Is Acetaminophen Effective Against Flu Symptoms?

Acetaminophen may be of no help to patients with the flu, according to results from a new study.

To better evaluate the clinical outcomes related to acetaminophen use in adults with influenza infection, researchers conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 80 adults between 18 and 65 years old with positive influenza rapid antigen test results.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

RELATED CONTENT
Acetaminophen: Examining the Dosage Conundrum
FDA Further Restricts Acetaminophen Use
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Participants were randomized between 2 500-mg tablets of acetaminophen 4 times a day for 5 days, or placebo. Researchers collected pernasal swabs at baseline and on days 1, 2, and 5, and measured participants’ temperature and symptoms scores for 5-14 day.

Overall, 22 and 24 participants were influenza PCR-positive in the placebo and acetaminophen groups, respectively. Between the groups, there were no significant differences in symptom scores, temperatures, time to resolution of illness, or health  status.

“Regular paracetamol had no effect on viral shedding, temperature or clinical symptoms in patients with PCR-confirmed influenza. There remains an insufficient evidence base for paracetamol use in influenza infection,” they concluded.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Jefferies S, Braithwaite I, Walker S, et al. Randomized controlled trial of the effect of regular paracetamol on influenza infection. Respirology. December 6, 2015 [epub ahead of print].