Recovery Time For Genital Herpes
In general, antiviral medications are usually recommended for 7-10 days which is how long ulcers typically take to recover. It is possible that your doctor may decide to recommend valtrex for longer than 10 days, in which case you need to take all your medication precisely as recommended.
In many individuals, dealing with herpes infections with valtrex can both shorten the duration of symptoms and decrease the occurrence of reactivation infections. In people who have multiple herpes break outs a year, beginning a course of valtrex with the first beginning of symptoms may be handy in shortening the duration of the outbreak. In this case, treatment is generally just for 5 days.
A really small number of people may have to take valtrex everyday to prevent herpes reactivation. This is typically just provided for people who have more than 6 contagious episodes a year. Dealing with herpes infections can be extremely aggravating. However, it is essential to keep in mind that taking all medication as recommended and practicing safe sex is the best way to reduce herpes outbreaks and prevent transmission to ones partner.
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What Makes Valtrex Unique
In addition to Valtrex, there are 2 other antiviral medications that are used for cold sores: acyclovir and famciclovir . All 3 have been shown to be more effective at treating cold sores than OTC creams or ointments, says Beth Bryan, PharmD. Shes a pharmacist and the owner of Surgoinsville Pharmacy in Surgoinsville, Tennessee.
That said, Valtrex is often the first choice because it has better bioavailability, says Daniel Breisch, PharmD. Hes a pharmacist at Mountain View Pharmacy in Bountiful, Utah. That means you can take less of the drug and have superior outcomes, he says.
V Symptoms Of Oral Herpes
In addition to the presence of fever blisters and cold sores around the mouth, the following symptoms of oral herpes may appear:
- Newborns may experience fever, become lethargic, or have seizures.
- Young children may also experience fever or flu-like symptoms.
- Adults may have a sore throat and lymph node swelling.
If you have symptoms, avoid kissing people on the mouth, performing oral sex, or sharing items such as cups and utensils.
While some people experience severe or mild symptoms, others may not have any symptoms.
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Cream For Genital Herpes
Wash your hands before and after using the cream.
Put a thin layer of cream on the affected area 5 times a day. Do this every 4 hours for example, at 7am, 11am, 3pm, 7pm and 11pm.
Use the cream for at least 5 days. If the genital herpes sore has not healed by then, you can carry on using the cream for another 5 days.
If the affected area has still not healed after a total of 10 days, stop using the cream and tell your doctor.
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Genital Herpes Treatment In Pregnancy
You may be offered antiviral treatment:
- to treat outbreaks in pregnancy
- from 36 weeks to reduce the chance of an outbreak during birth
- from diagnosis until the birth if you first get herpes after 28 weeks of pregnancy
Many women with genital herpes have a vaginal delivery. You may be offered a caesarean, depending on your circumstances.
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Are There Any Other Precautions Or Warnings For This Medication
Before you begin using a medication, be sure to inform your doctor of any medical conditions or allergies you may have, any medications you are taking, whether you are pregnant or breast-feeding, and any other significant facts about your health. These factors may affect how you should use this medication.
Genital herpes: To reduce the risk of spreading the virus, wash your hands immediately after touching your skin sores. You should avoid intimate contact when live lesions are visible on your skin. The herpes virus can still be spread even when you do not have blisters or sores.
Immunosuppression : People who have a weakened immune system should only use valacyclovir if the benefits outweigh the risks. If you have had an organ transplant, are infected with HIV, or otherwise have a weak immune system, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed.
Kidney disease: Valacyclovir may cause decreased kidney function or kidney failure. People with kidney disease may need a lower dose of this medication. If you have reduced kidney function or kidney disease, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed.
How Test Accuracy Is Measure
The accuracy of all medical tests, including herpes tests, is measured based on two values: sensitivity and specificity.
Sensitivityis how often a test correctly identifies someone with a disease. A test that is 90% sensitive will correctly identify 90 people out of 100 who have the disease. Ten people will have a false-negative result.
Specificity, on the other hand, refers to a testâs ability to correctly identify someone who doesnât have the disease. If a test is 90% specific, that means that 90 people out of 100 will be correctly diagnosed as not having a disease and that 10 people will have a false-positive result.
The higher the sensitivity and specificity, the lower the chances of a false result.
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What Are The Different Types Of Herpes
There are two types of herpes simplex virus: HSV I and HSV II. HSV I commonly causes oral herpes, or cold sores. This virus can show up as an upper respiratory tract infection during early childhood. HSV II is the cause of most cases of genital herpes. However, it is possible for HSV I to cause genital herpes and HSV II to cause oral herpes.
