2009-10-12 09:34:11 2009-10-12 09:34:11. or redistributed. When oseltamivir is used to treat flu symptoms, it is usually taken two times a day (morning and evening) for 5 days. Plus, Tamiflu is expensive. They only found proof that Tamiflu can shorten the duration of flu symptoms a little: Without Tamiflu, symptoms last 7 days on average in otherwise healthy children and adults. Like antibiotics, this antiviral treatment needs to be completed for full effectiveness. Top Answer. Let’s face it, the flu renders almost everybody useless, and you probably feel miserable enough to take just about anything.Odds are your doc will prescribe one of three antiviral meds: inhaled zanamivir (brand name Relenza), intravenous peramivir (Rapivab), or oral oseltamivir, otherwise known as Tamiflu. Your protection lasts through the entire season. Market data provided by At the first signs of the flu (fever, chest pain, body chills) you might spend a good hour or two consulting with Dr. Google about what drugs could help. Or not. Patients with the flu who took it felt better 30 percent (or 1.3 days) faster than people who didn't take it . Wiki User Answered . )Stay up-to-date on the biggest health and wellness news with our weekly recap.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Tamiflu 75 mg Hard Capsules - Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) by Roche Products Limited There have also been other observational studies in hospitalized patients that have shown that treatment can provide a benefit when started 3 to 5 days after the onset of symptoms. Roche, the makers of Tamiflu, claim that Tamiflu also reduces the number of patients who have serious complications from the flu, such as pneumonia (by 44%) or hospitalization (by 63%). The reviewers found 5 studies that assessed the effect of Tamiflu on the duration of symptoms. ©2020 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Not only is it the one your friends have heard of, it’s also the only one that made the World Health Organization’s list of essential medications.But Tamiflu has been the subject of controversy in recent years—which has left many wondering, It is worth noting that the study authors expressed some doubt about their findings: “We identified problems in the design of many of the studies that we included, which affects our confidence in their results.”As for flu prevention, the Food and Drug Administration says Tamiflu can also keep people from getting sick in the first place.“The literature on antivirals for influenza shows that they work best when taken 48 to 72 hours after the onset of flu symptoms,” explained Dr. Susan Rehm, vice chair of the department of infectious disease at the Cleveland Clinic. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Why can't you take Tamiflu after three days of finding out you have swine flu? On average patients who start taking Tamiflu within 48 hours of getting sick will recover one day faster than patients who do not take anything. Answer. 1 2 3. I would advise you to finish your course of Tamiflu, just because it is recommended to be taken for 5 days. The use of Tamiflu did reduce the duration of symptoms by about a day. Market data provided by Asked by Wiki User. Consumer Reports quoted the cost of a 5-day … When oseltamivir is used to prevent flu, it is usually taken once a day for at least 10 days, or for up to 6 weeks during a community flu outbreak. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. However, studies have shown that if you take it within 48 hours of showing symptoms, it can shorten the duration of the flu (strains A and B).