Patient Leaflet Updated 07-Mar-2023 | Roche Products Limited
Tamiflu 75mg hard capsule
Tamiflu 75 mg hard capsules
oseltamivir
1. What Tamiflu is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you take Tamiflu
3. How to take Tamiflu
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Tamiflu
6. Contents of the pack and other information
Tamiflu contains oseltamivir, which belongs to a group of medicines named neuraminidase inhibitors.
These medicines prevent the flu virus from spreading inside the body. They help to ease or prevent the symptoms of the flu virus infection.
Influenza, usually called flu, is an infection caused by a virus. The signs of flu often include a sudden fever (more than 37.8 °C), cough, runny or stuffy nose, headaches, muscle aches and extreme tiredness. These symptoms can also be caused by other infections. True influenza infection only occurs during annual outbreaks (epidemics) when flu viruses are spreading in the local community. Outside epidemic periods, flu-like symptoms are usually caused by a different type of illness.
Talk to your doctor if this applies to you. Do not take Tamiflu.
Before you take Tamiflu, make sure the prescribing doctor knows
During treatment with Tamiflu, tell a doctor immediately:
Tamiflu is not a vaccine: it treats infection, or prevents the flu virus spreading. A vaccine gives you antibodies against the virus. Tamiflu will not change the effectiveness of a flu vaccine, and you might be prescribed both by your doctor.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, or have recently taken any. This includes medicines obtained without a prescription. The following medicines are particularly important:
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 Tamiflu 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 Tamiflu is right for you.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.
Tamiflu has no effect on your ability to drive or use machines.
This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per capsule, that is to say essentially ‘sodium-free’.
Take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
Take Tamiflu as soon as possible, ideally within two days of the flu symptoms starting.
For treating flu, 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-day course, even if you start to feel better quickly.
For 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 mornings 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.
The recommended dose is based on the patient’s body weight.You must use the amount of oral capsules or suspension prescribed by the doctor.
For adults and adolescents 13 years and over and weighing more than 40 kg, the recommended dose for treating flu is 75 mg twice daily for 5 days.
For adults and adolescents 13 years and over and weighing more than 40 kg, the recommended dose for treating flu in patients with a weak immune system is 75 mg twice daily for 10 days.
For adults and adolescents 13 years and over and weighing more than 40 kg, the recommended dose for preventing flu is 75 mg once daily for 10 days.
A 75 mg dose can be made up of a 30 mg capsule plus a 45 mg capsule.
For children aged 1 to 12 years and weighing 10 kg to 15 kg, the recommended dose for treating flu is 30 mg twice daily for 5 days.
For children aged 1 to 12 years and weighing 10 kg to 15 kg, the recommended dose for treating flu in children with a weak immune system is 30 mg twice daily for 10 days.
For children aged 1 to 12 years and weighing 10 kg to 15 kg, the recommended dose for preventing flu is 30 mg once daily for 10 days.
For children aged 1 to 12 years and weighing more than 15 kg and up to 23 kg, the recommended dose for treating flu is 45 mg twice daily for 5 days.
For children aged 1 to 12 years and weighing more than 15 kg and up to 23 kg, the recommended dose for treating flu in children with a weak immune system is 45 mg twice daily for 10 days.
For children aged 1 to 12 years and weighing more than 15 kg and up to 23 kg, the recommended dose for preventing flu is 45 mg once daily for 10 days.
For children aged 1 to 12 years and weighing more than 23 kg and up to 40 kg, the recommended dose for treating flu is 60 mg twice daily for 5 days.
For children aged 1 to 12 years and weighing more than 23 kg and up to 40 kg, the recommended dose for treating flu in children with a weak immune system is 60 mg twice daily for 10 days.
For children aged 1 to 12 years and weighing more than 23 kg and up to 40 kg, the recommended dose for preventing flu is 60 mg once daily for 10 days.
For children aged 1 to 12 years and weighing more than 40 kg, the recommended dose for treating flu is 75 mg twice daily for 5 days.
For children aged 1 to 12 years and weighing more than 40 kg, the recommended dose for treating flu in children with a weak immune system is 75 mg twice daily for 10 days.
For children aged 1 to 12 years and weighing more than 40 kg, the recommended dose for treating flu is 75 mg once daily for 10 days.
A 75 mg dose can be made up of a 30 mg capsule plus a 45 mg capsule.
Giving Tamiflu to infants less than 1 year old for preventing flu during flu pandemic should be based upon the judgment of a doctor after considering the potential benefit versus any potential risk to the infant.
