Acyclovir and valacyclovir

Common Questions and Answers about Acyclovir and valacyclovir

famvir

Avatar f tn However, it is well documented that valtrex and acyclovir perform very similarly. Valtrex is actually converted into acyclovir by the liver, so essentially, the two drugs act the same way in the body to suppress the virus. If acyclovir improves your quality of life, I would stick with it and explain the similarities to your partner - they are well documented and I expect you can find information in scholarly journals that supports the suppressive activity of acyclovir.
Avatar f tn postmarketing experience with valacyclovir provides evidence of favorable safety and efficacy in herpes simplex virus (HSV) management. Valacyclovir enhances acyclovir bioavailability compared with orally administered acyclovir. Long-term use of acyclovir for up to 10 years for HSV suppression is effective and well tolerated.
Avatar f tn Hi All, this is my first post. I had been taking acyclovir successfully for the past six years, for outbreaks about two to three times per year. With all the stress in my life these days, my outbreaks have become much more frequent and for whatever reason, I am now having some unpleasant side effects from acyclovir, like headache (tolerable), weird taste in my mouth and excess salivation, and a heavy feeling in my legs and arms.
Avatar m tn Hi, acyclovir is one med and valacyclovir is another this is the one termed valtrex.
Avatar m tn There are 3 antiviral meds for herpes: acyclovir (generic) also known as Zovirax Valtrex (valacyclovir) famciclovir (generic) also known as Famvir Any informed opinions. I know acyclovir is the oldest and I saw some impressive statistics on it's suppression abilities. Obviously the two generic drugs will be much less expensive than Valtrex.
Avatar m tn 1) Take suppressive therapy, preferably with valacyclovir (acyclovir would be OK, but is less convenient because of more frequent dosing); 2) Inform each and every parnter of your HSV2 infection; and 3) always use condoms, unless your partner is willing to take the chance of not doing so. Although your apparently doesn't know herpes or its management very well, this doesn't necessarily mean she otherwise "sucks" as a caring and effective doctor.
Avatar f tn Sorry for posting so much but I am a wreck. Doctor said she'd have my results for the culture today but she hasn't called and it is driving me insane. I can't sleep soundly, I keep waking up every hour to see if I missed the call. No missed calls. I'm really losing it. I really wanna know what this is! I started taking the meds (Acycolvir 400mg 2 times a day) Friday night when I got home from the hospital and the pills have not made me feel any better, in fact i feel worst.
Avatar f tn Take antiviral medications like Acyclovir and Valtrex can help. Some topical creams like Prosurx or Acyclovir are also effective in keeping herpes sores dry. Besides, you should wear cotton underwear to avoid irritation. Immeditaely keep the sores clean and dry after taking bath by a soft cotton towel, and don't forget to wash the towel.
Avatar f tn I have been on Acyclovir once a day 400mg as a preventative for outbreaks for almost 2 years now. It has significantly helped lessen the amount of outbreaks as well as the duration if I do get one. I had to recently switch doctors and this new doctor is not willing to prescribe it to me anymore stating that the FDA has linked Acyclovir to causing cancer after 1 year of use. I can't find anything on FDA website or Google linking long term effects causing cancer.
20830284 tn?1526838532 There are antiviral drugs like acyclovir, valacyclovir and famciclovir which can shorten the episodes and decrease their severity. Acyclovir reduces the pain and number of lesions in the initial case of herpes and reduces recurrence. The ointment applied topically reduces pain, healing time and limits the spread. Though rare, herpes virus can cause inflammation of membranes and the cerebrospinal fluid surrounding your brain and spinal cord." https://www.medhelp.
Avatar f tn Famvir and famciclovir are the same thing, as are Valtrex and Valacyclovir. One is the brand name, one is the generic. I'd stay on the valacyclovir. The last thing you need right now is another outbreak, and stopping antivirals can trigger an ob. I can't advise you on the amiltriptiline. If it's not working, maybe you shouldn't continue it, but PLEASE talk to your doctor before stopping it.
