Tamiflu
The recent cases of H1N1 (also known as the swine flu) has had people panicking for methods of treatment and prevention. Aside from the H1N1 vaccine one of the most talked about drugs is Tamiflu, which is also know under it’s generic name of “Oseltamivir”. But with all the headlines and contrasting opinions, many people are confused as to what Tamiflu actually does. Contrary to popular opinion, Tamiflu does not directly prevent H1N1 nor offer any treatment against it. What Tamiflu does is block certain protiens which the flu virus uses to spread itself throughout the body. While you will still have the flu and it’s symptoms, if taken properly and in the early stages of the flu you can cut the lifecycle short by as much as 3 days which means you’ll have a quicker and easier recovery.
Side effects of Tamiflu
Since Tamiflu is a very focused drug and is only taken during the life cycle of the flu very few people have any adverse reactions to it when taken at proper dosages, a certain percentage of people will feel the effects of the flu, such as nausea, headaches, or vomiting more severely but these side effects have been highly disregarded because they are all part of the flu virus.
Some rarer and more severe side effects include increase heart rate, skin peeling, and complications in diabetic patients.
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