Can You Drink Alcohol With Tamiflu?

Answer

There is no interaction between Tamiflu (oseltamivir) and alcohol in regard to alcohol making Tamiflu less effective. However, taking alcohol while recovering from a sickness like the flu is generally not recommended for several reasons.

Alcohol can decrease immune function and worsen side effects of Tamiflu like headache, nausea, and vomiting. While recovering from an infection, it is important to stay well-hydrated and get plenty of rest.

Information About Tamiflu

Tamiflu is an antiviral that helps to treat seasonal influenza virus A or B (common flu). The important thing to note about Tamiflu is that it must be initiated as soon as possible once symptoms begin.

The first 48 hours are the most critical time to make sure that Tamiflu is started. After 48 hours, the effect is much less, but can sometimes still be used in complicated cases.

Tamiflu has been shown to reduce the duration of flu-like symptoms by about 24-32 hours assuming it is started early enough. Common side effects of Tamiflu include headache, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

In years where the flu is highly prevalent, shortages of Tamiflu in the community are often reported. This has especially affected the supply of liquid Tamiflu, commonly used for children, in the past. If shortages occur, Tamiflu suspension can be compounded at most pharmacies by using the capsules in emergent situations but is not recommended if the commercial product is available.

Information About Alcohol

Alcohol is primarily metabolized via several enzymes, including:

• alcohol dehydrogenase
• aldehyde dehydrogenase
• cytochrome P450 (CYP2E1)
• catalase.

The byproducts of alcohol metabolism include acetaldehyde and acetate which contribute to many of the negative effects. Genetic variation of these enzymes causes varying degrees of alcohol metabolism—which is why everyone tolerates alcohol differently.

Alcohol can interfere and interact with many drugs via multiple mechanisms, including impacting CYP enzymes, especially CYP2E1. Tamiflu does not rely on CYP enzymes for metabolism, however.

Drinking alcohol while recovering from an illness is not recommended.

Final Words

So, all in all, it is generally not recommended to drink alcohol while recovering from an infection such as the flu.

As Tamiflu is not metabolized by any CYP enzymes, alcohol does not directly interact with Tamiflu but could worsen side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and headache. It may lengthen your recovery from the flu as well.

Additional Informaiton

If you are looking for more information on Tamiflu, you can find it here:

• Tamiflu Drug Information

You can also reach out and ask our pharmacists a question directly:

• Ask A Pharmacist

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