For infants aged between 0 and 12 months and weighing between 3 kg to 10 kg and above, the recommended dose for treating flu is 3 mg per kg of body weight, twice daily for 5 days.
For infants aged between 0 and 12 months and weighing between 3 kg to 10 kg and above, the recommended dose for treating flu in infants with a weak immune system is 3 mg per kg of body weight, twice daily for 10 days.
For infants aged between 0 and 12 months and weighing between 3 kg to 10 kg and above, the recommended dose for preventing flu is 3 mg per kg of body weight, once daily for 10 days.
mg per kg equals mg for each kilogram of the infant’s body weight. For example if a 6 month old weighs 8 kg then the dose is 8 kg x 3 mg per kg = 24 mg.
Swallow the capsules whole with water. Do not break or chew the capsules.
Tamiflu can be taken with or without food, although taking it with food can reduce the chance of feeling or being sick (nausea or vomiting).
People who find it hard to take capsules can use a liquid medicine, Tamiflu oral suspension. If you need Tamiflu oral suspension, but it’s not available from your pharmacy, you can make a liquid form of Tamiflu from these capsules. See Making liquid Tamiflu at home, over the page.
Stop taking Tamiflu and contact a doctor or pharmacist immediately.
In most cases of overdose, people have not reported any side effects. When side effects were reported, they were similar to those from normal doses, as listed in section 4.
Overdose has been reported to have occurred more frequently when Tamiflu was given to children than to adults and adolescents. Caution should be exercised when preparing liquid Tamiflu for children and when administering Tamiflu capsules or liquid Tamiflu to children.
Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten capsule.
There are no side effects when you stop Tamiflu. But if Tamiflu is stopped earlier than your doctor told you, the symptoms of flu may come back. Always complete the course that your doctor prescribed.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. Many of the side effects listed below may also be caused by influenza.
The following serious side effects have been rarely reported since oseltamivir has been marketed:
If you notice any of these symptoms, get medical help immediately.
The most frequently (very common and common) reported side effects of Tamiflu are feeling or being sick (nausea, vomiting), stomach ache, stomach upset, headache and pain. These side effects mostly occur after the first dose of the medicine and will usually stop as treatment continues. The frequency of these effects is reduced if the medicinal product is taken with food.
Rare but serious effects: get medical help at once
(These may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)
During Tamiflu treatment, rare events have been reported that include
These are reported primarily among children and adolescents and often started suddenly and resolved rapidly. A few cases resulted in self-injury, some with fatal outcome. Such neuropsychiatric events have also been reported in patients with influenza who were not taking Tamiflu.
If you notice any of these symptoms, especially in younger people, get medical help immediately.
Very common side effects
(may affect more than 1 in 10 people)
Common side effects
(may affect up to 1 in 10 people)
Uncommon side effects
(may affect up to 1 in 100 people)
Rare side effects
(may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)
Very common side effects
(may affect more than 1 in 10 people)
Common side effects
(may affect up to 1 in 10 people)
Uncommon side effects
(may affect up to 1 in 100 people)
The reported side effects in infants 0 to 12 months old are mostly similar to the side effects reported for older children (1 year old or older). Additionally, diarrhoea and diaper rash have been reported.
If any of the side effects get serious, or if you notice any side effects not listed in this leaflet, tell your doctor or pharmacist. However,
Tell your doctor as soon as possible.
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly (see details below). By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
United Kingdom
or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store
Keep out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the carton and blister after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
Do not store above 25 °C.
Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.
The 75 mg hard capsule consists of a grey opaque body bearing the imprint “ROCHE” and a light yellow opaque cap bearing the imprint “75 mg”. Imprints are blue.
Tamiflu 75 mg hard capsules are available in blister packs of 10.
For any information about this medicine, please contact the local representative of the Marketing Authorisation Holder.
This leaflet was last revised in February 2023
For people who find it hard to take capsules, including very young children, there’s a liquid medicine, Tamiflu oral suspension.
If you need a liquid medicine, but it’s not available, a suspension can be made up at the pharmacy from Tamiflu capsules (see Information for healthcare professionals). This pharmacy preparation is the preferred option.
If the pharmacy preparation is not available either, you can make liquid Tamiflu from these capsules at home.
The dose is the same for treating or preventing flu. The difference is how often it is given.
To make a 75 mg dose, you need:
To find the correct amount to use, find the patient’s weight below to check the number of capsules you will need to give the patient for a single dose. The amount is the same whether treating or preventing flu.
A 75 mg dose should be made from Tamiflu 75 mg hard capsules. The hard capsule consists of a grey opaque body bearing the imprint “ROCHE” and a light yellow opaque cap bearing the imprint “75 mg”. Imprints are blue.
