Tamiflu (Oseltamivir), the world's first line of defense against avian influenza, is correlated with teen suicides. This expensive and difficult-to-find drug has been linked to 64 cases of psychological disorders and two teenage suicides in Japan, according to media reports there.
In February 2004, according to an online edition of Japan Times, a 17-year-old high school boy under treatment with Tamiflu died after he jumped in front of a truck.
A year later, a 14-year-old junior high student, also taking the drug for influenza, jumped to his death from the ninth floor of his condominium.
In the case of the first teenage death, the boy had taken Tamiflu after first being treated with amantadine, an older anti-flu drug that is well-known for central nervous system side effects, said Terry Hurley, a spokesman for Tamiflu maker Roche. In the second case, he said there was insufficient information to determine whether the boy's fall was the result of accident or suicide.
Both tragedies, he indicated, could have been triggered by the illness itself.
"Neuropsychiatric disturbances, such as those seen in the two cases, are known complications of influenza and its associated high fever,'' he said.
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Have any proper studies been done on this? OK, so there have been 64 cases of psychological disorders, but how many would there have been in a "control" population?
Bob