Tamiflu and Insomnia: What Users Say

• Kwi...
• March 14, 2014

For Influenza "I had symptoms on Monday afternoon and went to the doctor on Wednesday morning. I had a nasal positive test for the flu. By the second dose, my fever broke and I felt better. It has caused insomnia and/or I was only able to sleep for short periods (1-3 hours at a time) and had wild dreams. I also experienced some ringing in my ears. I took all doses with food."

• JBa...
• March 22, 2018

For Influenza "My 5-year-old took Tamiflu for the flu. On the 3rd day, he starts being super clingy and paranoid. Scared to go into the bathroom alone because 'a spider might get him.' Has trouble sleeping, talking in his sleep. 4th day has a nightmare at 2 a.m., was acting like something was choking him, struggling/scratching at his own neck. I woke him, he says the grass is trying to choke him. Neck had scratches from clawing at himself. Could not get him to go outside 3 days later. It has been 2 months, and his behavior has not been normal since. He won't go outside alone. He is afraid of things he wasn't before, like caterpillars. Doesn't like closing his bedroom door if he is alone in the room. Nothing happened to cause this behavior. Only difference was the flu and Tamiflu. Asked my doc about Tamiflu being the cause and was basically told 'not to believe what I read in some blog.' But I strongly insist that there is nothing else to explain it. Kids don't just have life-altering mental episodes for no reason!"

• Wen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 6, 2019

For Influenza "My husband was prescribed Tamiflu for influenza. Immediately, upon beginning the script, he got diarrhea. Everything he ate, including popsicles, would require an immediate trip to the bathroom. His doctor advised continuing the script anyway, so after two days of constant bathroom trips, he stopped eating for the remaining 3 days of the script. The medicine also caused insomnia for 48 hours and feelings of depression (which my husband is not normally subject to). I cannot imagine a scenario where I could recommend this medication. And nobody in our family will take it again."

• Mar...
• February 22, 2015

For Influenza "Fever 103, tested positive for flu B, started Tamiflu. Fever broke, but had horrible headaches, insomnia, and total loss of appetite. Headache was horrible. Stopped taking it at day 4 and still have a headache and feel 'off', not right."

• Sun...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 2, 2019

For Influenza "After two days on Tamiflu, I feel worse. The nausea, headaches, and insomnia are unbearable. I also had horrible stomach cramps after the first night of taking this med. I have a loss of appetite and a weird taste in my mouth as well. The nausea is hideous. This medication is much too strong. I feel more sick having taken Tamiflu. I will stick to ibuprofen and ride out the rest of this flu. I do not recommend Tamiflu. Seems a bit risky to me."

• Tre...
• August 1, 2019

For Influenza "Neither I nor my family will ever take this medication again. In addition to all the normal flu symptoms, it made me nauseous and unable to eat. I also believe it caused me insomnia and a strange head and neck ache. The flu, without this med, is 100% better."

• Kim...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 15, 2018

For Influenza "Tamiflu should be off the market, and I will never, ever take it! It is hard to believe that some people had absolutely no side effects or just a little. I had to go back to Quick Care on the 4th day taking it because I thought I developed something really bad, and because I was not able to distinguish between flu symptoms and side effects anymore. What I feel now is worse than when I got the flu. The constant nausea, headache, body aches, rash that I developed, swelling torso, insomnia, frequent crying, and bad thoughts about dying (yep, I know!) made me stay out of work for 5 days!"

• Anonymous
• January 16, 2011

For Influenza "I was given Tamiflu by the hospital, and at first, it seemed to work. I didn't have such a bad runny nose or coughing. However, the side effects were just horrible. I had nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, headaches, and, as my friend describes it, I was 'just not with it.' I took it in pill form, and I think it was perhaps because of the plastic-feeling outer cover I was forced to swallow. I don't particularly recommend it, especially since it also gave me a little insomnia. That was a slight problem, having the flu and all, since sleeping is actually important if I want to heal."

• sas...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 8, 2017

For Influenza "Two weeks had flu symptoms. Went to the ER the next day with a horrible headache, fever, and body aches. Tested positive for the flu and prescribed Tamiflu. Took it right away with food and felt even worse! Throwing up, acid in my stomach, insomnia, and then got the panic attacks and depression. I did some reading, and there can be issues with this with Tamiflu. I am not on any anti-depression medication or anything. But I actually felt like I could die, and it would be better. The thoughts racing through my head were horrible. The doctor gave me Ativan to help me sleep and calm down. Only took half a pill at night to help sleep. I got over the flu after about five days. Another two days of feeling bad from the flu would have been better than what I experienced. Never again!"

