Re:Why the CDC and FDA Are Telling You Two Different Things ...
by tghw on Thursday January 22, 2015 @12:34AM
(#8927713)
I got the flu this year and looked into it. I'm not sure the CDC's suggestions are well founded. On average, antivirals shorten symptoms by half a day over seven days. Not a huge upside. And the Cochrane Collaboration and the BMJ found that it's unlikely the antivirals reduce hospital admissions or complications[1].
On the flip side, there are a number of side effects, including headaches, nausea, and vomiting, which can't make the flu experience better.
I was at the edge of the 48-hour window, and decided it just wasn't worth it for me. Maybe if someone I knew who was elderly or had a compromised immune system got the flu, I would push them to get the antivirals, but for otherwise healthy adults, it seems like a waste of money.
On the flip side, there are a number of side effects, including headaches, nausea, and vomiting, which can't make the flu experience better.
I was at the edge of the 48-hour window, and decided it just wasn't worth it for me. Maybe if someone I knew who was elderly or had a compromised immune system got the flu, I would push them to get the antivirals, but for otherwise healthy adults, it seems like a waste of money.
[1]http://www.cochrane.org/features/tamiflu-relenza-how-effecti...?