When kids are sick, all you want is to help them feel better. With bacterial infections, you might give them antibiotics, but when it comes to viruses like the flu, you may not have many options.
Besides rest and fluids, one safe way to treat the flu in children over 2 weeks old is with an antiviral medicine called Tamiflu.
What does Tamiflu do?
Tamiflu is a medication that shortens the duration of the flu and the severity of its symptoms by a day or a day and a half. It is not going to cure the flu the way an antibiotic cures a bacterial infection.
Though Tamiflu doesn't cure the flu, it still might help your child. Tamiflu is most often used for the following purposes in children.
Tamiflu for treatment in high-risk children
Tamiflu can be an important medicine for kids who are at a high risk for life-threatening flu complications. Your child may be at a high risk if they are younger than 5 or if they have:
- Asthma
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Metabolic conditions
- Neurologic conditions
- Neuromuscular disorders
Tamiflu may help reduce your child's risk for severe illness or hospitalization if they have any of these conditions.
Tamiflu for flu prevention in high-risk children
Tamiflu may also help prevent high-risk children from getting the flu if they are around another person with the flu. For instance, if your child has asthma and their sibling gets the flu, your child with asthma may benefit from taking Tamiflu before they show symptoms.
Tamiflu may prevent a child from getting the flu or may make the condition less severe if they do contract the flu. Your child can take Tamiflu for up to six weeks.
Your child should also receive a flu shot every year and practice good hand hygiene to prevent the flu.
Tamiflu for low-risk children who just started flu symptoms
If your child is over the age of 5 and generally healthy, they may or may not benefit from using Tamiflu. If your child does take Tamiflu, it's important that it’s administered to children as soon as symptoms begin.
Is Tamiflu effective after 48 hours?
Tamiflu is most effective if it is administered within 48 hours of flu symptoms starting. If your child is at day four or five of the flu and is generally healthy, it may not be worth it to start taking Tamiflu at that point.
What are symptoms of flu in kids?
Flu symptoms in children can include:
- Cough
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Sore throat
- Muscle aches
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Fever or feverish chills
Tamiflu may help your child have these symptoms for about one day less than normal or may make these symptoms less severe.
What are the side effects of Tamiflu in children?
Tamiflu rarely has side effects. However, side effects may be more common in kids who are fructose intolerant (fruit sugar). The liquid form of Tamiflu contains sorbitol (a type of fructose) that can rarely cause nausea and vomiting in some kids. Non-liquid forms of Tamiflu do not have this side effect.
If children are generally healthy, it may not be worth risking this side effect. Instead, you may want to focus on helping them rest, drinking plenty of fluids and healing while their bodies fight off the flu.
While everyone wants medicine to help make their child feel better, it depends on the situation to know if Tamiflu will help your child. If it's a high-risk situation, your child may benefit from Tamiflu. If it's low risk, discuss the medication with your child's pediatrician and let them decide if Tamiflu is right.
Tamiflu is most effective if prescribed within 48 hours of flu symptoms occurring. See other facts about Tamiflu and kids via @Childrens.
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