Does Hydrocortisone Help With Herpes

Dosage For All Approved Conditions

Generic: Hydrocortisone

• Strengths: 5 mg, 10 mg, and 20 mg

Brand: Cortef

• Strengths: 5 mg, 10 mg, and 20 mg

Adult dosage

• Typical starting dosage: 20240 mg per day, depending on your condition and how severe it is.
• Dosage adjustments: The starting dosage should be maintained or increased until your body has a good response. If your body responds well, your doctor may slowly start to decrease your dosage.

Child dosage

Your doctor will decide your childs dosage. It will depend on factors such as the condition being treated and how severe it is.

Disclaimer: Our goal is to provide you with the most relevant and current information. However, because drugs affect each person differently, we can not guarantee that this list includes all possible dosages. This information is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with your doctor or pharmacist about dosages that are right for you.

Hydrocortisone oral tablet is used for short-term or long-term treatment. How long you take it will depend on the condition youre treating.

This drug comes with risks if you dont take it as prescribed by your doctor.

If you stop suddenly: Stopping the drug suddenly may lead to a withdrawal reaction. Symptoms of withdrawal may include fever, muscle and joint pain, and overall discomfort. Your risk is greater if youve taken hydrocortisone for more than a few days.

When its time to stop, your doctor may decrease your dosage slowly to avoid withdrawal.

How Should I Use This Medicine

This medicine is only for external use on cold sores. Follow the directions on the prescription label. Wash hands before and after use. Use a finger cot or rubber gloves so that you do not spread the infection to another site. Apply a thin layer to cover all lesions. Do not get this medicine in your eyes. If you do, rinse out with plenty of cool tap water. Do not bathe, shower, or swim within 30 minutes of applying this medicine. Use this medicine at regular intervals. Do not use more often than directed. Finish the full course prescribed by your doctor or health care professional even if you think you are better. Do not stop using except on your doctor’s advice. Talk to your doctor if your cold sore is not better in 2 weeks.

Talk to your pediatrician regarding the use of this medicine in children. Special care may be needed. While this drug may be prescribed for children as young as 6 years of age, precautions do apply.

Overdosage: If you think you have taken too much of this medicine contact a poison control center or emergency room at once.

NOTE: This medicine is only for you. Do not share this medicine with others.

Keeping Herpes Outbreaks To A Minimum

I HAVE HERPES, WHAT NOW?Besides going to your doctor and getting the prescribed therapy, there are a few lifestyle tips that can help make a Herpes outbreak more bearable. I have listed them below.

1) Always keep the affected area clean and dry2) Try to avoid touching the area during an outbreak, but if you do touch it, wash your hands immediately after contact3) During the hot months, avoid excessive heat or sunlight, sometimes these can trigger an outbreak4) As tempting as it might be, do not break open the blisters. This will not shorten the length of time that they stay.5) You may feel as if you have invented some new therapies, but you should not use sprays, feminine deodorants, or douches,6) You should also avoid putting petroleum jelly, alcohol, antibiotic cream or ointment, or cortisone cream or ointment on genital herpes because they will sting and they will not help heal the sores any faster.7) Wear loose-fitting cotton clothing. Save the fitted clothes for times when you are not having an outbreak.8) You have to figure out what works for you, try a warm bath. Some find it soothing and others think that it hurts.9) When you are finished showering or bathing, use a blow dryer set on low or cool to dry the genital area.

WHEN SHOULD SOMEONE CONSIDER SUPPRESSIVE THERAPY

DAILY SUPRESSIVE MEDICATION ASK YOUR DOCTOR WHICH ONE IS RIGHT FOR YOU

Valcyclovir HCL 1GM Orally Each Day

Valcyclovir HCL 500MG Orally Each Day if Less Than 9 Outbreaks Each Year

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Hydrocortisone Topical Side Effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives difficult breathing swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

• worsening of your skin condition

• redness, warmth, swelling, oozing, or severe irritation of any treated skin

• high blood sugar–increased thirst, increased urination, dry mouth, fruity breath odor or

• possible signs of absorbing this medicine through your skin–weight gain , slow wound healing, thinning or discolored skin, increased body hair, muscle weakness, nausea, diarrhea, tiredness, mood changes, menstrual changes, sexual changes.

