Valtrex (Valacyclovir) is the most potent drug for herpes treatment
Herpes is a nasty viral disease. It is manifested in the watery bubbles on the mucous membranes. The disease is accompanied by painful sensations and itching in the affected areas. Without timely and proper treatment, herpes can re-emerge spread to a larger area. You should take the treatment of herpes with high responsibility: go to the doctor and strictly follow the recommendations. Valacyclovir is one of the most effective and popular drugs for the treatment of the herpes virus.
How to Get Valtrex (Valacyclovir)
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What is it? How does it act?
Valtrex (Valacyclovir) is a drug aimed at the treatment of different infections. The pills are intended for the treatment of herpes simplex and herpes zoster. This is an antiviral drug, which transforms into Acyclovir after being absorbed in the body. The task of the drug is the treatment of infections of the mucous membranes (both at the first manifestation of the disease and at relapse). Acyclovir is active against herpes simplex and herpes zoster; it quickly relieves the symptoms and promotes healing. The correct use of Valacyclovir allows you to get rid of virus for a long time.
Valtrex is a chemical substance that, entering the human body under the action of a natural enzyme Valtrex hydrolase, quickly turns into Acyclovir. This method of treatment is much more effective, as bioavailability of Acyclovir produced directly in the patient’s body is way higher than that of Acyclovir in the form of tablets.
Respectively, if you need a faster result and less pressure on internal organs, it makes sense to spring for Valacyclovir. If the problem is not that serious, you can use Acyclovir. This medication is excreted a little longer and requires an increased dosage. For comparison: for the treatment of recurrent herpes zoster, patients are prescribed 100 mg of Valacyclovir once a day 200 mg of Acyclovir twice a day (which is a much higher load on liver, kidneys and heart).
Indications and contraindications
Acyclovir penetrates into the mother’s plasma and breast milk. Pregnant women should take Valtrex (Valacyclovir) with great caution and only in case of emergency. Nursing mothers must not use the drug as the effect of the drug on the baby’s body has not been fully explored. Under certain forms of HIV infection, the drug is prescribed rarely and only under the supervision of a doctor. Valacyclovir is contraindicated for people with high sensitivity to Acyclovir or other components of the drug. The drug is contraindicated to children and older people with acute renal failure.
Dosage and way of use
The pills are intended for oral intake. Optimal treatment is prescribed depending on the nature and type of disease. In case of herpes zoster, you should take 1000mg 3 times a day. In case of herpes simplex, you should take 500mg of the drug twice a day. At relapse, the course of treatment lasts 3-5 days. In severe cases, the treatment lasts longer. For prevention, you should take the pills once or twice a day for 4-12 months, depending on the nature and frequency of relapses. In cases of genital herpes, doctors prescribe the optimum dose for healthy and infected partners. Overdose can be accompanied by vomiting, nausea, severe abdominal pain and mental confusion if you exceed the average dose of Acyclovir (20g) more than once. After diagnosing overdose, patients require hemodialysis and drug withdrawal.
Side effects and interaction with other drugs
It is necessary to take precautions while combining Valtrex with other drugs affecting the work of the kidneys. You should be careful when combining Valtrex with drugs competing with Acyclovir. No strong clinical interactions have been found.
The most frequent side effects are headache and nausea. In rare cases, people with reduced immunity experience anaphylaxis and thrombocytopenia.
Nervous system (rarely): dizziness, disorientation, hallucinations and mental decline.
GI tract (rarely): abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Almost all side effects disappeared after the withdrawal of the drug.