Is Relenza safe for pregnant or breastfeeding women?

There are no long term data on the long term effects on Relenza in pregnant women and those who breast feed. Experts think that the effects of HINI itself are more of a danger to pregnant women and their fetus and perhaps Relenza may be of more benefit. It is better to go with treatment than without any treatment


Before the outbreak of swine flu, very few pregnant women had taken Relenza and so it is not yet possible to say what the long term effects on the infant will be. In the UK and Europe, experts recommend the inhaler because the drug goes directly to the lungs and does not spread to the body. This way less of the body is affected and the chances of the drug spreading to the fetus are very low.

Only a tiny amount of Relenza gets across the breast into milk, and thus breast feeding women can resume this activity while taking Relenza. However, the mother should wear a mask to avoid passing the virus to the baby when she sneezes.

Can Zanamivir (relenza) cure Swine Flu?

Zanamivir (Relenza) does not cure swine flu but helps decrease the intensity and durations of swine flu symptoms. Relenza is only effective if taken within the first 48 hours after the onset of symptoms. The majority of people never see a physician in this time period and so never benefit.


Zanamir is not recommended to prevent swine flu because it protection is very short lived. To prevent flu, it must be taken for 10 days. The drug is a powder which is inhaled though a device known as a Diskhaler.

Only individuals who are at very high risk of complications from swine flu should take this drug as a preventive aid. Anti viral drugs are not the best way to prevent swine flu. The only way to prevent swine flu is with the vaccine

Continued used of Relenza can result in drug resistance and side effects. Plus, Relenza is expensive. One of the annoying side effects of Relenza is diarrhea.

Since Relenza can stop the virus from multiplying, it is best used for acute cases. Moreover, there are minimal data on the effectiveness of Relenza on the swine flu virus. Not everyone responds to the drug. At best, Relenza can reduce your chance of acquiring swine flu by 50-70 percent if it is taken for 10 days.

How long this protection lasts remains unknown