Avatar f tn yes and no. Valtrex is an acyclovir prodrug. what that means if you swallow valtrex and your body changes it into acyclovir inside your body. Because of that unique delivery method, you get more active acyclovir available to fight the herpes virus when it's active so you take it less often. The main difference in the two of them is convenience and of course price.
Avatar f tn You must tell your physician if you are allergic to valacyclovir or acyclovir. any kidney disease, blood disorders, immune deficiencies, dizziness etc. side effects associated are nausea, vomiting, fatigue, sore throat, hemolytic uremic syndrome etc. You need to be concerned about the cumulative side effects of the two drugs. Otherwise, there are no serious interactions documented in the medical literature. Hope this helps. Take care.
Avatar m tn If both the infected and uninfected members of a couple consistently take any of the anti-HSV drugs (acyclovir, valacyclovir, famciclovir), I cannot imagine transmission taking place. You are wrong about suppressive therapy and blood test results. If someone catches HSV-2, the blood test becomes positive. If it remains negative, no infection occurred. For suppressive therapy to prevent transmission, I normally rely on valacylcovir 1.0 g once daily.
Avatar f tn I was told I had genital herpes 3 days ago. The outbreak started about 6 days ago. This is the first outbreak and it's extremely painful. The Dr gave me Acyclovir to take for 7 days. How long will it take for it to stop hurting? How long will it take for the Acyclovir to work?
Avatar f tn If you are taking antiviral medicines, such as acyclovir, famciclovir, ganciclovir, or valacyclovir (Valtrex) if can interfere with Herpes testing. This is primarily true in recent infections. The use of those medications can extend (but not prevent) seroconversion (the amount of time it takes your body to develop antibodies).
Avatar m tn Does it happen every time you take valacyclovir and stay there. If the rash is due to VCV, it should not come and go as long as you are taking the drug? Drug allergies may be either specific to the drug being taken or it may occur within a class of drugs. Thus, if this is a valacyclovir reaction, you might not react to famciclovir (you would however be likely to react to acyclovir since VCV turns into acyclovir within the body). Finally, you state you cannot live without VCV. Why is this?
Avatar f tn The official prescribing information for valacyclovir indicates a 1% chance of minor abnormalities of liver function in people taking valacyclovir, which was slightly higher than 0.5% for placebo. That difference was not statistically significant and there is no suggestion even for routine liver tests in people taking the drug. Here is a link to the official prescribing information about the drug, as approved by the US Food and Drug Administration: http://us.gsk.
Avatar m tn really no reason to be concerned about the actual dose of medication either. we have info on the safety of acyclovir for almost 30 years now and valtrex for 20 years. No long term side effects from being on them. If you are going to bother to take antivirals, take the right dose so that it's actually working.
Avatar n tn You need to be treated for this though genital herpes cannot be cured. There are antiviral drugs like acyclovir, valacyclovir and famciclovir which can shorten the episodes and decrease their severity. Acyclovir reduces the pain and number of lesions in the initial case of herpes and reduces recurrence. The ointment applied topically reduces pain, healing time and limits the spread.
Avatar m tn But anti-viral medications like acyclovir, valacyclovir and famciclovir are known to shorten out breaks and improve symptoms. It depends on one’s immunity also. If it is good the person may have less number of reactivations. If the immunity is relative less than he is likely to have more symptoms. Hope this helped and do keep us posted.
Avatar n tn Definitely talk to your doctor about your medication allergies. There are three types of anti virals that you could take - Acyclovir, Valacyclovir, and Famiciclovir. I'm not sure of how you would react to these - only a doctor would be able to tell you.
Avatar f tn Hello Everyone, Does anyone have any recent data or know of any new studies that attempt to answer the question of whether acyclovir or valacyclovir therapy delay seroconversion? In past posts, Dr. HHH stated that it is unlikely that antivirals delay seroconversion while a more recent post by Dr. EWH states that more recent data suggests antiviral therapy can delay seroconversion. Can some shed some light on this? Below is my timeline of events.