Tamiflu Caused Teenager's Suicide Within 24 Hours, His Family Says

The family of Indiana teen Charlie Harp, 16, who took his life Friday, blamed preventative flu medication Tamiflu for driving him to suicide.

The teen's aunt and uncle — Jackie and Brad Ray — who were also his legal guardians, said before Harp was diagnosed with the flu and prescribed medication, he was an amiable kid who thrived in classes and was socially popular amongst friends.

They said prior to taking the medication, Harp didn’t exhibit any signs of self-harming behavior, the couple told Fox News.

Tamiflu is an antiviral medication prescribed to prevent the symptoms of influenza A and influenza B within 48 hours of onset of symptoms. Studies argue Tamiflu is effective on people diagnosed with flu and is less effective on those experiencing flu like symptoms.

According to the study, although the medication is approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Tamiflu doesn’t work well enough to counter the symtoms of the illness to justify CDC recommendation. The researchers say there is very little evidence to prove Tamiflu reduces serious complications from the flu.

When FOX59 reached out to the maker of Tamiflu, Roche, a spokesperson for the Swiss firm informed that the company was unable to comment on the specifics of the case. However, it released the following statement and said people under the medication should be closely monitored for behavioral changes.

The statement said, "Neuropsychiatric events have been reported during the administration of Tamiflu in patients with influenza, especially in children and adolescents."

Earlier this month it was reported that a six-year-old girl from Allen, Texas, suffered from hallucinations after taking Tamiflu. The girl’s family, who preferred to remain anonymous, told KVTV that their daughter attempted to inflict harm on herself after experiencing hallucinations wrought by the medication.

On Jan. 17, Amanda Frank, 38, a mother of four in New Hampshire, died of complications from the flu days after she refused to take the medication because she was warned by her doctor of the possible side effects.

According to her sister, Jolene King, Amanda decided to fight the flu on her own after she was warned by the doctors that the side effects of the medication was worse than the flu, Daily Mail reported.

Charlie, who succumbed to Influenza last Thursday, was found dead in the garage by his uncle within 24-hours of taking the medication. They were among the thousands affected by the deadly flu that was creating havoc in the United States.

Charlie’s aunt and guardian, Jackie Ray, expressed grief on a GoFundMe page. She said “Charlie brought so much to our family, and boy was that kid one of a kind. He was loved by everyone that he came in contact with. I truly cannot begin to explain how broken my heart is, as well as Brad and the kids.”

"I may not have given birth to him, but I loved him as he was my own. I am honored to have been able to be a mother to him with the time we had. My heart is crush, miss that boy already," she added.

The warning label of Tamiflu states "side-effects may result in confusion and abnormal behavior," however its maker denied claims alleging the side effects could be fatal.