Curious jo asked
Can I take ZzzQuil with Tamiflu?
At a glance
- There is no known interaction between ZzzQuil (which contains diphenhydramine) and Tamiflu.
Answer
Is There An Interaction Between ZzzQuil And Tamiflu?
There is no known drug interaction between ZzzQuil and Tamiflu. They are considered safe to take together.
Your doctor or pharmacist may even recommend using both together to help manage some of the symptoms you may be experiencing from the flu (which Tamiflu is used to treat).
ZzzQuil For Flu Symptoms
Having the flu can cause a variety of symptoms, including headache, tiredness, insomnia, body aches and a runny nose to name a few.
ZzzQuil may be a good option for an over the counter medication to help treat some of the symptoms the flu may cause.
It contains the active ingredient diphenhydramine, which is also the active ingredient in Benadryl.
Diphenhydramine is classified as a 'first-generation' antihistamine and will not only help to clear up a runny nose and watery eyes but will also make you tired (which is why it is used in ZzzQuil).
ZzzQuil With Tamiflu
Tamiflu (oseltamivir) can be taken with or without food and can be taken at the same time as most other medications.
In fact, the prescribing information for Tamiflu only lists two known drug interactions:
- Live flu vaccine
- Probenecid
It shouldn't be used with a live flu vaccine as it can reduce the effectiveness of it.
When used with probenecid, Tamiflu concentrations can be increased, but even then, the prescribing information states that it has such a wide safety margin, the drugs can be used together with no adjustment in dosing.
As stated previously, there is no known interaction with ZzzQuil and they can be used together. This goes for most other drugs that contain diphenhydramine as well, including Benadryl and Tylenol PM (acetaminophen; diphenhydramine).
References
- Elsevier ClinicalKey: Diphenhydramine Monograph
- Elsevier ClinicalKey: Tamiflu Monograph
- Tamiflu Prescribing Information
