Do I still need to take oseltamivir if I don't have a fever?

Feb 05, 2025 Source: Cainiu Health

Dr. Ren Yi

Introduction

In general, whether oseltamivir should still be taken without fever mainly depends on whether influenza has been diagnosed. If influenza has been confirmed, oseltamivir should be continued even in the absence of fever. If influenza has not been diagnosed, oseltamivir may be omitted when there is no fever. Patients are advised to follow medical instructions for medication use and avoid self-medication or arbitrarily discontinuing medication to ensure safe and effective drug therapy.

Fever refers to an elevated body temperature. Oseltamivir is an antiviral medication available in various formulations such as capsules and granules. Generally, whether oseltamivir should be taken in the absence of fever mainly depends on whether influenza has been diagnosed. If influenza has been confirmed, oseltamivir should be continued even without fever. However, if influenza has not been diagnosed and there is no fever, oseltamivir may not be necessary. Detailed explanation is as follows:

The primary function of oseltamivir is to inhibit the neuraminidase of the influenza virus, thereby preventing the release of the virus from infected cells and reducing its spread within the body. If infection with either influenza A or B has been confirmed, the influenza virus can continue to replicate within the body and cause damage to other organs and systems beyond causing fever. Therefore, even in the absence of fever, it is recommended to continue taking oseltamivir.

However, if influenza has not been diagnosed and only symptoms resembling the common cold are present without fever, these symptoms may be caused by common cold viruses or other pathogens. Since oseltamivir is not effective against common cold viruses, it is generally not recommended to take oseltamivir in such cases.

Patients are advised to strictly follow medical instructions regarding medication use, avoiding self-medication or discontinuation of medication without guidance, to ensure safe and effective treatment.

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Can norovirus cause high fever?

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