I’ve been thinking about flu medicine lately. Probably because I’ve had the flu since Sunday and all three of my boys have been home this week.

Anyway, when you think about flu medicine, you probably think of Tamiflu or medicines that have “Cold/Flu” in their name. When you compare the ingredients, though, these are mostly cold medicines with pain reliever added.

So what should you do if you have the flu but no cold symptoms? Take medicines to treat your symptoms (like usual). Take some Acetaminophen and some digestive aids if you need them. I’ve been using Pepto-Bismol (or equivalents) and Papaya, which contains digestive enzymes and comes in chewable pills.

I’m not sure what makes the prescription version of Tamiflu different from the over-the-counter version, but that would be the only reason to seek out a specific flu medicine.

What do you all take when you have the flu?