Flu Season : Flu Drugs and Symptoms

by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

(Page 3 of 4)

Be careful not to double up on ingredients.

If you take more than one medication at a time, be careful not to duplicate ingredients, says Marina Chang, a pharmacist with the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "Look at the active ingredients of every medicine you take," she says.

For example, you don't want to accidentally take two different medicines that both contain acetaminophen. The same goes for taking acetaminophen tablets to relieve pain while also taking a cough medicine containing acetaminophen. Too much of this drug can result in liver damage.

Jon Temte, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of family medicine at the University of Wisconsin Medical School, recalls a young woman who came in complaining of a racing heartbeat and anxiousness. He discovered her symptoms occurred because she had taken two different products, both containing a decongestant.

Facts About Flu Drugs.

Relenza (zanamivir) and Tamiflu (oseltamivir), both approved for use in 1999, are to treat uncomplicated cases of influenza caused by types A and B flu virus. Tamiflu also is approved for preventive use, while Relenza is approved only for treatment. Two older drugs, amantadine and rimantadine, which are sold under the trade names Symmetrel and Flumadine respectively, are approved for the treatment and prevention of Type A influenza.

Talk with your health care provider about any use of these drugs in children. The doses and approved ages are different for each. Because some of the drugs' side effects can be serious and because viruses may become resistant when antiviral drugs are used indiscriminately, the FDA recommends that decisions to use these drugs be based on individual evaluations of risk and benefit.

Relenza, which is orally inhaled as a dry powder with a device known as a Diskhaler, can cause wheezing or serious breathing problems, and is generally not recommended for patients with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and other airway diseases.

Common side effects of Tamiflu, which comes in pill and liquid form, include nausea and vomiting. Both amantadine and rimantadine can cause gastrointestinal side effects and central nervous system changes such as nervousness and difficulty concentrating. Other side effects that can occur are mentioned in the drugs' package inserts.

Other important flu drug facts:

Antiviral drugs are not meant to take the place of a flu shot. The flu shot remains the best way to protect yourself. The drugs are sometimes used as a backup to the vaccine in special situations, such as to control a flu outbreak.

The treatment effect of these drugs is modest. They won't make you instantly better, but can help shorten the time the flu lasts by about a day. And use of flu drugs does not eliminate the risk of flu complications.

The drugs are meant to be taken within the first two days you experience flu symptoms. That means if you arrive at the doctor's office on Day 5 asking for a flu drug, you'll be too late. By that time, uncomplicated flu usually starts to get better on its own, and people who develop complications are likely to need other treatment.

Flu drugs don't influence bacterial infections or other illnesses that may look like the flu. It's important to talk with your health care provider if you are being treated with an antiviral drug but aren't getting better or if you experience new symptoms.

Cold and Flu Symptoms

People who get the flu usually know the exact day that it hit, whereas a cold tends to come on gradually. Both colds and flu cause inflammation of the mucous membranes (found in the nose, throat and mouth). Symptoms for colds and flu can be similar; both can cause a stuffy nose, sore throat, cough, and fever. Symptoms generally last about a week or two.

Colds are usually distinguished by a runny nose and sneezing. Along with coming on suddenly, the flu is more serious than a cold, lasts longer, and often leaves you with a wiped-out feeling, a headache, chills, dry cough, and body aches.

Young children may also experience nausea and vomiting with flu, but what many people call "stomach flu" is something different — probably gastroenteritis, which is usually caused by other viruses, bacteria, and toxins.

About the Author

www.fda.gov
FDA is A United States government body that oversees medical devices, including contact lenses, intraocular lenses, excimer lasers and eyedrops. In the US, these products must be approved by the FDA before they can be marketed.