Valtrex
Herpes Treatment
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 Valtrex is a prescription medication taken by mouth that is effective in the treament of genital infection, mouth ulcers, and lip blisters caused by the herpes simplex virus.
Learn more about Valtrex .... |
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VALTREX comes in 500 milligrams
and 1-gram (1000mg) caplets. Its shape is oblong and it's colored dark
blue in both concentrations. The 500-milligram caplet is smaller in size
than the one-gram caplet. The caplets come with an easily recognizable
engraving that states “VALTREX 500” and “VALTREX 1 gram”.
ABOUT HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS:
Over 80 known viruses exist within the
Herpes family. Of these, 8 are known to cause disease in humans, the
most common being Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 (HSV-1) and type-2
(HSV-2). HSV-1 and HSV-2 look identical under the microscope, and
either type can infect the mouth or genitals. Usually, however, HSV-1
occurs above the waist, and HSV-2 below the waist:
- Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 (HSV-1)
- commonly causes herpes labialis (also called oral herpes, cold sores or
fever blisters), which is a highly infectious open sore that crust over
before healing. Although less probable, HSV-1 can also cause genital
herpes.
- Herpes Simplex Virus Type-2 (HSV-2)
- a contagious viral infection primarily causing genital herpes in men and
women. The telltale signs and symptoms of genital herpes include recurrent
clusters of blisters, bumps and rashes in the genital areas. HSV-2 can
also be responsible for herpes labialis (cold sores), although less often
than HSV-1.
TRANSMISSION OF HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS:
Unlike viruses such as influenza, which
can be transmitted through the air, Herpes Simplex Viruses require
physical contact. They are frequently transmitted through mouth-to-mouth
contact (in the case of HSV-1) or genital-to-genital contact (in the case
of HSV-2), although other means of transmission, including hand-to-genital
and mouth-to-genital contact, are possible.
HOW DOES VALTREX WORK?
VALTREX is selectively absorbed
into cells infected with Herpes Simplex Virus. Within the cell
Herpes Simplex Virus coded enzymes convert VALTREX into its active
form. This active form of the drug inhibits the growth and replication of
Herpes Simplex Virus by interfering with viral DNA replication.
VALTREX is preferentially taken up
and converted into its active form only by Herpes Simplex Virus
infected cells. Thus, VALTREX is much less toxic for normal
uninfected cells.
WHAT IS EPISODIC THERAPY AND HOW DOES
IT WORK?
With episodic therapy, you take
medication for several days at the first sign of an oral or genital
Herpes Simplex Virus outbreak.
Episodic therapy works by disrupting the
process by which the herpes virus reproduces itself and spreads to
other cells in the body. Medication, taken early in the reactivation
cycle, may shorten the duration or severity of symptoms.
IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE TO EPISODIC
THERAPY?
Yes. If you find that the anticipation of
your next outbreak is causing you to worry constantly or if you have
frequent severe outbreaks, you might want to consider suppressive therapy
that involves taking medication every day to suppress outbreaks before
symptoms ever appear.
IS EPISODIC THERAPY RIGHT FOR ME?
If you have few outbreaks, or if your
outbreaks don't bother you much when they do occur, episodic therapy is
probably be right for you.
HOW EFFECTIVE IS VALTREX FOR EPISODIC
THERAPY?
In clinical trials, VALTREX
shortened the healing time of genital herpes sores by 33% (four days v.
six days) on average compared to placebo. Perhaps as importantly, the
duration of pain associated with genital herpes was reduced by 25%
(three days v. four days) in patients who received VALTREX as
opposed to placebo. VALTREX also stopped viral shedding 50% (two
days v. four days) faster on average than placebo. Viral shedding is the
process in which virus is released from the skin during an outbreak of
genital herpes.
HOW IS VALTREX TAKEN FOR EPISODIC THERAPY?
- For the first episode of infection with
Herpes Simplex Virus VALTREX is taken in a dosage of 1-gram
twice daily for 10 days.
- For recurrent episodes of infection
with Herpes Simplex Virus VALTREX is taken in a dosage of
500-milligrams twice daily for 3 days.
WHAT IS SUPPRESSIVE THERAPY AND HOW
DOES IT WORK?
With suppressive therapy, medication can
be taken every day to help suppress outbreaks of Herpes Simplex Virus
infection before they occur. While on suppressive drug therapy, some
people can go 6 months or longer without an outbreak.
HOW IS SUPPRESSIVE THERAPY DIFFERENT
FROM EPISODIC THERAPY?
You may now be taking medication as
symptoms of an outbreak begin in order to reduce the outbreak's severity
and duration. (This method of treatment is called "acute therapy" or
"episodic therapy.") However, treating genital Herpes Simplex Virus
infections this way does not actually affect the number of outbreaks you
may experience. In contrast, suppressive therapy means taking daily
medication to help suppress outbreaks before symptoms ever begin.
IS SUPPRESSIVE THERAPY RIGHT FOR ME?
If genital herpes recurs
frequently and with great severity or affects your self-esteem and
confidence, you are a candidate for suppressive therapy.
HOW EFFECTIVE IS VALTREX FOR
SUPPRESSIVE THERAPY?
- Over half of the patients (55%) who
experienced a high frequency of outbreaks (6 or more per year) did not
have a single outbreak for 6 months while taking a 1-gram VALTREX
Caplet once a day.
- Only 7% of those taking placebo (sugar
pill) avoided an outbreak in 6 months. By the end of 12 months, 33% of the
patients taking VALTREX still had not had a single outbreak
- compared to only 4% of those taking
placebo (sugar pill).
Patients with nine or fewer outbreaks showed comparable results with
VALTREX 500 mg once daily.
There are no data on the safety or effectiveness of suppressive therapy
longer than 1 years duration.
HOW IS VALTREX TAKEN FOR SUPPRESSIVE
THERAPY?
- The recommended dosage of VALTREX
for chronic suppressive therapy of recurrent genital herpes is 1-gram once
daily.
- In patients with a history of 9 or
fewer recurrences per year, an alternative dosage is 500-milligrams once
daily.
IF I AM ON THERAPY, CAN I STILL SPREAD
HERPES TO OTHERS?
YES, no drug has been proven to prevent
the spread of herpes infection to other people. You or your partner
should always use condoms and avoid sexual contact during an outbreak.
SIDE EFFECTS OF VALTREX THERAPY:
Nausea, vomiting, headache, loss of
appetite, weakness, stomach pain or dizziness may occur for the first
several days after therapy has begun as your body adjusts to the
medication. If any of these effects continue or become bothersome, you may
have to discontinue the medication.
VALTREX PRECAUTIONS:
On your medical history/personal profile
let us know if you have any kidney disease, blood disorders or if you have
any allergies when ordering Valtrex.
Valtrex should be used only if clearly needed
during pregnancy. It is not known if the medicine appears in breast milk.
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