Do antiviral influenza drugs help stop the viruses from spreading?
Taking one of the more recent antiviral influenza drugs, oseltamivir (trade name Tamiflu) or zanamivir (trade name Relenza), if someone close to you definitely has influenza might prevent you becoming ill. You would probably still be just as contagious, though, as someone who is not taking the drugs. Both of the drugs have to be prescribed by a doctor. You can read more about the research testing antiviral flu drugs in adults >here<. The most common adverse effect of these influenza drugs is nausea, which occurs in 1 out of 20 people who take them to prevent infection. At doses above 75 mg per day, a higher proportion of people could feel nauseous. Tamiflu and Relenza cause fewer adverse effects than the "old" antiviral drugs. Those older drugs are amantadine (trade name Symmetrel) and rimantadine (trade name Flumadine, not on the market in Germany). They are not very effective at preventing influenza. Tamiflu is a tablet and Relenza is a dry powder that is taken using an oral inhaler
