Lets say a person has unlimited access to Amantedine, Tamiflu, Relenza and broad spectrum Antibiotics.
And lets say the Panflu strain is sensitive to all 3 anti virals. And you already had the seasonal Flu and Pnemonia Vaxs.
How would you use them?
(Are you asking about on a personal level, a community level, or timing and dosage patient questions?)
It depends on what you want to accomplish. Amantedine is generally more available than Tamiflu, so if you do not have unlimited supplies, you would use Amantedine first, maybe with statins or a blood pressure medicine to stave off the cytokine storm damage. Then you would have more chance of having Tamiflu if a new strain were amantedine resistant. The antibiotics would be most useful for bacterial secondary infections - but that discussion requires a doctor and I am not one. Real doctors should weigh in.
Save all three for treatment use. Start all three with onset of fever when the pandemic virus is in your community. Tamiflu at at least double dose. Continue for 10–14 days depending on resolution of symptoms.
Give tamiflu normal dose to all contacts for 10 days. Add Amantadine and Relenza at first sign of fever, increase tamiflu to double dose as above.
Anyone aware of studies done using multiple antiviral coctails?
Would you also start an antibiotic series simultaneously?
Goju – at 11:57 Anyone aware of studies done using multiple antiviral coctails?
No, but there is no scientific reason to not do it. Amantadine acts differently than tamiflu and relenza. Tamiflu is absorbed orally but has poor penetration at the bronchial level, whereas relenza achieves high concentration at the bronchial level but low blood levels
Would you also start an antibiotic series simultaneously?
No, but if the patient does not improve within a day or 2, then yes.
Ok, if I were to get these antivirals, how much of each should I get per person and what is dosing for young children (2 & 5, both under 35 lbs)? They sell a Tamiflu suspension for children, how many bottles do I need for each, 2?
Also, is generic Amantadine ok?
What would be your order of priority for purchasing these antivirals if you could not afford all of them?
What antibiotics for adults and children?
tjclaw1: I think there was a thread on antibiotics a week or two ago. Aside from a penicillin derivative, there were some newish antibiotics suggested. Anon_22 may know them off the top of her head. Anon_22: I was trying to balance a possible shortage of medicines and more than one wave of flu, possibly with a new strain. But “you are the doctor” and if you put the emphasis on treating the first case (which I understand), ok. But if medicines are short, then might you try the more plentiful medicines first, especially if you somehow knew that the flu in question responded to Amantedine, as Goju stated?
What would be your order of priority for purchasing these antivirals if you could not afford all of them?
tamiflu, amantadine (generic is fine) relenza
tamiflu dosage: AT LEAST twice the dosage recommended on the packaging for seasonal flu, and at least 10 days.
Add probenecid if you have it.
INFOMASS – at 19:17
tjclaw1: I think there was a thread on antibiotics a week or two ago. Aside from a penicillin derivative, there were some newish antibiotics suggested. Anon_22 may know them off the top of her head. Anon_22: I was trying to balance a possible shortage of medicines and more than one wave of flu, possibly with a new strain. But “you are the doctor” and if you put the emphasis on treating the first case (which I understand), ok. But if medicines are short, then might you try the more plentiful medicines first, especially if you somehow knew that the flu in question responded to Amantedine, as Goju stated?
Actually, I’m not current on antibiotics, cos I’m not ‘practising’ right now. (btw does that word not scare you, that doctors ‘practise’ medicine?)
The original question was assuming you have unlimited supplies.
If there are limited supplies, its a hard choice. My instinct is to reserve meds for the highest risk age group ie kids and young adults
No, I wouldn’t use amantadine first, cos its not likely to be lifesaving, and its far more likely to cause resistance with single drug therapy.
If you can only use one, use tamiflu.
to clarigy:
tamiflu, amantadine (generic is fine) relenza
means buy amantadine if you already have tamiflu and have more cash, and so on.
If you can’t get tamiflu, get Relenza
if you can’t get either, get amantadine.
clarify
I asked this somewhere else but did not recieve an answer. If you recover from BF after taking Tamiflu, will you have the same immunity as recovering without taking it?