Less serious side effects may be more likely, and you may have none at all.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Do Natural Remedies Help

There are several options that can be tried to ease the pain. A73612 and Donnor52059 suggest dabbing cornstarch directly on the sores. I can’t find any scientific studies that have researched this, but I can’t see that it would do any harm.

A73612 also recommends squirting water from a bottle over the sores when you pee. This is a time-honoured method that will help to ease the pain.

Yolandayw mentioned taking a simple painkiller such as paracetamol during an outbreak. Feelbroken advised putting Vaseline on the sores. Lidocaine 5%, a local anaesthetic gel that numbs the area, is another option. Some people find it helpful to put on five minutes before passing urine. You need to get it on prescription and it doesn’t suit everyone. Some people develop sensitivity to it which makes the symptoms worse.

Yolandayw also advised using ice as a home remedy. Simply wrap the ice in a tea towel and apply for 5-10 minutes. Never put ice directly on the skin as this can cause ‘ice burn’. Drinking plenty of water can also be helpful as it reduces the concentration of urine, making it less painful when you have to pee.

D91907 mentioned putting aloe vera gel on the sores. There is some scientific evidence that aloe vera is useful for both genital and oral herpes.

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What Are The Topical Treatment Options For Herpes Zoster

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There are a variety of topic treatments, including topical acyclovir 5% cream, lidocaine, and capsaicin. The latter, applied at least 5 times a day, depletes neurotransmitters at involved nerve endings. Topical lidocaine can also be used to treat patients with PHN. For acute HZO, a good approach is wet-to-dry dressings with sterile saline solution or Burow solution , which should be applied to the affected skin for 30-60 minutes 4-6 times daily. A modified form of Burow solution is commercially sold as Domeboro powder packets, which need to be dissolved in water. The acyclovir cream is often applied 5 times a day for 4 days. Calamine lotion, a mixture of zinc oxide with about 0.5% iron oxide, may be used as an antipruritic agent. It is also used as a mild antiseptic to prevent infections that can be caused by scratching the affected area, as well as an astringent for weeping or oozing blisters. There is, however, no proof that calamine lotion has any real therapeutic effect on rashes and itching. Topical ozone therapy may be beneficial in diminishing pain and shortening the course, with few if any adverse effects.

References

Important: How To Use This Information

This is a summary and does NOT have all possible information about this product. This information does not assure that this product is safe, effective, or appropriate for you. This information is not individual medical advice and does not substitute for the advice of your health care professional. Always ask your health care professional for complete information about this product and your specific health needs.

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What Should I Know About Storage And Disposal Of This Medication

Keep this medication in the container it came in, with the cap on and tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture . Never leave this medication in your car in cold or hot weather.

Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. Talk to your pharmacist or contact your local garbage/recycling department to learn about take-back programs in your community. See the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website for more information if you do not have access to a take-back program.

It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily. To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location â one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach.

What Side Effects Are Possible With This Medication

Many medications can cause side effects. A side effect is an unwanted response to a medication when it is taken in normal doses. Side effects can be mild or severe, temporary or permanent.

The side effects listed below are not experienced by everyone who takes this medication. If you are concerned about side effects, discuss the risks and benefits of this medication with your doctor.

The following side effects have been reported by at least 1% of people taking this medication. Many of these side effects can be managed, and some may go away on their own over time.

Contact your doctor if you experience these side effects and they are severe or bothersome. Your pharmacist may be able to advise you on managing side effects.

• burning, dryness, irritation, itching, or redness of skin
• increased redness or scaling of skin sores
• skin rash

Although most of the side effects listed below don’t happen very often, they could lead to serious problems if you do not seek medical attention.

Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur:

• appearance of blood vessels under the surface of your skin
• changes in skin colour
• lack of healing of skin condition
• painful, red or itchy, pus-containing blisters in hair follicles
• signs of absorption of too much corticosteroid
• acne
• fatty pad between the shoulders
• filling or rounding out of the face
• menstrual problems
• thinning skin with easy bruising
• unusual increase in hair growth
• skin pain or burning
• stretch marks

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How Long To Use It For

Most people only need to use hydrocortisone skin treatments for a short time. Stop as soon as your skin is better. Sometimes you only need to use the skin treatments for a few days.

For insect bites and stings, nappy rash or contact dermatitis you’ll probably only need to use a skin cream for up to 1 week.