Clinicians cannot tell the difference between the two types by physical examination alone, but there are differences between the two viruses. For example, genital herpes caused by HSV II is much more likely to recur. This diagnosis can be helpful in establishing a health care plan.
Herpes Outbreak Treatment Options
Even without treatment, most herpes outbreaks go away on their own. There are treatments available, however, which have been proven to shorten and even prevent future outbreaks. These antiviral medications work by preventing the virus from making copies of itself and spreading through your cells to cause an outbreak. If you suffer from oral herpes, a healthcare provider may recommend a topical cream or ointment that you should apply at the first sign of an outbreak. If you experience recurrent genital herpes outbreaks, you may be offered oral herpes treatments which are pills you take by mouth. Examples of antiviral drugs include acyclovir, famciclovir, and valacyclovir. These are all standard options proven to help decrease the severity and length of outbreaks from herpes .
Prescription antiviral treatments are usually very effective at prevent future outbreaks, reducing the chance of experiencing an outbreak by 7080%. Many people on antiviral therapy report experiencing no herpes symptoms at all . Using medication within the first 24 hours of symptoms can shorten outbreaks by several hours or days, ultimately reducing any discomfort in the long run .
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How Herpes Is Treated
There is no cure for herpes.
- The health care provider may prescribe antiviral medicine to help speed up the healing process. It also shortens the time when the virus can spread from the herpes sores.
- Pain may be treated with medicine such as Tylenol or Motrin or by applying an ice pack wrapped in a towel to the affected area.
- If sores are in the mouth, avoid foods high in acid, like citrus fruits and juices.
- The infected area should be kept clean and dry.
- Wash hands often and avoid touching the sores to prevent spreading the virus.
- It is important to stay healthy by getting enough rest, having proper nutrition and exercise and managing stress well.
What Other Drugs Could Interact With This Medication
There may be an interaction between valacyclovir and any of the following:
If you are taking any of these medications, speak with your doctor or pharmacist. Depending on your specific circumstances, your doctor may want you to:
- stop taking one of the medications,
- change one of the medications to another,
- change how you are taking one or both of the medications, or
- leave everything as is.
An interaction between two medications does not always mean that you must stop taking one of them. Speak to your doctor about how any drug interactions are being managed or should be managed.
Medications other than those listed above may interact with this medication. Tell your doctor or prescriber about all prescription, over-the-counter , and herbal medications that you are taking. Also tell them about any supplements you take. Since caffeine, alcohol, the nicotine from cigarettes, or street drugs can affect the action of many medications, you should let your prescriber know if you use them.
All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 2022. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/drug/getdrug/Valtrex
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Dormancy In Between Outbreaks
If someone has already experienced an initial herpes outbreak, then they might wonder how often you should expect to get them in the future. There is no exact science for this either, but the average is two to four HSV-2 outbreaks a year.
However, there are always exceptions. According to the Mayo Clinic, a herpes patient can live outbreak-free 40 years after their first one before having another!
- Women can have outbreak recurrences on their cervix without knowing it. .
- Recurring outbreaks have fewer systemic symptoms than the first outbreak.
- Herpes outbreaks are more frequent within the first 4-5 years of having the virus in most people. They taper off, and sometimes stop occurring altogether. This isnt always the case for all patients, though.
- Some women experience outbreaks in conjunction with their menstrual cycles, which for them would be a trigger.
How Long Does It Take For A Pus
That can cause the pimple to become more red, inflamed, swollen and infected, and may even lead to permanent scarring. Its best to let a pimple run through its life span, Rice says. Left alone, a blemish will heal itself in 3 to 7 days. Popped improperly, it can linger for weeks or lead to scarring.
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How Effective Are Medications For Herpes
Prescription antiviral medications have proven effectiveness in managing HSV symptoms.
A 2017 study comparing the antiviral medications acyclovir, famciclovir, penciclovir and valacyclovir to treat herpes simplex labialis found all antiviral medications were effective to shorten healing time for lesions and reducing pain. The comparison study found valacyclovir had the fastest healing time and pain reduction.
How Is Genital Herpes Treated
There is no cure for the herpes simplex virus. The blisters usually heal and go by themselves, so you may not always need treatment. There is antiviral medicines for herpes, which can: shorten outbreaks, relieve discomfort and stop symptoms from getting worse.
