Is Zarbee's Cough And Immune Safe With Tamiflu?
In our latest question and answer, the pharmacist discusses whether or not it is safe to combine Tamiflu and Zarbee's products.
My son has the flu and was given Tamiflu. I also want to give him Zarbee's Cough + Mucus. Is that safe?
Oct 29, 2022- Zarbee's Cough + Immune is safe to use with Tamiflu as there are no known drug interactions between them.
- Tamiflu has a low likelihood of clinically significant drug interactions with most over-the-counter medications used to help with flu symptoms.
- All of the ingredients in Zarbee's Cough + Immune including honey, thyme extract, elderberry, zinc, and vitamins C and D are considered safe to take with Tamiflu.
Answer
There is no known drug interaction between Tamiflu (oseltamivir) and Zarbee's Cough + Immune. They are considered safe together.
In fact, neither Tamiflu nor Zarbee's products are thought to have many clinically significant interactions at all.
What Is In Zarbee's Cough + Immune?
Zarbee's Cough + Immune contains the following:
- Dark Honey
- Thyme Leaf Extract
- English Ivy Extract
- Grapefruit Seed Extract
- Black Elderberry Fruit Extract
- Zinc
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
All of these ingredients are considered safe with Tamiflu and there are no known drug interactions between them.
Tamiflu Drug Interactions
Tamiflu is used to both treat and prevent the flu. It is in a class of medications called neuraminidase inhibitors and helps shorten the duration of flu symptoms by stopping the spread of the flu virus in the body.
The prescribing information for Tamiflu states that the drug has a low likelihood of clinically significant drug interactions.
It only lists potential interactions with the live flu vaccine and a drug called probenecid (and even then states that this is likely not significant due to the overall safety of Tamiflu).
There is no known interaction between Tamiflu and most drugs you can take over the counter to help with flu symptoms.
What About Other Zarbee's Products?
You can feel safe combining Tamiflu with most over-the-counter medications, including all Zarbee's products (not just the one in question here, Zarbee's Cough + Immune). This includes:
- Zarbee's Cough Syrup + Mucus
- Zarbee's Cough + Mucus, Throat and Nasal
- Zarbee's Daily Immune Support
Drug Information
If you are looking for more information on Tamiflu, you can find it here:
You can also reach out and ask our pharmacists a question directly.
Final Words
Thanks for your question and reach back out anytime!
References & sources
- Oseltamivir Monograph — PubChem
- Tamiflu Prescribing Information — Genentech
- Natural Standard Database — Therapeutic Research (Subscription Required)
Glossary — Terms in This Answer
- Neuraminidase inhibitors
- A class of antiviral medications that work by blocking an enzyme viruses use to spread, helping stop flu infection in the body.
- Drug interaction
- A situation where two or more substances affect how each other works in your body, potentially causing unwanted effects.
- Clinically significant
- Important or meaningful enough to cause noticeable effects on a person's health or treatment.
- Oseltamivir
- The active chemical ingredient in the medication Tamiflu used to treat and prevent the flu.
- Probenecid
- A prescription medication used to treat gout that may have a potential interaction with Tamiflu, though it is not considered significant.
- Live flu vaccine
- A vaccine containing weakened flu virus that may not work properly if taken at the same time as Tamiflu.
Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD
Doctor of Pharmacy, board certified clinical pharmacist (BCPS), American Herbalist Guild, Medication Therapy Management certified
Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS, is a licensed pharmacist with more than 13 years of experience across retail pharmacy, clinical pharmacy, medication safety, pharmacy program development, and healthcare administration. He is the founder of HelloPharmacist.com, where he helps patients...
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