• Mis...
• February 27, 2020

For Avian Influenza "Had sore throat 7P by 7A, was congested, achy, and coughing. 2 days later went to stat care, diagnosed with flu A, for which I was prescribed Tamiflu. Also at this time, I was taking prednisone and Duoneb. I continued to feel worse, not better: extreme back and leg pain and headache. The headache was so bad it hurt to stand up or bend down. I felt like I had ringing in my ears and pain in my jaw. I had insomnia, weird dreams/thoughts, slight confusion. I almost felt like I was losing my mind at times. Freaking out because I am having to miss more work because I’m not getting any better, when I come to find out after doing my research that the Tamiflu is making me sicker. There are a lot of side effects. Like other people, I assumed that if I took it as prescribed, that in 1-3 days I would start feeling better. That was not true at all. Each day I felt worse and worse and worse. I’m starting to think if there was something wrong with my brain, my mental functioning!! I did not take the last dose!"

• Iba...
• February 23, 2019

For Swine Flu "My daughter (9) and I (37) tested positive for H1N1. Both of us were prescribed Tamiflu. Both of us had to stop early (I stopped after 2 days or 4th pill, my daughter stopped after 1st day or two 7.5 mg doses). I had insomnia, bad back pain, stomach pain, and nausea. After I stopped, cramping continued for a while. My daughter’s eyes were puffy, red with blood vessels popped, nausea, and stomach pain. But the worst was at night when she was so weird! She felt like someone picked her up and dropped her back on the bed. She also had difficulty answering easy questions like “What’s your last name?” I pray that all this will go away soon. Her eyes got better the next day we stopped Tamiflu. Thank God I didn’t give Tamiflu to my 3-year-old. It was prescribed to her as a precautionary measure since she was definitely exposed to the virus. I would not forgive myself. I wonder if anybody who developed, sold, or prescribed this medication is taking it themselves. Probably not."

• Jen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 24, 2019

For Influenza "I started taking Tamiflu 36 hours into having the flu. While I did not have as many of the side effects as others have experienced, I did have horrible diarrhea almost immediately after taking the drug. Additionally, I experienced 2 sleepless nights, tossing, turning, backaches, and insomnia. With that said, my flu symptoms dissipated within 24 hours of taking the drug, so I do feel like it shortened the duration of the flu. Also, the drug was expensive... over $100. My insurance barely paid for any of it. I think you have to ask yourself, are you OK feeling bad for an additional day or two in exchange for just having the flu, or are you willing to get back 24 hours of your life with the risk of some not-so-pleasant side effects? After 4 doses, I decided to go off. Hoping the flu doesn't return, as I am not going to finish the course my doctor prescribed. I want to get a good night's rest and not have to get up to go to the bathroom all the time. I'll roll the dice."

• Jen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 24, 2019

For Influenza "I started taking Tamiflu 36 hours into having the flu. While I did not have as many of the side effects as others have experienced, I did have horrible diarrhea almost immediately after taking the drug. Additionally, I experienced 2 sleepless nights, tossing, turning, backaches, and insomnia. With that said, my flu symptoms dissipated within 24 hours of taking the drug, so I do feel like it shortened the duration of the flu. Also, the drug was expensive... over $100. My insurance barely paid for any of it. I think you have to ask yourself, are you OK feeling bad for an additional day or two in exchange for just having the flu, or are you willing to get back 24 hours of your life with the risk of some not-so-pleasant side effects? After 4 doses, I decided to go off. Hoping the flu doesn't return, as I am not going to finish the course my doctor prescribed. I want to get a good night's rest and not have to get up to go to the bathroom all the time. I'll roll the dice."

• Hom...
• January 22, 2013

For Influenza "Most effective. Thought I had a cold from travel, but had high fever unusual for me [30 years since last time!]. Unresponsive to Aspirin/Tylenol. Diagnosed with Influenza A. 2 capsules & 18 hours later POOF, fever gone & 98.6. Other conditions persist: chills with sweats, hazy feeling, equilibrium off, cough transitioning to yellow mucus. Side effects: 30 hours since fever dropped, body temperature has remained 1-2 degrees below normal. Eyesight is impaired where I see better without my glasses far, but have trouble reading small print like medicine instructions with glasses. Continued ringing in my ears. Insomnia because I should be drop-dead tired."

• Car...
• January 17, 2019

For Influenza "This was prescribed for my 13-year-old. It didn’t seem to alleviate her symptoms, but the worst part was that it caused auditory hallucinations and terrible insomnia. The best thing for her would be to sleep, but Tamiflu made it impossible. After five doses, she refused to take any more. Fast forward three days, and I get the flu. In desperation, I took two doses of her unused Tamiflu capsules, after which my fever shot up and it became impossible for me to sleep."

