Tamiflu is not a 'miracle flu cure' that 'just take it and you'll get better quickly'

I am a doctor and just got influenza A with symptoms of extreme fatigue for 4 days. When they saw that I had the flu, my relatives asked 'Doctor, you have so many medicines that you didn't take Tamiflu, wouldn't you have recovered faster?'.

Tamiflu - the "miracle drug" for flu in the eyes of many people - Illustration photo.

I got flu A right after finishing some flu A communication activities at my office. Flu A gave me a high fever for a few days, a constant cough and of course aches all over my body like someone had beaten me with a whip. I was extremely tired for 4 days, and now I'm recovering.

But my niece wondered: "Doctor, you have so many medicines that you don't take Tamiflu. If you take it, will you recover faster?"

I didn't drink it, because I knew this time I didn't need to use Tamiflu - the "miracle drug" for flu in the eyes of many people.

Flu, when to use Tamiflu?

1. Influenza, also known as seasonal flu, is an acute infectious disease with symptoms of fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, runny nose, sore throat and cough. The main causative agents are influenza A (H3N2), influenza A (H1N1), influenza B and influenza C viruses.

The disease is highly contagious, spreading rapidly through the respiratory tract through small droplets of saliva or nasal secretions from sneezing or coughing.

2. Not all flu patients need to take Tamiflu:

* 80-90% of flu cases are mild and can be cured on their own. Only cases with high fever, continuous fever, and lung damage need to be hospitalized. In addition to Tamiflu, doctors will use many other drugs to coordinate treatment.

In cases of flu but only cough, runny nose, mild fever, chest X-ray shows no lesions, only outpatient treatment is needed, improve health to let the disease heal on its own.

* Tamiflu is an antiviral drug, but unlike most antibiotics, it does not kill influenza viruses. Tamiflu is an inhibitor of the influenza virus enzyme neurominidase.

After the influenza virus enters the body, it enters the cell and replicates. This enzyme then helps the influenza virus detach, leave the host cell and find new cells. Tamiflu inhibits the replication of this virus, reducing the spread of influenza virus in the body.

* However, Tamiflu is only effective if the flu is diagnosed early within the first 48 hours, with symptoms of high, persistent fever, lung damage, and as prescribed by a doctor. After 48 hours, patients are mainly treated with fever reducers and care to prevent complications.

People who need treatment with Tamiflu

Flu patients with obvious symptoms such as high fever, prolonged, continuous, lung damage.

People in groups susceptible to severe flu complications such as children under 2 years old and the elderly over 65 years old, patients with chronic diseases such as asthma, heart disease, immunodeficiency...

In addition, Tamiflu also causes some side effects, the most common of which is vomiting. In addition, there are diarrhea, headaches, and kidney toxicity in people with kidney disease.

Tamiflu is not a "miracle drug" for the flu. Worryingly, Tamiflu abuse can lead to many health consequences, such as increasing resistance to this drug.

Flu prevention recommendations

1. Instead of waiting until you get sick to take medicine, people can proactively prevent the flu by getting a seasonal flu vaccine every year to boost immunity against the flu.

2. Ensure personal hygiene, cover your mouth when sneezing; wash your hands regularly with soap and clean water; clean your nose and throat daily with salt water.

3. In particular, everyone needs to keep their body warm and eat enough nutrients to improve their health.

4. Limit unnecessary contact with flu patients or suspected cases; use medical masks when necessary.

5. People should not arbitrarily buy and use antiviral drugs for influenza such as Tamiflu, but must follow the instructions and prescription of a doctor.

6. If you have symptoms of cough, fever, runny nose, headache, or fatigue, go to a medical facility immediately for examination and timely treatment.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thuoc-tamiflu-khong-phai-than-duoc-tri-cum-de-cu-uong-la-nhanh-khoi-20250210152012517.htm