The focus on vaccines to prevent influenza sometimes overshadows antiviral drug treatment such as Tamiflu. Antivirals have actually been available for decades, but they haven’t had much press.
Part of the problem may be that widespread use of antivirals to treat flu may encourage the flu virus to develop resistance (Current Opinion in Virology, Dec., 2011). This is why rimantadine (Flumadine) is no longer prescribed for flu. Current flu treatments such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) could also lose their effectiveness if the virus develops resistance.
Is It Necessary to Take All the Tamiflu Pills in a Packet?
Q. My doctor prescribed Tamiflu when I tested positive for H1N1 flu. I have been taking two tablets daily, one in the morning and another at night.
Now that my fever is gone and I am feeling much better, do I have to finish the whole strip of 10 tablets?
A. You are supposed to finish the entire 5-day course of treatment with oseltamivir (Tamiflu). Like antibiotics, this antiviral treatment needs to be completed for full effectiveness. If you stop in the middle of your treatment, you may increase the likelihood that the virus will develop resistance (Eurosurveillance, July 30, 2009).