For long-term skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis you may need to use treatments for longer.

If you buy hydrocortisone from a pharmacy or shop, do not use it for more than 1 week without talking to your doctor.

Popular Creams For Alleviating Shingles Pain

What are shingles?Also known as herpes zoster, shingles is a condition that is triggered by the varicella zoster virus. It is the virus that is responsible for causing chickenpox. After chickenpox is treated, it remains in a dormant state inside the nervous system. Usually, shingles is characterized by a blistering rash on the skin. It is mostly a common condition in elderly individuals, who have a fragile immune system. However, any person can contract shingles. In most cases, after patients have recovered from shingles they will not get affected by it again. Although, it is possible for it to occur more than once.

Shingles is not a contagious condition, but there is a small possibility of the virus spreading to someone who has never had chickenpox and isnt vaccinated either.

Symptoms of shinglesThe most common symptom that is witnessed is a persistent form of pain that can be dull, sharp or might even burn. However, for some patients, the discomfort could be intermittent. The other signs indicating the onset of shingles are

To help you buy better, here are some of the best creams for shingles pain and itching.

Hydrocortisone creams When you are buying OTC creams for alleviating shingles pain and itching, ensure that the product has at least 1% of hydrocortisone in it. Hydrocortisone can offer quick relief from the common symptoms.

Cold compress Using a cold compress on the affected area several times a day can help calm the pain and irritation caused by shingles.

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How To Use Skin Cream Or Ointment

What Are Cold Sores Anyway

Cold sores are usually caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 . That’s a strain of the virus that’s closely related to the type 2 bug responsible for genital blisters. These are just two of the eight types of virus in the herpes family that affect humansanother well-known one causes chickenpox .

It used to be that HSV-2 was the virus mostly seen in genital herpes HSV-1 in cold sores. But today, both viruses can be found in either place and cause symptoms for you there, and both can be spread by oral sex.

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Is It A Cold Sore

Cold sores are fluid-filled blisters that usually appear on the lips or near the mouth. They are a symptom of HSV, which is a virus people carry throughout their lives.

When HSV is active, a person may experience frequent cold sores in response to certain triggers, such as stress or sunlight. HSV can also lie dormant for long periods.

People may confuse cold sores with other conditions, such as canker sores. However, canker sores are mouth ulcers that form inside the mouth and look like white circles with a red halo. By contrast, cold sores appear around the mouth and go through specific stages as they burst and heal:

As cold sores can resemble other conditions, it is a good idea for people to check they have a cold sore before they buy a cream. A doctor, nurse, or pharmacist can help with this.

suggests that common cold sore treatments can reduce the symptoms and speed up healing time by a small amount.

Effective cold sore creams may include:

Cold sore creams work best when a person applies them as soon as they feel the first symptoms.

Please note that all information is research-based. The author has not personally tested any of the products below. The article does not recommend one product over another.

What Happens During An Outbreak

Genital herpes is an infection caused by the herpes simplex virus. You catch it by having intimate contact with someone who has the virus.

In between episodes, most people don’t know they have been infected by it. The virus remains in your nervous system and can be reactivated from time to time to give you symptoms. Outbreaks can occur in the genital area if the first infection was in the genitals. They cause crops of small painful blisters in the genital area and back passage . Herpes can also cause recurrent cold sores if the primary infection was around the mouth.

No one knows why outbreaks occur, although sunlight, physical illness, excess alcohol, and stress are all thought to be trigger factors. They often do become less frequent over time.

Recurrent episodes of genital herpes generally don’t last as long as the first outbreak. They are sometimes preceded by itching or tingling in the genital area. Recurrent outbreaks usually last about 7-10 days, shorter than the primary infection which can last up to two weeks. They are also often milder than a primary infection but as R35506 found, the shallow ulcers left when the blisters break can still be quite painful.

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Why Is This Medication Prescribed

Acyclovir cream is used to treat cold sores on the face or lips. Acyclovir ointment is used to treat first outbreaks of genital herpes and to treat certain types of sores caused by the herpes simplex virus in people with weak immune systems. Acyclovir is in a class of antiviral medications called synthetic nucleoside analogues. It works by stopping the spread of the herpes virus in the body. Acyclovir does not cure cold sores or genital herpes, does not prevent outbreaks of these conditions, and does not stop the spread of these conditions to other people.