Tamiflu is used to treat flu in people ages 2 weeks and older, and to reduce the chance of getting the flu in people 1 year and older.
The medicine is administered in liquid form or capsules, and typically must be taken twice daily for five days when used for flu treatment. When used for prevention after exposure, it is typically taken once daily for 10 days.
Available as a generic or under the trade name Tamiflu, it may cost about $50 or less without insurance. The most common side effects include nausea and vomiting.
As another option, Xofluza is administered as a single-dose tablet and approved for ages 5 and older. It can be used to treat or prevent the flu, and it may cost nearly $200 without insurance, but eligible patients can use coupons to lessen costs. The most common side effects include diarrhea and vomiting.
“The most common complaint I hear about is vomiting from Tamiflu,” Dr. Ari Brown, a pediatrician based in Texas and author of the Baby 411 book series, said in an email. She referenced a 2023 study that showed about 18% of people experience vomiting with Tamiflu versus 5% with Xofluza.
The study also found that about 5% of people get diarrhea with Xofluza compared with none taking Tamiflu. “I’ve also had a few pediatric patients experience moodiness with Tamiflu, which is reported in the literature,” she said.
The “biggest difference” between Tamiflu and Xofluza is that Xofluza can stop viral shedding in one day while Tamiflu may take about three days, Brown said.
That means the rest of the household may have less exposure to the flu and fewer people may come down with it, but “both antivirals will help reduce the duration of the misery by a couple of days,” Brown said. For instance, with treatment, some people may experience five days of flu symptoms instead of seven.
Rapivab is one of the other prescription medications approved to treat flu. The drug is approved for ages 6 months and older, given once as an intravenous infusion by a health care provider. It may cost up to about $1,000 without insurance, and the most common adverse reaction in adults tends to be diarrhea.
Lastly, Relenza is the other recommended flu medication …
