Whats the treatment for flu with COPD?
First, if you have emphysema or chronic bronchitis, it’s important to stay on your prescribed medications for COPD, such as bronchodilators or inhaled steroids. Also, check with your doctor before taking any over-the-counter flu treatment. If your doctor approves, you might treat the body aches and fever associated with flu with acetaminophen or ibuprofen. With COPD, avoid antihistamines and decongestants because these flu treatments can thicken mucus, making it even more difficult to cough up. Decongestants raise blood pressure and some of the medications used to treat COPD also raise heart rate. They should be used with caution. Cough medicines are not generally recommended for patients with COPD because they have not been shown to improve COPD symptoms. Although cough can be a bothersome symptom, cough suppressants should be avoided or used with caution because they may reduce your ability to clear secretions from your lungs, and may increase the risk of lung infection. Sometimes, p
