Subject:  Japan warns of Tamiflu deaths
Date:  Mon, 14 Nov 2005 20:55:34 -0700


Tamiflu Report

Japan warns of Tamiflu deaths
Saturday November 12, 03:40 AM
http://au.news.yahoo.com//051111/2/wrg6.html

Japan's health ministry has warned the anti-flu drug Tamiflu can
induce strange behaviour leading to accidental death following the
deaths of two teenagers who took the medicine, news reports said.

One 17-year-old Japanese high school student jumped in front of a
truck in February 2004 shortly after taking the medicine, while
another younger school student is believed to have fallen from the
ninth floor of his apartment building this February, the Mainichi
newspaper and Kyodo News agency reported.

The drug's Japanese distributor, Chugai Pharmaceutical, issued a
report to the health ministry after the first incident saying a link
between taking the drug and the odd behaviour that led to the death
cannot be ruled out, the Mainichi said.

The ministry is aware of one of the cases and is warning that taking
the drug may lead to abnormal behaviour and accidental death, Kyodo
News agency said, citing an unidentified ministry official.

While Tamiflu carries a label in Japan warning of such side effects as
"abnormal behaviour" and "hallucinations", the cases are the country's
first in which strange behaviour linked to the drug has resulted in
deaths, the Mainichi said.

Comment was being sought from health ministry officials.

The two people who died had taken Tamiflu to treat cases of influenza
and neither exhibited psychological problems before taking the
medicine, the Mainichi newspaper reported.

The Japanese government announced plans earlier this month to increase
its stockpile of Tamiflu to 250 million capsules, from 150 million,
over the next five years in a precautionary measure against a global
flu pandemic.

Tamiflu is one of the few drugs believed effective in treating bird
flu, which has spread from Asia to Europe. Japan hasn't reported any
infections in humans by the H5N1 virus, which has killed at least 64
people in Asia since December 2003.

Most human cases of bird flu have been traced to direct contact with
sick birds, but health officials fear the H5N1 virus could mutate into
a form that passes easily between people, possibly triggering a deadly
pandemic.

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Corticosteroids

Flonase produced by Glaxo - - 50 micrograms of "fluticasone" perspray
(fluticasone is a corticosteroid). Why is "Flonaise" so highly
promoted?

The hormones of the adrenal cortex are classified as glucocorticoids
(hydrocortisone, corticosterone). Both types of corticoids promote
sodium retension, edema, hypokalemia and congestive heart failure. The
glucocorticoids also induce a Cushinoid syndrome, osteoporosis,
suppression of the immune response mechanism, impairment of glucose
tolerance, euphoria, habituation, and the unmasking of latent
psychiatric disorders....

Source Info: Clinical Toxicology of Commercial Products - 4th Edition.
Page 174 - Section II D - Ingredients Index
(# 799 Corticosteroids) - Reference: Figdor et al., 1956; Good et al.,
1957;
Heuser et al., 1965; McCawley, 1965; Robinson et al., 1956; Tonelli,
1966.

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