You should use only 75 mg capsules for 75 mg doses. Do not try to make a 75 mg dose by using the contents of 30 mg or 45 mg capsules.
For patients weighing 40 kg and over, the recommended dose of Tamiflu is 75 mg and to make this dose you should use 1 capsule of Tamiflu 75 mg.
Not for children who weigh less than 40 kg
You will need to prepare a dose of less than 75 mg for children who weigh less than 40 kg. See below.
Hold a 75 mg capsule upright over a bowl and carefully snip off the rounded tip with scissors.
Pour all of the powder into the bowl.
Be careful with the powder, because it may irritate your skin and eyes.
Add a small amount – no more than one teaspoonful – of sweet food to the powder in the bowl.
This is to hide the bitter taste of the Tamiflu powder.
Stir the mixture well.
Give the whole contents of the bowl to the patient straight away.
If there is some mixture left in the bowl, rinse the bowl with a small amount of water and get the patient to drink it all.
Repeat this procedure every time you need to give the medicine.
Infants less than 1 year, and children weighing less than 40 kg
To make a smaller single dose, you need:
Hold a 75 mg capsule upright over one of the bowls and carefully snip off the rounded tip with scissors. Be careful with the powder: it may irritate your skin and eyes.
Pour all of the powder into the bowl, whatever the dose you are making.
The amount is the same whether you are treating or preventing flu.
Use the larger dispenser to draw up 12.5 ml water.
Add the water to the powder in the bowl.
Stir the mixture with the teaspoon for about 2 minutes.
Don’t worry if not all of the powder dissolves. The undissolved powder is just inactive ingredients.
Look up the child’s weight in the text below to find how much of the liquid mixture you will need to draw up.
Infants less than 1 year (including full-term newborn babies)
If the child’s weight is nearest 3 kg, you will need to draw up 1.5 ml of the liquid mixture.
If the child’s weight is nearest 3.5 kg, you will need to draw up 1.8 ml of the liquid mixture.
If the child’s weight is nearest 4 kg, you will need to draw up 2.0 ml of the liquid mixture.
If the child’s weight is nearest 4.5 kg, you will need to draw up 2.3 ml of the liquid mixture.
If the child’s weight is nearest 5 kg, you will need to draw up 2.5 ml of the liquid mixture.
If the child’s weight is nearest 5.5 kg, you will need to draw up 2.8 ml of the liquid mixture.
If the child’s weight is nearest 6 kg, you will need to draw up 3.0 ml of the liquid mixture.
If the child’s weight is nearest 6.5 kg, you will need to draw up 3.3 ml of the liquid mixture.
If the child’s weight is nearest 7 kg, you will need to draw up 3.5 ml of the liquid mixture.
If the child’s weight is nearest 7.5 kg, you will need to draw up 3.8 ml of the liquid mixture.
If the child’s weight is nearest 8 kg, you will need to draw up 4.0 ml of the liquid mixture.
If the child’s weight is nearest 8.5 kg, you will need to draw up 4.3 ml of the liquid mixture.
If the child’s weight is nearest 9 kg, you will need to draw up 4.5 ml of the liquid mixture.
If the child’s weight is nearest 9.5 kg, you will need to draw up 4.8 ml of the liquid mixture.
If the child’s weight is nearest 10 kg or more, you will need to draw up 5.0 ml of the liquid mixture.
Children 1 year or older, weighing less than 40 kg
If the child’s weight is up to 15 kg, you will need to draw up 5.0 ml of the liquid mixture.
If the child’s weight is between 15 and 23 kg, you will need to draw up 7.5 ml of the liquid mixture.
If the child’s weight is between 23 and 40 kg, you will need to draw up 10.0 ml of the liquid mixture.
Make sure you have the right size dispenser.
Draw up the correct amount of liquid mixture from the first bowl.
Draw it up carefully so as not to include air bubbles.
Gently squirt the correct dose into the second bowl.
Add a small amount – no more than one teaspoonful – of a sweet food to the second bowl.
This is to hide the bitter taste of the Tamiflu.
Mix the sweet food and Tamiflu liquid well.
Give the whole contents of the second bowl (Tamiflu liquid mixture with sweet food added) to the child straight away.
If there is anything left in the second bowl, rinse the bowl with a small amount of water and get the child to drink it all. For children unable to drink from a bowl, spoon-feed or use a bottle to feed the child the remaining liquid.
Give the child something to drink.
Throw away any unused liquid left in the first bowl.
Repeat this procedure every time you need to give the medicine.
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