Oseflu
Generic Name: Oseltamivir
Dosage Form: Capsule
TG Name: Antiviral
1. What Oseflu® is and what it is used for
Oseflu® contains oseltamivir, which belongs to a group of medicines named neuraminidase inhibitors.
It can be used for:
- Oseflu® is used for adults, adolescents, children and infants (including full-term newborn babies) for treating flu (influenza). It can be used when one has flu symptoms, and the flu virus is known to be going round in one’s community.
- Oseflu® can also be prescribed for adults, adolescents, children and infants above 1 year of age for preventing flu, on a case-by-case basis – for instance, if one has been in contact with someone who has flu.
- Oseflu® may be prescribed for adults, adolescents, children and infants (including full-term newborn babies) as preventive treatment in exceptional circumstances – for example, if there is a global epidemic of flu (a flu pandemic) and the seasonal flu vaccine may not provide sufficient protection.
2. What you need to know before you take Oseflu®
Do not take Oseflu®
If you are allergic (hypersensitive) to Oseltamivir
Talk to your doctor if this applies to you.
Warnings and precautions:
Before you take Oseflu®, make sure the prescribing doctor knows
- if you are allergic to other medicines
- if you have problems with your kidneys. If so, your dose may need adjustment
- if you have a severe medical condition, which may require immediate hospitalization
- if your immune system is not working
- if you have chronic heart disease or respiratory disease
During treatment with Oseflu®, tell your doctor immediately
- if you notice changes in behavior or mood (neuropsychiatric events), especially in children and adolescents). These may be signs of rare but serious side effects.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding:
You must tell your doctor if you are pregnant, if you think you are pregnant or if you are trying to get pregnant so that your doctor can decide if Oseflu® is right for you.
The effects on breast-fed infants are unknown. You must tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding so that your doctor can decide if Oseflu® is right for you.
3. How to take Oseflu®
Take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Take Oseflu® as soon as possible, ideally within two days of the flu symptoms starting. The recommended doses for treating flu is to take two doses daily. It is usually convenient to take one dose in the morning and one in the evening. It is important to complete the whole 5 days’ course, even if you start to feel better. For adult patients with a weak immune system, treatment will continue for 10 days. For preventing flu or after being exposed to an infected person, take one dose daily for 10 days. It is best to take this in the morning with breakfast. In special situations, such as widespread flu or for patients with a weak immune system, treatment will continue for up to 6 or 12 weeks.