The antiviral treatment is most effective when you take it within the first five days of symptoms appearing. Avoid touching the blisters as this can also increase the risk of spreading the infection. If your herpes treatment requires you to apply cream to a sore, just gently pat the cream on, being careful not to rub around the surrounding area.
You can ease your symptoms by:
- keeping the affected area clean using plain or salt water to prevent blisters or ulcers from becoming infected
- applying petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, to any blisters or ulcers to reduce the pain when passing urine
- asking a healthcare provider to recommend painkilling creams
- avoiding tight clothing because it may irritate the blisters and ulcers.
Dont have sex until you or your partner have finished your treatment, and the blisters or ulcers have gone. If its your first outbreak, its sometimes advised that you check back with a healthcare provider before having sex again, to ensure that your symptoms have gone.
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Do Regular Sti Tests Include Herpes
No. If you dont have symptoms, STI testing includes gonorrhea, chlamydia, HIV and syphilis, and only involves time with a medical assistant. The Centers for Disease Control does not recommend herpes testing for people without symptoms.
If you think youve been exposed to herpes, but you arent showing symptoms, make sure to tell your health care provider prior to getting tested. At Planned Parenthood, herpes testing requires a visit with the nurse practitioner.
Different Types Of Herpes Hsv
People with herpes can experience viral symptoms in widely different ways: across this population, there is a large range in both the frequency and severity of peoples herpes outbreaks.
Ultimately, all herpes infections are caused by one of two strains of the herpes simplex virus: HSV-1 and HSV-2.
Herpes simplex virus-1 is the strain that is primarily responsible for oral herpes outbreaks, which are also known as cold sores.
In some cases, HSV-1 infections can also cause genital herpes outbreaks, for example if the virus is spread through oral sex.
Herpes simplex virus-2 , meanwhile, is the herpes simplex strain that causes most outbreaks of genital herpes.
Typically, most herpes outbreaks will resolve on their own in 1-2 weeks.
At this point, the herpes virus will move from your skin cells and into your nervous system, where it will lay dormant until it is reactivated, if for example, your immune system is under stress.
However, certain medications can make the resolution of a herpes outbreak quicker, and more tolerable.
In some cases, they can even prevent outbreaks from occurring with frequency .
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How Long Do Aciclovir Tablets Take To Work
It may take up to 2 hours for aciclovir to reach peak concentrations in your body after taking a tablet. You may notice symptoms start to ease within 1â3 days.
However, you should continue to take the tablets until you finish the prescribed course of treatment.
Common side effects of aciclovir may include:
If you experience severe side effects from aciclovir, contact a doctor or call NHS 111 immediately.
You should call 999 immediately if someone taking aciclovir experiences a medical emergency.
To Use Buccal Acyclovir Follow These Steps:
If the delayed-release buccal tablet comes off within the first 6 hours of application, reapply the same tablet. If it still will not stick, then apply a new tablet. If you accidentally swallow the tablet within the first 6 hours of application, drink a glass of water and place a new tablet on your gum. If the tablet falls off or is swallowed 6 or more hours after application, do not apply a new tablet until your next regular time.
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How Long After Starting Acyclovir Are You Contagious
HSV is always contagious. Remember that acyclovir does not cure HSV-1 or HSV-2 and therefore the infection can be spread to other people via contact with the skin, genitals, lips or body fluids at all times.
However, carriers are much more contagious during times when they are having active breakouts . During those times, you must take extra precaution not to spread your viral infection to others. Avoid sexual intercourse, oral sex, kissing, sharing toothbrushes or cutlery with others for at least 3 days after your blisters have completely healed.
What You Need To Know
- Herpes simplex virus , also known as genital herpes, is most likely to be spread when an infected person is having an outbreak, but it can also be transmitted without any symptoms being present.
- Medications can help reduce your symptoms, speed up the healing of an outbreak and make you less contagious.
- If you know you have genital herpes before becoming pregnant, your physician will monitor your condition throughout your pregnancy. If you have an active outbreak at the time of delivery, cesarean section may be recommended.
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How Does Genital Herpes Affect Pregnancy
- If you get genital herpes during pregnancy, you can spread genital herpes to your baby during delivery.
- If you had genital herpes before pregnancy, your baby is still at risk of getting herpes, but the risk is lower.
Most women with genital herpes have healthy babies. But babies who get herpes from their mother have neonatal herpes. Neonatal herpes is a serious condition that can cause problems in a newborn baby such as brain damage, eye problems, or even death.