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#21
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Flu-apillar
Phoebe & Allyson wrote in message ...
Poor baby was fine at bathtime, feverish at bedtime, cried all night, and tested positive for Influenza A this morning. She's on amantadine (Symmetrel), an anti-viral. Allyson and I have been prescribed it prophylactically. Hales says L3 - "amantadine is known to suppress prolactin production and should not be used in breastfeeding mothers." We both had the flu shot in November. But Caterpillar got the flu from her Ah-mah, who also had a flu shot. Ah-mah has been sick 4 days, and feels on the mend. So I think I'm likely to get sick, but not seriously sick. I need to be well by next Thursday, but I can be sick until then. I've got some freezer stash, but not a lot. Pediatrician said Caterpillar might not eat well while she's sick, so it might be hard for me to tell if she's getting enough if my supply is questionable. IMO, Caterpillar needs all the milk and all the antibodies she can get, so I think I'm not going to take the antiviral prophylactically. If I get really sick, I've got 2-3 days to decide to take them. Alternative solutions welcomed. Phoebe That blows! Here's hoping she bounces back quickly, poor little thing. Just went to a peds infectious disease lecture where flu was discussed last week, so here's what I learned: If you got the shot you already have some protection, but sounds like Ah-Mah caught the strain that's similar to, but not the exact one in the vaccine. So it boils down to whether you think the near certainty of milk suppression due to the drug is worse than the significant possibility of catching the flu and the various ways that would impact you and Caterpillar. Flu probably wouldn't be great for production either, but I vaguely recall that amantadine has some of the same applications as bromocriptine -- former the dry-up drug -- so it could be a pretty potent suppressant. OTOH, your milk wouldn't have the antibodies for the flu until after they'd be helpful for Caterpillar, and possibly not unless you got sick yourself. As for the utility of amantadine, as treatment it shortens the duration of the flu by one day if started ASAP. As prophylaxis it's pretty effective. Kate and the Bug, June 8 2003 |
#22
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Flu-apillar
Akuvikate wrote:
So it boils down to whether you think the near certainty of milk suppression due to the drug is worse than the significant possibility of catching the flu and the various ways that would impact you and Caterpillar. Yup. And if I don't get it now, there's a decent chance I'd get it at some point during this flu season - I'll probably visit 100 people (and their kids) between now and early April. I'd actually *rather* be sick now and immune later, than well now and sick later. Sick now means I can spend a week lying in bed nursing and playing. Sick later means I can drag myself to the office and do tax returns. OTOH, your milk wouldn't have the antibodies for the flu until after they'd be helpful for Caterpillar, and possibly not unless you got sick yourself. A good point. As for the utility of amantadine, as treatment it shortens the duration of the flu by one day if started ASAP. As prophylaxis it's pretty effective. I was looking at the inhaled flu treatment (Relenza?), which someone suggested as an alternative, and that's an L4 because it doesn't help that much (same shortens duration by one day) and hasn't been studied. So I suspect amantadine as a treatment would be an L4 even without the dryup effect. The conclusion I'm coming to is that I'm better off trying to get the flu now and suffering through treating the symptoms, rather than risking getting it at a less convenient time or taking the antiviral. Phoebe -- yahoo address is unread - substitute mailbolt |
#23
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Flu-apillar
In article , Phoebe & Allyson wrote:
Yup. And if I don't get it now, there's a decent chance I'd get it at some point during this flu season - I'll probably visit 100 people (and their kids) between now and early April. I'd actually *rather* be sick now and immune later, than well now and sick later. Sick now means I can spend a week lying in bed nursing and playing. Sick later means I can drag myself to the office and do tax returns. Or you could do both! With a good match between vaccine and circulating strains you've got a 10-30% chance of getting the flu *anyway* if you're exposed. Since you live in a state with widespread flu outbreaks, it's likely you'll be exposed to multiple strains this year. However, even if you get the flu, the shot should make it less bad than it otherwise would be. The conclusion I'm coming to is that I'm better off trying to get the flu now and suffering through treating the symptoms, rather than risking getting it at a less convenient time or taking the antiviral. Eh, I wouldn't take the antiviral, but I wouldn't go out of my way to try to get the flu now either. Your boss hasn't had the flu shot, and would probably rather you didn't bring the flu into the office. Our office has a plague rat, and we're all pretty annoyed about it. I think I'll hope that the flu-apillar at least has a strain that's covered by the vaccine so that I don't have to spend my vacation being miserable. Elaine |
#24
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Flu-apillar
Elaine wrote:
