Many over-the-counter cold and flu medicines contain acetaminophen, better known as the active ingredient in Tylenol. (In English-speaking countries outside North America, this medication is known as paracetamol.) For example, familiar products such as DayQuil, NyQuil, Contac Cold & Flu or Theraflu all contain acetaminophen, presumably to help control fever and reduce aches and pain.
Does Acetaminophen Offer Help for the Flu?
Now a study from New Zealand questions whether acetaminophen is useful for influenza at all. In this randomized controlled trial, 80 people with flu-like symptoms (half with a positive influenza test) were given either acetaminophen or placebo four times a day for five days in addition to the prescription influenza drug Tamiflu.
Results of the Study Suggest Drug Is No Good Against Flu:
The investigators measured viral loads at several points during the illness. The patients kept records of their symptoms and their temperature. The findings showed no difference between the groups with respect to symptoms, including temperature, duration of illness and viral shedding. Does this mean that the drug is no good against flu?
The researchers suggest that there is not enough evidence to recommend the use of acetaminophen to treat influenza, but the use of Tamiflu by all study participants may have influenced the results. The antiviral effects of the oseltamivir (Tamiflu) that all study subjects took were probably strong enough to overwhelm any symptom relief that might have been due to acetaminophen.
