Valtrex transmission
Common Questions and Answers about Valtrex transmission
valtrex
I take it to prevent transmission only. I know that Valtrex reduces transmission by half for people. Does anybody know if there is any research showing if long term Valtrex reduces viral shedding?
Also, does anybody know of any research about how much people shed in asymptomatic cases. I read all the stats online, and the Valtrex stats are mainly for people with symptoms. Thanks for any help!!!
I have read in various places that Valtrex is the only suppressive medication that has been proven in clinical trials to reduce transmission. I am under the impression, however, that this is simply because Valtrex is the only drug that has been tested for reduction in transmission.
My question is....since Acyclovir also suppresses the HSV-2 virus, is it likely that it will also reduce the risk of transmission? Or, is Valtrex a more effective drug and should I consider switching to that?
lysine isn't effective for herpes. we don't recommend it.
if you have a regular partner who you are trying to reduce the risk of transmission to, then take valtrex every single day. If you don't currently have a partner and aren't having any painful recurrences, no reason to take it at this time. make sense?
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.
Only one of the things that you list, Valtrex, has been shown to reduce transmission of herpes from one person to another. I worry about putting things on the labia that have unproven effects. For example, for a long time we believed that nonoxynol 9 could reduce the risk of herpes transmission, but it turned out it increased the risk! So if you were my patients, I would say that you stop putting things on your vagina except lubricants specifically made for sexual contact.
So now that i found out that i have hsv-1 do i need to take valtrex everyday for the rest of my life if i dont want to get my partner infected?
Some people say that you need to be taking Valtrex for a while, but her doctor seemed to believe use it on an as-needed basis to get the same benefits (hopefully reduced transmission too). She did take it for a year straight about 2 yrs prior. Was 9 days of Valtrex enough to get it's maximal benefit?
As for the people who contract HSV2 on single events, I was thinking perhaps there may have been outbreaks, just no one was paying attention at the right time?
There's some evidence that Valtrex works better than cutting transmission by 50%. That's the least amount of reduction you'll get.
Your partner could still contract HSV2 with you on Valtrex (especially if you have sex while you are experiencing symptoms), but the risk is really low. Like 2% a year or something.
Never heard of Valtrex causing yeast problems, but grace would know the answer to that one. I wouldn't waste my money on lysine.
Hello all,
I was diagnosed with hsv-2 about 5 years ago and since has been on 500mg valtrex daily. I have never had an outbreak since. Because I am doing so good my doctor has offered I cut down to 250-mg a daily. In all of the literature on Valtrex I have never read of 250mg daily, it's always 500mg.
My concern is my partner who's hsv negative. Will he be at higher risk? My doctor seems to think no considering I have no outbreaks, been on valtrex 5 years, and my age (50).
What are your thoughts on the usefulness of taking L-Lysine as a daily supplement to combat HSV and reduce transmission? I’ve heard of creams you can put on your skin to reduce the likelyhood of STD transmission (effective for a few hours to days), are any such products coming to market that you know of? What are your thoughts on the likelihood of a vaccine becoming available in the next few years?
I want to take anti-virals to reduce transmission risk, and I will practice safe sex with condom use. Do all anti-virals reduce transmission risk, or is Valtrex the only one as is claimed by the manufacturer? Do I risk damage to my kidneys if I take this drug at a 500 milligram dose daily for long term use and is it effective long term? (I understand the study was for eight months, so there is no information on long-term effect after a year on Valtrex. What about other anti-virals?
What are the transmission rates from woman to man while the woman takes Valtrex? Is it more likely than not that we can have a normal sex life and he never catch HSV? Any female stories out there about transmission from female to male?
I was reading up on the 2004 Valtrex study and it seemed to indicate that reduction of transmission risk from a HSV2+ male to HSV2- female was 50% in the study (i.e. 8-10% risk per year simply avoiding contact with an ob, would then be 4-5% a year with suppressive Valtrex therapy, or about 2-2.5% when also using condoms).
The question I have is that compliance in the study with taking the Valtrex every day was not 100% (i.e.
never had ANY symptoms, etc. After I found out, I got on valtrex for suppression. Now I get these little tingles of pain around my chin area. No blisters. Have no idea how long I have had this. My question is can I transmit this to a woman if I kiss her or if I'm using my tongue on her nipples?
I am HSV-2 positive and my girlfriend stopped using condoms last week. Our relationship is still relatively new (about 8 months), so we're still having sex at least 2 or 3 times per day. I am taking 500 mg of Valtrex daily, and I know that's supposed to reduce risk of transmission by about 48% down to 4-5% per year. And this is supposedly more protection than a condom offers (around 40% reduced risk, I believe).
Is that a 2% transmission risk with just the daily Valtrex or does that % reflect suppressive therapy coupled with condom usage?
Well valtrex is generic now everywhere so it shouldn't be a money issue for most folks if they have decent prescription coverage with their insurance. Acyclovir is still way cheaper but if you have insurance coverage that makes generics low cost, valtrex is, as of this month, going to be WAY cheaper for you now :)
the technicality to the answer to your question is this - only valtrex has been studied for reduction in transmission to a partner.
ve had hsv 2 for 7 years and have started suppression therapy on Valtrex for 6 months to prevent transmission to a new partner. It seems like i have way more outbreaks taking valtrex daily compared to in the past where i would take it just for an outbreak i would get maybe once a year. Has anyone else reported this? Should i stop taking it daily?
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