Eh, I wouldn't take the antiviral, but I wouldn't go out of my way to try to get the flu now either. Your boss hasn't had the flu shot, and would probably rather you didn't bring the flu into the office. Our office has a plague rat, and we're all pretty annoyed about it. Said boss called today to say that if I wasn't too sick to get out of bed, I should go to a lunch meeting tomorrow where I'll be in close contact with a dozen people and exposed to about 500. "It's not like you'll be kissing them!" she said, when I pointed out that I'd be contagious for a day before showing any symptoms. If I get the flu, I'll be sick and then better. If I don't get it, I won't know if I'm a plague rat or not. Since I've had the flu shot, I probably won't be that sick. Since I'm in close contact with my own little plague rat, I'll have a hard time avoiding exposure. (I think Ah-mah shares her water bottle, though, which is probably how Caterpillar got infected in the first place.) I think I'll hope that the flu-apillar at least has a strain that's covered by the vaccine so that I don't have to spend my vacation being miserable. You haven't been paying close enough attention. She got it from Ah-mah, who had the flu shot. So there's only a tiny chance that she's got the strain that's a good match. That neither Allyson nor I are sick yet are good signs, though. The flu-apillar won't be contagious when you're here, anyhow, and you aren't going to go kissing on us. Phoebe -- yahoo address is unread - substitute mailbolt |
#25
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Flu-apillar
In article , Phoebe & Allyson wrote:
You haven't been paying close enough attention. She got it from Ah-mah, who had the flu shot. So there's only a tiny chance that she's got the strain that's a good match. No, I'm living in my own happy little fantasy world that says Ah-mah is one of the 10-30% who gets it even though they've had a flu shot that's a good match. I like my fantasy world, would you like to come visit me there? That neither Allyson nor I are sick yet are good signs, though. Yes, continue to not be sick, please. Elaine |
#26
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Flu-apillar
Elaine wrote:
No, I'm living in my own happy little fantasy world that says Ah-mah is one of the 10-30% who gets it even though they've had a flu shot that's a good match. I like my fantasy world, would you like to come visit me there? Do you have a cite for the 10-30%? The stats I saw were more like 14% get the flu with no shot, and 1% with the shot. Those are much better odds. Phoebe -- yahoo address is unread - substitute mailbolt |
#27
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Flu-apillar
In article , Phoebe & Allyson wrote:
Do you have a cite for the 10-30%? The stats I saw were more like 14% get the flu with no shot, and 1% with the shot. Those are much better odds. CDC - let me see if I can find it again, since I had to dig for it. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/flushot.htm Under "How effective is the flu shot". Hrm, I wonder if they *really* mean that 10-30% of people who would have gotten the flu do. The wording is sort of ambiguous when I re-read. That would give odds with the shot of more like .1-.4% with the shot though, which doesn't make a lot of sense either. *sigh* You'd think that the CDC would provide orginal sources. It's much harder to live in a fantasy world where Ah-mah has to be the freakish 1% who gets sick, you know. :P Elaine |
#28
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Flu-apillar
Oh sheesh Phoebe.....
I thought it was just a bad cold.....poor caterpillar...... I hope she gets better fast and that the antibodies act to help her out of the flu ... Hugs, FayeC "Phoebe & Allyson" wrote in message ... Poor baby was fine at bathtime, feverish at bedtime, cried all night, and tested positive for Influenza A this morning. She's on amantadine (Symmetrel), an anti-viral. Allyson and I have been prescribed it prophylactically. Hales says L3 - "amantadine is known to suppress prolactin production and should not be used in breastfeeding mothers." We both had the flu shot in November. But Caterpillar got the flu from her Ah-mah, who also had a flu shot. Ah-mah has been sick 4 days, and feels on the mend. So I think I'm likely to get sick, but not seriously sick. I need to be well by next Thursday, but I can be sick until then. I've got some freezer stash, but not a lot. Pediatrician said Caterpillar might not eat well while she's sick, so it might be hard for me to tell if she's getting enough if my supply is questionable. IMO, Caterpillar needs all the milk and all the antibodies she can get, so I think I'm not going to take the antiviral prophylactically. If I get really sick, I've got 2-3 days to decide to take them. Alternative solutions welcomed. Phoebe -- yahoo address is unread - substitute mailbolt |
#29
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Flu-apillar
In article , Elaine wrote:
That would give odds with the shot of more like .1-.4% with the shot though, which doesn't make a lot of sense either. Ok, I'm bad at moving decimal points. That would be 1.4-4.2%, which is more in line with Phoebe's stats. Elaine |
#30
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Flu-apillar
Awww, I hope little Catepillar feels better!!!!!!
laurie mommy to Jessica, 2.5 years and Christopher, 7.5 months |
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