What does Tamiflu do?

This is an automatically translated article.

Posted by Pharmacist Huynh Xuan Loc - Faculty of Pharmacy - Vinmec Central Park Hospital

Tamiflu (active ingredient oseltamivir phosphate) is an antiviral drug that treats influenza, it works by attacking the flu, preventing it from multiplying in the patient's body and helping to relieve the symptoms of the illness. . Tamiflu, depending on the case, can help prevent flu if people take it before they get sick.

1. What is the flu? How does it manifest?

Influenza is a respiratory viral infection that causes symptoms such as fever, chills, body aches, cough and sore throat. Cough is often severe and persistent, and may be accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea), especially in children. The flu can present with just the common cold symptoms mentioned above, but it can also lead to life-threatening pneumonia or other serious complications.

2. How is the flu treated?

Most people with the flu recover on their own in about 1 to 2 weeks without treatment. However, some serious complications of the flu can occur and require medical treatment.
Treatment of influenza includes symptomatic treatment of the disease and treatment with specific antiviral drugs. Not all flu patients need antiviral treatment, but only those with risk factors or significant medical conditions and complications need medication. Therefore, the use of antiviral drugs for patients is a decision of the treating physician to be considered in each specific patient case.

3. Indications and contraindications of Tamiflu?

Tamiflu is indicated for the treatment of influenza in adults and children including term neonates (with influenza virus type A and type B). Tamiflu is also used to prevent influenza in adults and children 1 year of age and older. However, its use does not replace vaccination with an appropriate influenza vaccine.
Tamiflu is contraindicated for use in cases of hypersensitivity to Oseltamivir phosphate or any of its ingredients.

4. Is Tamiflu the only antiviral drug used to treat the flu?

Tamiflu is not the only antiviral medicine used for the flu. Other antiviral drugs indicated for the treatment of influenza include Relenza (HC: zanamivir), Rapivab (HC: peramivir) and Xofluza (HC: baloxavir). Currently in Vietnam, Tamiflu and Relenza are two drugs licensed for circulation to treat influenza. The choice of drugs and dosage to treat the disease depends on the type of virus causing the disease and depends on the decisions and considerations of the treating doctor on a case-by-case basis.

5. How to take Tamiflu? Should the medicine be taken before or after meals?

Tamiflu is available in hard capsule and suspension dosage form for different patients and ages; Dosage of the drug is based on the diagnosis, purpose of use, age and weight of the patient. Tamiflu is a prescription medication and should only be used with a doctor's prescription.
Patients are recommended to swallow the hard capsule whole when taking the drug or taking the drug suspension at the dose prescribed by the doctor. In case the tablet cannot be swallowed and there is no alternative suspension, the patient can open the capsule and take the powder inside and mix it with a small amount of sweet-tasting liquid to reduce the taste of the medicine when taken.
The absorption of the drug is not affected by food, so the patient can take the drug before or after eating. However, the drug should be taken with a meal because it can help reduce the side effects of nausea and vomiting.

6. What are the common side effects of Tamiflu?

The most common side effects when taking Tamiflu are nausea and vomiting, headache. Usually, the symptoms of nausea and vomiting are not serious and only occur in the first 2 days of treatment. Taking Tamiflu with meals may help reduce this side effect.
In addition, there may also be other symptoms such as abdominal pain, fatigue when taking the drug. Allergic reactions such as skin rashes are rare; If redness occurs after taking the drug, the patient should stop taking the drug and seek medical attention immediately.

7. Drug interactions to note when using Tamiflu?

In general, Tamiflu has little interaction with other drugs. Drugs that have been reported to interact with Tamilfu include Probenecid and Dichlorphenamide (increasing blood levels of the active metabolite of Oseltamivir). Care should be taken when administering influenza vaccines while taking Tamiflu due to concerns that antiviral drugs will inactivate these vaccines.

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References:
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. (2017, November 14). Tamiflu: Consumer Questions and Answers. Retrieved February 5, 2020, from https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/tamiflu-consumer-questions-and-answers Pharmaceutical Industry Data Bank, Bureau Drug Administration - Ministry of Health. (2014). Tamiflu - VN-18299-14. Retrieved January 25, 2020, from https://drugbank.vn/thuoc/Tamiflu&VN-18299-14 Roche Registration GmbH. (2019, February 21). Tamiflu 75 mg Hard Capsules. Retrieved January 25, 2020, from https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/1194/smpc Raphael Dolin (2018). Patient education: Influenza symptoms and treatment (Beyond the Basics). In Allyson Bloom (Ed.), UpToDate. Retrieved February 5, 2019, from https://www.uptodate.com/contents/influenza-symptoms-and-treatment-beyond-the-basics