Valtrex and cold sores
Common Questions and Answers about Valtrex and cold sores
valtrex
I ended up having a slight fever and felt mildly sick and ended up getting a cold sore. Since then, my fever and illness have subsided, but I’ve been getting one cold sore after the other. As soon as one sore resolves another pops up. I’ve been taking Valtrex to resolve them, so they have not been particularly bad outbreaks, but I am concerned about their recurrence. Does anyone have any insight into what could be causing this?
i take valtrex now and it usualy comletely shuts down the cold sore on the spot but this time i couldnt take it soon enough so i got a bad one but its in the healing stage now so its a scab and is whitish in color and i was just wondering if theres anything to do to make it heal faster
ive heard all sorts of things from milk to a number of vitamins so I figured id ask on here
thanks-
However, ever since December 2009 I have been experiencing chronic outbreaks of cold sores. I sought medical attention this past February and was put on Valtrex. I noticed that the sores were getting more severe around the time of my period. Several doctors told me that going on a low hormone birth control (ortho tri cyclen lo) would be the solution. It has definitely decreased the severity of the sores during the time of my period.
I have a lot of friends and family with cold sores, and none of them have ever gone this long with persistent recurrences. Maybe I'm an exception, but I feel that I'm healthy enough to warrant investigating further possibilities....I just don't know what they may be?? Could this be something bacterial? If the swab comes back positive, should I keep up this neverending wait? Try new medicine?
At first I was getting cold sores about every 4 to 6 weeks. I then started taking 500 mg of Valtrex daily for suppression therapy. This seemed to reduce the frequency of my outbreaks to about once every 2 to 3 months. To save money, my insurance switched me to acyclovir (400 mg twice a day) with similar results as the Valtrex. Then starting about 3 months ago, I began to have outbreaks every two weeks even with the suppression therapy.
Its worse than cold sores and it some what allouded the docs as they have taken skin scrapping and sent them away to the lab to see if there is a fungal connection to it as it clears and then returns a couple of weeks later.
1) I have the beginnings of a cold sore on the lip. For Valacyclovir and Valtrex the recommended dosage is 2000mg every 12 hours...total of 4000mg in 24 hours. I have 2000mg of Valtrex and 2000mg Valacyclovir from prior outbreaks. Can I take them together for the some effect? Or do I need to take the 4000mg total dose with the same drug?
2) I am getting cold sores on the lip up to 3 times a year. There is no common catalyst. Each outbreak if not treated early is as severe as all the rest.
I know the names cold urticaria and cold sore are similar by coincidence and that the cold sores could have originally been caused by the stress of the sudden cold urticaria, but is there any other possible connections between cold sores and cold urticaria or something that could cause both of these? Thank you!
I have had horrible cold sores for 14 years. B4 that, nothing. My initial outbreak was on my nose. Huge blister massive facial swelling that led to hospitalization for a month and diagnosed with herpes encephalitis. Since then only massive blisters, size of a plum. Cannot see shape of nose. When out brake frms on my lip it's so large it swells to the bottom of my chin. B4 I would have an out brake once a year, now it's almost every month.
I get cold sores and was recently prescribed valtrex for outbreaks. Trouble is, it isn't always obvious that I'm going to have an outbreak. I'd rather be safe than sorry - but don't want to take valtrex too often if it isn't safe.
Would it be a problem if I took the one day 2,000 mg maybe twice per month when I thought an outbreak might be coming on?
s a few bucks cheaper than abreva which barely got fda approval to say that it heals cold sores faster than using placebo ( only heals a cold sore less than a day sooner than placebo so not worth the money they charge for that teeny tube ).
also steeping a tea bag and using it for a compress is helpful.
if they have a regular doc, they can just ask them to call in a prescription for them too.
t sound like you have cold sores. cold sores will not stick around for 3 months. coming back monthly is also unusual. I recommend finding a different dermatologist for a 2nd opinion including culturing of this. I'd stop the valtrex at this point. when you get a return of symptoms, be seen within 48 hours of their appearance and INSIST on a lesion culture for herpes, preferably pcr. confirm that these are hsv1 related and not something else going on.
I have been getting cold sores since I was young. I am an constantly stressful person I would usually only get outbreak (cold sore) once or twice a year but later in my later 20's I was getting outbreaks twice in a month or every month so I was prescribed 1gm of valtrex daily dosage. which would help for the most part and brought my outbreaks down to none or once a year again.
My understanding is that based on my Genitial HSV-1 diagnosis, I should never have another outbreak (or at least very few) and that I am at an extremely low risk of spreading the virus through shedding. Valtrex is outrageously expensive costing me and my HMO about $375 per month. Also, I am worried about the side effects of the drug. Lately I have started to feel rather depressed, something very new to me.
If I stop taking Valtrex will that cause outbreaks now that I've been on it for a month?! Also, he has not been tested but he doesn't ever get cold sores.. That's why I am so confused!
Recommended