• Fab...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 24, 2018

For Influenza "The doctor prescribed me Tamiflu, 1 pill twice a day for 5 days. I took Tamiflu for 3 days, and although the flu symptoms got better already by the second day into the treatment, I had horrible side effects from the medication: a very strange headache around the eyes and forehead (it was hard to even open my eyes), nausea, a feeling of heaviness in my legs and arms, anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, heart palpitations, and horrible nightmares. On the fourth day, I stopped taking it, and the headache disappeared, but the other symptoms remained, though in a minor scale. I’m on the 6th day and still not fully recovered from the side effects, the feeling of heaviness in my legs and arms still persists. I would not recommend this medication and wish I hadn’t taken it. I have told all my friends to never take it."

• Chi...
• April 3, 2015

For Influenza "I started taking it on day 2 after the doctor prescribed. Although I gained some strength back, the tremendous headache, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea were horrible. The worst part was insomnia, I could barely sleep, only slept 2-3 hours at most each time, body still aching."

• Ms ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 23, 2018

For Influenza "I went to urgent care after 18 hours of wicked temperatures, cough, feeling miserable. Doctor prescribed Tamiflu 2x a day for 5 days. Had extreme diarrhea within 2 hours of the first dose. By the middle of the night, my fever broke, which was the only good thing. Day 2 of meds, very nauseated, and then insomnia... Not a wink of sleep ALL NIGHT. Not worth feeling like this from a medication."

• Pin...
• January 9, 2019

For Influenza "Symptoms before Tamiflu - body ache, earache, persistent fever, coughing - feels burns inside and it hurts, vomiting while coughing, head pounding. Took only two doses so far and I stopped. I got insomnia - I could not sleep - I need sleep to rest. I would lie in bed and be unable to sleep. Also, I got nauseous, not for the whole day though. The medication is excellent in response to the flu!!!! My fever broke down after four hours. The coughing stopped except for the stuffy nose. It stopped the earache and body aches! Besides that, I drank lots of teas or water. I ate a bit."

• Jen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 5, 2019

For Influenza "I was scared to take this after reading these reviews. I came down with the flu on a Saturday morning, went to a clinic Sunday morning. My fevers were insane high, and they tested me for the flu. What I learned is if you are not tested for the actual flu and confirmed you definitely have the flu, Tamiflu is not going to work. You have to start the Tamiflu within the first 48 hours of having the flu for it to be beneficial. The only side effect I had was insomnia for the first two days of taking it, then I was able to sleep better and more. I am thankful I did take this, each hour that passed before taking this was absolute misery. I felt better within hours of having the Tamiflu. For most people that say it didn’t work, make sure you are tested for the flu to confirm you have the flu first. Do not just take the doctor's word you have the flu, make them do the test."

• oli...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 4, 2019

For Influenza "This drug, Tamiflu, is awful, have only had four doses but will not be continuing. I felt extremely unwell and couldn't sleep, and it was not worth it to me as it's made me feel worse. Read into the side effects before purchasing for sure :("

• AJC...
• February 13, 2018

For Influenza "Only on day 3 of 5, but I really feel like it's working. Despite the side effects, which for me have been headache, insomnia, and fatigue (because of the insomnia). I feel wired. Like my brain doesn't want to sleep even though my body does! However, the flu is not progressing at this point (knock on wood!). No high fever or chills. Think I caught it early. I would take it again for sure."

• Kir...
• August 16, 2019

For Influenza "I was tested for influenza B, and it came back positive. Never been so sick, my daughter also had it the week prior to me. Both of us were given Tamiflu tablets, and I have to say they have fixed us up so quickly. Still both feeling lethargic but on the mend. The only side effect we have experienced is insomnia, so hard to switch off and get decent sleep. I've only a couple of days left of taking the tablets, so I'm hoping my sleep pattern will return to normal."

• Duc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 8, 2017

For Influenza "Tested positive for influenza type A. Started taking Tamiflu Tuesday evening (symptoms started Monday afternoon). The next day, all of my excruciating body aches were gone. I have one more pill to take and am suffering from insomnia and a good bit of dizziness (maybe dizzy because I'm not sleeping enough?). Other than that, I feel like most of the flu symptoms are gone. I have a lingering productive cough, but I imagine that takes a while to go away anyways. I always take the medication with a meal. If I'm not hungry, I force myself to eat a piece of bread with peanut butter and a banana. I wouldn't take this on an empty stomach since my directions tell me to take it with a meal. I would take this again if I got the flu again."

• Anonymous
• April 8, 2015

For Influenza "I was achy, feverish (100.4), and had a severe headache. I felt like a truck ran me over. I went to the Dr. and was prescribed Tamiflu. I took the first dose and noticed a difference. I didn't have nausea, insomnia, or diarrhea. No side effects. I was skeptical, as viral infections have to run their course, but I'm so happy I took it."