has swine flu....

[Wonderlandmom]

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I maybe be misreading this...but I thought Tamiflu couldn't prevent Swine flu?????.. ..or are you saying he gave it to you in case you do come down with it and then you will be ready???

It can be used to prophylactically from what I know. I think it is one a day for 10 days.
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/recommendations.htm
http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/100609/liv_501405923.shtml

 

[jamimb]

While I do think the flu is becoming very widespread across the country I highly doubt everyone being treated for the flu actually have the flu. I can think of two times in recent years that my DD was tested for the flu (by drawing blood not rapid swab) and each time the results were negative even though she had every single symptom of swine flu (high fever, sore throat, headache, vomiting, muscle aches) Our ped said there are lots of yucky viruses out there that mimic the flu.

 

[mrssmee]

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I maybe be misreading this...but I thought Tamiflu couldn't prevent Swine flu?????.. ..or are you saying he gave it to you in case you do come down with it and then you will be ready???

It can not keep you from being infected with the flu, however it can keep you from developing symptoms or greatly lessen your symptoms if you are infected while taking it or if you are already infected but just have not started showing symptoms yet.

The previous poster was correct about the dosage. If you are already have symptoms, you take two a day for 5 days. If you are taking it because you know you have been exposed and are trying to prevent getting sick, you take one a day for 10 days, only switching to twice a day if you start to develop symptoms.

 

[hentob]

How do you know it is H1N1?

I hope your son feels better soon

 

[disney1990]

Did they actually test him for H1N1?

It seems like they aren't testing for it anymore and just labeling everything Swine Flu. I'm wondering if that is partially why the numbers are so high now as far as number of cases, or if it is instead meant to keep the actual number of identified cases down?

Either way, I am so sorry you're going through this! Poor lil guy. SOunds like he's being a real trooper about it. Here's to a speedy recovery.

The reason they are not testing for H1N1 now is because there is very, very little chance that somebody has seasonal flu. Seasonal flu hits later in the season -- usually they don't even vaccinate for it until late October and November. Seasonal flu is more of a late November, December, January, February thing.

 

[Wonderlandmom]

The reason they are not testing for H1N1 now is because there is very, very little chance that somebody has seasonal flu. Seasonal flu hits later in the season -- usually they don't even vaccinate for it until late October and November. Seasonal flu is more of a late November, December, January, February thing.

I think what the poster meant is that there are lots of flu-like viruses out there. They mimic the flu in their symptoms but are not the flu. My kids have had flu like illnesses before (and they had the vaccine those years and swabs were negative). Plus there are a host of other viruses out there, seems like everything is being called H1N1 now.

 

[Christine]

The reason they are not testing for H1N1 now is because there is very, very little chance that somebody has seasonal flu. Seasonal flu hits later in the season -- usually they don't even vaccinate for it until late October and November. Seasonal flu is more of a late November, December, January, February thing.

True, but there are always other viruses out there that seem like the flu but are not. I don't think the docs should be labeling EVERY flu-like illness as H1N1 unless that are certain.

 

[disney1990]

I think what the poster meant is that there are lots of flu-like viruses out there. They mimic the flu in their symptoms but are not the flu. My kids have had flu like illnesses before (and they had the vaccine those years and swabs were negative). Plus there are a host of other viruses out there, seems like everything is being called H1N1 now.

Of course, every year people complain about having the flu, when they have something else. However, if you have "the flu" there is usually little doubt.

 

[All American]

When my daughter was little, she got croup every 6-8 weeks without fail--miserable times--so I am very sympathetic to your plight. To get something on top of that plus bronchitis--ugh! I just wanted to send some warm thoughts your way and tell you to hang in there.

 

[Crystal0608]

Thanks again ya'll. I've emailed my work that I'll be working from home at least 2 days to make sure he is getting better. He has an appetite at least, which is good. He is such an energetic kid and until about an hour ago he stayed in bed. I've clorox wiped everything and have used about a bottle off oust. I'll wash all bedding and throw out toothbrushes when this is over, hopefully soon, so I'll get rid off all the germs. My mama brought 2 sprites, more motrin, local honey, and a new digital therm. He was running a temp earlier and mine said 97?

 

[Christine]

Thanks again ya'll. I've emailed my work that I'll be working from home at least 2 days to make sure he is getting better. He has an appetite at least, which is good. He is such an energetic kid and until about an hour ago he stayed in bed. I've clorox wiped everything and have used about a bottle off oust. I'll wash all bedding and throw out toothbrushes when this is over, hopefully soon, so I'll get rid off all the germs. My mama brought 2 sprites, more motrin, local honey, and a new digital therm. He was running a temp earlier and mine said 97?

Not unusual at all. In fact, the body temps in women tend to flucuate all over the place due to hormone levels. If you never check your temp, you'd never know, but if you are one who has ever done basal body temperature monitoring you'd know how low temperatures can go. Usually during the first week or two of my cycle, my temps are often in the 97-range. The closer I get to my period, the higher it goes until I'm running around at 99.3 at times.

 

[C.Ann]

Hope the little guy is feeling better soon.. And don't forget to take care of (and protect) yourself as well..

