Valtrex acyclovir
Common Questions and Answers about Valtrex acyclovir
valtrex
Valtrex is an acyclovir prodrug. Greatly simplified - you swallow valtrex and your body converts it into acyclovir inside the body. You get more active acyclovir available to kick a little herpes butt by doing it this way. That's why you take valtrex less often. We don't have studies to confirm that acyclovir reduces transmission the same amount as valtrex does but we assume it does.
http://racoon.com/herpes/v_a_compare.
Like most I cannot afford Valtrex any more. I have switched to Acyclovir. I've used it effectively for the couple of outbreaks but it seems to be taking considerably longer. I am taking L-Lysene as a suppressor and only take the Acyclovir at the first sign of an outbreak. I was taking 1000mg Valtrex at onset and then 500mg twice a day and everything was clear in 3 days. To get the same effectiveness from Acyclovir how much should I be taking daily during out breaks?
d try acyclovir suppressively instead of the valtrex and see if that works better for you. Even though valtrex is an acyclovir prodrug, some folks just do better on the acyclovir than they do the valtrex. My guess would be because you get less active acyclovir in your body with plain ole acyclovir than you do valtrex but we have no studies to back this assumption.
I have taking both Valtrex & Acyclovir in the past and for me, Valtrex seems to work a lot better for clearing up an ob quicker. Since moving back to the U.S. from Europe, I cannot believe how expensive Valtrex is here in the U.S.! I just want to get confirmation that there is a Generic Valtrex that is NOT Acyclovir - it that correct? My online pharmacy is offering me Valcyclovir which is a lot cheaper than Valtrex but I just want to make sure it isn't Acyclovir before I purchase it.
acyclovir is 400mg 2x/day every single day. she will still get recurrences while on daily suppressive therapy regardless of if she's on acyclovir or valtrex, you just take acyclovir more often than you do valtrex.
Is there any other treatment for recurrent herpes besides acyclovir and valtrex? I have never taken valtrex but have read that they are the same thing. I feel so bloated, tired and dizzy while on acyclovir. My dr said we could try valtrex...but if it's the same, what's the point? Any other people with similar side effects that found solutions?
does valtrex have any effect on the hiv window period seeing that study finds that valtrex lowers hiv viral load http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/InSite?page=jl-11-04 Also,would taking valtrex shortly after exsposure to hiv delay hiv window period like pep does . I don't understand how it could not .
My girlfriend was just given a prescription for Valtrex, however, even with insurance it is $75 a month. So, her doctor gave her another option in acyclovir, which was only $15 and had to be taken twice a day as opposed to one a day with the valtrex. Is there any real significant benefit to taking the Valtrex that would warrant paying the additional costs? Please let me know, so we can switch if necessary.
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.
I was on valtrex but do to the cost switched to acyclovir. The period of time I was on 1000mg of valtrex I never had a breakout. I get them on my hip normally when I am about to menstruate. It has been about 2 months since the switch to 1xday 800mg acyclovir and I have experienced an outbreak. I don't understand why since they are the same drug?
When you take a 500mg valtrex tablet - you get about 55% of active acyclovir that actually survives the digestive process and is available to circulate thru your body and kick a little herpes butt when it finds it ( valtrex is an acyclovir prodrug which means you swallow valtrex but the body turns it into acyclovir ).
The NEW Doctor tells me that the only difference between taking Valtrex (what I have been taking) to Acyclovir (What they now want to prescribe) is the number of times a day you take it. I looked online...they say that Valtrex does a better job of helping you not to transmit the virus (most of this information provided by GlaxoSmithKline of course). The supression study has them identical. I am in a relationship where I really enjoy our "personal time".
Maybe they are gearing up to move everyone to generic Valtrex which I am sure will have a greater profit margin than acyclovir. I would hate to think that the drug companies are going to try to force people into a more expensive option but it wouldn't surprise me.
I know there are people here that are more "plugged in" to this industry/topic than I am. Do you have any thoughts?
I would be interested to know.
Some folks do not tolerate valtrex for whatever reason. If you think you are having more ob's while on valtrex or "worse" ob's - the first thing I recommend is going to be seen when you have symptoms to make sure that it's only herpes going on. If you picked the right gender when you registered here then you are female and for us gals - many, many things can go on down yonder to further complicate our herpes/mimick herpes ob's.
Your comments in other threads seem to indicate that taking Acyclovir at 400 mg 2x per day is the equivalent of taking the Valtrex at 500 mg 1x per day. Is this correct? I hope so because Valtrex is $225 versus Acyclovir at $17 per month.
I also spoke to a friend who has had herpes for over 20 years before either drug was around....just topical creams. She now takes Acyclovir (since it came out) effectively 2x/day with no breakouts.
no, not acyclovir ( xovirax ) cream. It's useless for herpes and too overpriced.
You want to use acyclovir oral pills as outlined in the herpes handbook.
fyi - if you are using the H balm system and a herpes antiviral like valtrex , acyclovir or famvir, you'll never know if the H balm worked or if it was the antivirals making it seem like the H balm system was working.
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