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Tamiflu Side Effects

Most people tolerate Tamiflu quite well. If side effects do occur, they are usually easy to treat. Common Tamiflu side effects include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Children can experience additional side effects, such as ear infection and pinkeye. In rare cases, side effects of Tamiflu can include unstable angina, anemia, and unexplained rash.

 

An Introduction to Tamiflu Side Effects

As with any medicine, side effects are possible with Tamiflu® (oseltamivir phosphate). However, not everyone who takes the drug will experience side effects. In fact, most people tolerate it quite well. If side effects do occur, they are usually minor. Often, they require no treatment or are easily treated by you or your healthcare provider. In previous research studies, less than 1 percent of people taking Tamiflu stopped their medicine because of side effects.
 
If you develop an allergic reaction or severe skin rash, stop taking Tamiflu and call your healthcare provider.
 
(This article covers many, but not all, of the possible side effects with Tamiflu. Your healthcare provider can discuss a more complete list of Tamiflu side effects with you.)
 

Common Side Effects of Tamiflu

Tamiflu has been studied extensively in clinical trials. In these studies, side effects are always documented. For adults, the most common Tamiflu side effects thought to be related to the medicine were:
 
  • Nausea -- up to 10 percent of people
  • Vomiting -- up to 9 percent of people.
     
In children, the most common side effect was vomiting. Up to 15 percent of children experienced this side effect.
 
Nausea and vomiting usually happen during the first couple days of treatment and are usually mild to moderate. Taking Tamiflu with food may help decrease the chances of experiencing nausea or vomiting.
 
In adults, other common side effects with Tamiflu included but were not limited to:
 
  • Abdominal pain
  • Diarrhea
  • Bronchitis.
     
In children, other common side effects included:
 
  • Abdominal pain
  • Ear problems, such as middle ear infection (otitis media)
  • Pinkeye (conjunctivitis).
     
(Tamiflu Side Effects Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;