Valtrex and herpes transmission
Common Questions and Answers about Valtrex and herpes transmission
valtrex
ve been taking 500mg of Valtrex every night and plan to do so for the next year to year and a half as suggested by my doctor. I have had no other outbreaks since the first one. My doctor explained to me that taking Valtrex on a regimen would help the virus become dormant. I was wondering what that meant specifically in terms of my likelihood of transmitting the virus to sexual partners with or without condoms.
Second outbreak, lesions were gone with 48 hours as I got to take my valtrex when I got the tingle and used the cream. Third outbreak.....valtrex with the tingle and no lesions.
Talk to me about how severe this case is?
My new partner is HSV clear. I am so worried about infecting him. We use condoms.
Caught it from previous partner who had it for ten years and no outbreaks in the last 12 months.
HSV-1 is less susceptible to Valtrex and related drugs, so the necessary dose is unknown and might be higher than for HSV-2. Also, asymptomatic shedding is less common with oral HSV-1 than genital HSV-2. Finally, the main strategy for protecting your partner probably should be for him or her to be tested for HSV-1. There is a 50-50 chance of a positive result, in which case s/he is not susceptible and you need take no precautions at all.
To the specific questions:
1,3) Answered above.
What is the likelihood of transmission of genital herpes through indirect contact for the people who live in the same household as me. I am worried about transmission through inanimate objects such as soap bars, towels, toilet seat, computer mouse/keyboard, countertops, etc...basically things that everyone in the household would touch eventually.
I never have lesions on the shaft, does this decrease likelihood of transmission? Between out breaks (and it may just be in my head) I do have periodic itching on the scrotum, inner thigh and pubic hair area. Anyway of determining if this indicates that I am actually shedding the virus, and in an amount sufficient to transmit?
Thank you in advance!
I am a 51 year old female with HSV-2. I have a new partner and want to protect him. He wants to have sex without a condom, but I am worried. I am one of the people that have a hard time controlling outbreaks. I have gone from being inactive sexually to active in a short time.
s an irritant and irritants have been found to trigger shedding and increase transmission. The skin in the genital area is very sensitive and you are drying it out and doing more harm than good.
Daily suppressive therapy with valtrex , condoms and avoiding sex during obvious genital symptoms takes her risk down to 2-3%/year of transmission. You'll never get it down to 0.
I take it she's been tested to know her own status?
Start doing some reading about herpes transmission on and off the medication, and both of you get blood tests for both types, and take it from there. I'd start on the doctor side of this forum. There are plenty of threads in the Archives over there to answer all your questions.
Hello. Just wanted to try to clear some things up for myself. I went to my provider on Fri. and she could not find any evidence of a reoccurence, yeast, or anything. Stated that my symptoms could be hormonal due to my period. Thought I saw something a few days before, but she said it could just be the normal bumps present in the gential area. Hope I'm not going to become a freak about this.
If using soap and water after sex does not decrease chances of it spreading, then how come everywhere says to make sure you wash your hands with hot soap and water in order to prevent it from spreading to other parts of your body? In theory, wouldn't a shower work in somewhat of the same way??
Are the statistics I hear correct??
I guess I am wondering if it really reduces the viral shedding (What is the difference between shedding and an outbrea anyway) or transmission to an uninfected partner? What about L-Lysine and something about kelp that helps to reduce it too. I guess I am just confused since I dont know what an outbreak really is!
Sometimes I forget that I have this....
If I have a genetal herpes and my partner doesn't, i do want to keep it that way. By taking valtrex it doesn't 100% prevent the transmission, so they say we have to use condoms, which we don't prefer. So, my Question is how effective the Valtrex is and do you have anything else to recommend to prevent transmission without using condoms. Thanks.
I plan to test after 12-16 weeks with no more unprotected sex before then. She has no insurance and Valtrex is too expensive. I have read/heard quite different accounts about the extent to which the less-expensive acyclovir provides protection to potential partners: I understand it reduces the frequency of outbreaks and of asymptomatic shedding to some degree. I have had cold sores (i.e.
Oh and also, here is the circumstance of why I am asking. I am a female on Valtrex and my partner is HSV free. We have decided together to move away from condoms pretty much being aware of the statistics that if I stay on Valtrex there is about a 2 percent chance he will get it. Am curious about the early symptoms and what we need to look for in case he would need to go get tested again at some point.
For two years I had an outbreak approximately 4 or 5 times a year. I was placed on Valtrex and they seemed to diminish. I may have had a couple here and there but for the past 2 years I have had none. I've been with a new man for approximately 2 years now and continue to take my Valtrex (1 Gram) daily. Can you tell me what risk I have of transmitting this disease to him??
No she has to take it everyday. do you only see each other very infrequently like once every few months or something? It takes at least 5 days to "kick in". In the valtrex and transmission study - about 3/4's of the folks who transmitted hsv2 to their partners - weren't taking their valtrex every single day. If you factor those folks out - the risk of transmission is even lower.
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3) There is no discrepancy between the low transmission risk overall and the occasional person who catches herpes after a single exposure. That would be like saying that when someone gets struck by lightning, someone else's risk goes up. Rare things happen. The person who catches herpes after a single exposure, like the person hit by lightning, was just unlucky.
Your risk of herpes seems far too low to warrant all these blood tests.
the 500mg daily dose is the dose for 9 or less ob's a year. it's what the herpes and reduction in transmission study used for determining the reduction in transmission to partner.
some providers do prefer the 1gm daily dose for the first 6 months to a year just because. No real research that shows that it reduces recurrences more for the majority of people nor any info that shows that it reduces transmission to a partner even more.
Im just wondering which med is best when it comes to reducing shedding and risk of transmission to a sexual partner, and also do you have to take it daily or can you only take it before your sexual encounter? .
Since then I have had 2 minor outbreaks, both on my waist near the navel. I currently use Valtrex when I feel an outbreak coming on and it seems to suppress the symptoms.
I'm recently in a new relationship and need to discuss with my new partner before we become sexually active, but before I do I had a couple of questions. Since my outbreaks are on the waist a condom will obviously not cover that area.
Your bf needs to find a provider who understands herpes and transmission better. he needs to let them know that he wants suppressive therapy to help reduce the transmission of hsv2 to his partner.
What are the risks of transmission ? What are the risks for him to catch Herpes type 1 and transforming to type 2 if we have oral sex ? If he were to take Valtrex, could that prevent him from catching it too ?
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