 

[Ladygator]

My DD was diagnonsed with the flu last week even though her flu test was negative. From what my dr said, and also from what I've read on the internet, there is a large percentage of false negatives with the flu test. Her symptoms were classic flu symptoms and I would be shocked if she didn't have the flu. The dr prescribed tamiful and I feel like it helped lessen her symptoms. She has epilepsy and her seizures get worse with fever so they didn't question giving her the tamiflu.

The illness hit her out of the blue. One minute she was fine, participating in basketball practice. She was hungry for dinner when she got home. Then she said I don't feel very well and her temp went from 99 to 103 in a few hours. She had a sore throat and severe body aches. I wouldn't recommend ignoring any flu symptoms. We had a girl in our city die a few weeks ago 2 days after being diagnosed with the H1N1.

 

[taximomfor4]

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The illness hit her out of the blue. One minute she was fine, participating in basketball practice. She was hungry for dinner when she got home. Then she said I don't feel very well and her temp went from 99 to 103 in a few hours. She had a sore throat and severe body aches. I wouldn't recommend ignoring any flu symptoms. We had a girl in our city die a few weeks ago 2 days after being diagnosed with the H1N1.

Most of us don't have a choice but to ignore the flu symptoms. Well, we don't IGNORE it -- but dr's office is specifically saying, if you have flu-like illness, unless you have signs of severe, life-threatening complications, do NOT NOT NOT come in...they can do nothing for you. The fear of this becoming resistant to Tamiflu (just by being exposed so much to it) is very real, so they won't give it to any but those in real danger. If you DO show signs of life threatening complications, you should call an ambulance so you can get breathing support en route. If you just are sick (even with a fever, which in and of themselves are NOT dangerous), you are to take care of yourself at home with lots of fluids and fever-reducing meds if you use those. (We don't choose to reduce fevers unless they are getting really dangerously high - my ds gets higher fevers than the rest of us, but that's just how he is).

To tell the truth, our ped doesn't even want to know what temp the kids' fevers are, just if there IS a fever or not. He says how high doesn't matter, cuz everyone's body is different.

 

[Crystal0608]

Most of us don't have a choice but to ignore the flu symptoms. Well, we don't IGNORE it -- but dr's office is specifically saying, if you have flu-like illness, unless you have signs of severe, life-threatening complications, do NOT NOT NOT come in...they can do nothing for you. The fear of this becoming resistant to Tamiflu (just by being exposed so much to it) is very real, so they won't give it to any but those in real danger. .

I bolded the one part. Thats what sucks-otherwise healthy kids can't get anything to make this better. My son's temp is up and down, high and burning up at night, kinda normal by day. Tonight will be 3 days. I don't know if I posted it yet or not, but yesterday I was told a kid in ds's class was diagnosed last Tues with H1N1 and back at school on Thurs. Friday and Monday were workdays, so why bring a sick kid in just for one day who was prob contagious. School policy is 24 hour fever free with no meds, just doesn't sound right. I'm sure this is where my son got it from, but I've got his work for the week.

 

[C.Ann]

I bolded the one part. Thats what sucks-otherwise healthy kids can't get anything to make this better. My son's temp is up and down, high and burning up at night, kinda normal by day. Tonight will be 3 days. I don't know if I posted it yet or not, but yesterday I was told a kid in ds's class was diagnosed last Tues with H1N1 and back at school on Thurs. Friday and Monday were workdays, so why bring a sick kid in just for one day who was prob contagious. School policy is 24 hour fever free with no meds, just doesn't sound right. I'm sure this is where my son got it from, but I've got his work for the week.

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I was hoping he would be feeling somewhat better by today.. Thanks for keeping us posted though!

 

[Crystal0608]

I wish he was C Ann, thanks though . He had chest pains earlier so I got him to the peds. Dr said that all the coughing was probably making his chest sore and TMI... the mucus coming up was a good thing. He didn't have pneumonia. They checked his blood levels, which were elevated but normal for the flu. She put him out of school for the rest of the week and said he is contagious actually 5-7 days fever or no fever, which is a little different that what the ER doc said. There were sooo many sick kids with symptoms like my ds's and little babies waiting in the same 2nd waiting room-merged from the infant room, sick room, and well room-makes no sense to me. I tried to make ds keep on his mask, but no one else had one on.

I've got to be back at work tomorrow, but I'm required to wear a mask all day and leave before the boss comes in at 3:30pm. I've got to pick dd up from school and stay with her at my mama's til she's off work, so that works out. I can remote connect to do most of my work and my phones have been transferred to my cell, so I'm lucky to be able to take care of ds. Dh isn't as "helicopterish" (that would be a good dis word) as me.

 

[mefordis]

I'm so sorry to hear about your son! I hope he is feeling better soon.

When did he get his flu shot? Just curious.

I'm sure he will be better soon.

 

[4nana]

Bless his heart ! Sure hope he's on the road to recovery soon. Know how hard it is on the Mommy's, feeling so helpless when their babies are sick. Our 13yo DGS was under drs care for the regular flu 10 days, spiking a fever of 105* off and on. After the fact the school offered all students free nasal mists. Thankfully he is well and back
to normal now. You take care of yourself sweetie.