When Treatments For Genital Herpes Are Given
- Initial treatment. If you have symptoms such as sores when you’re first diagnosed with genital herpes, your doctor will usually give you a brief course of antiviral therapy to relieve them or prevent them from getting worse. Your doctor may keep you on the drugs longer if the sores don’t heal in that time.
After the first treatment, work with your doctor to come up with the best way to take antiviral therapies. There are two options:
- Intermittent treatment. Your doctor may prescribe an antiviral drug for you to keep on hand in case you have another flare-up this is called intermittent therapy. You can take the pills for two to five days as soon as you notice sores or when you feel an outbreak coming on. Sores will heal and disappear on their own, but taking the drugs can make the symptoms less severe and make them go away faster.
- Suppressive treatment. If you have outbreaks often, you may want to consider taking an antiviral drug every day. Doctors call this suppressive therapy. For someone who has more than six outbreaks a year, suppressive therapy can reduce the number of outbreaks by 70% to 80%. Many people who take the antiviral drugs daily have no outbreaks at all.
There is no set number of outbreaks per year that doctors use to decide when someone should start suppressive therapy. Rather, more important factors are how often the outbreaks happen and if they are severe enough to interfere with your life.
Continued
What Happens If I Overdose
Taking more than the recommended amount of Cialis® or generic Cialis® greatly increases your risk of side effects, including severe ones that can be dangerous, such as severe low blood pressure or an erection that wont go away even after 4 or more hours . Never take more than the amount prescribed to you by your doctor. If you have any severe side effects after taking more than the recommended amount, or even after taking the amount of medicine prescribed to you, seek out emergency medical attention immediately.
What Treatments Are There
Doctors may prescribe one of the following antiviral medications to help manage herpes symptoms. A person can also take steps at home to ease the symptoms.
Please note that the writer of this article has not tried these products. All information presented is purely research-based and correct at the time of publication.
Medical News Today follows a strict product selection and vetting process. Learn more here.
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Which Herpes Medication Is Best
In the war between valacyclovir vs. acyclovir vs. famciclovir, the truth is, there is no best herpes medication. All three of the drugs are safe and proven to be effective as treatments for HSV-1, HSV-2, shingles and other forms of the herpes virus.
If you think you might have herpes, the best approach is to speak to your doctor about treatment options. Your doctor will be able to provide advice on the most effective drug for treating herpes based on your symptoms, immune system, lifestyle and overall health.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment. Learn more about our editorial standardshere.
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Can Chlamydia Turn Into Herpes
If a patient leaves chlamydia untreated, it wont turn into herpes because they are two entirely different infections. However, as listed below, it can cause many complications for both men and women.
For women, leaving chlamydia untreated may lead to pelvic inflammatory disease , which is a condition that may cause infertility and permanent damage to a womans reproductive system.
When left untreated in men, chlamydia can lead to various complications, including prostatitis, epididymitis, and male chlamydial urethritis.
Luckily, screening and diagnosing chlamydia is relatively easy, and there are various tests individuals can take, including:
A urine test, where the urine sample is tested inside a lab to look for traces of chlamydia.
A swab test is practical for women and involves taking a swab of a womans cervix discharge to be used in culture testing or antigen testing. This is done in place of a routine Pap test some patients prefer to do the swab themselves, while others prefer doctor-obtained swabs.
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Are There Any Side Effects
Herpes medications do have side effects, although, in general, most patients are willing to put up with these side effects to end their genital herpes outbreaks as quickly as they can. These side effects include: headaches, gas, abdominal pain, fatigue, nausea, rashes and tingly sensations of the skin. These side effects are fairly consistent for all of the available herpes medications.
What Happens If You Dont Get Herpes Treatment
The good news about herpes is that its not deadly or even very dangerous. It might be annoying, but herpes doesnt get worse over time or cause serious health problems like other STDs can.
If you dont get treated for herpes, you might keep having regular outbreaks, or they could only happen rarely. Some people naturally stop getting outbreaks after a while.
There are a few reasons people may decide not to get treatment. They might not have that many outbreaks, or their outbreaks dont really bother them. Or maybe theyre not having sex, so theyre not that worried about having herpes right now. Whatever your situation is, getting treatment for herpes is your choice.
Having herpes can make it easier to get HIV, because the sores give HIV an open pathway into your body. So always use condoms to help prevent the spread of both herpes and HIV.
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First Choose Your Symptoms
Cold sores and herpes are irritating theyre a nuisance in your day-to-day, and can be contagious.
If you dont have employer / insurer coverage, fees may apply since many of our services arent covered by provincial health plans. This is often because of our use of secure messaging and a national network of doctors and nurse practitioners.
If payment is required, visits start at $69 and include the prescriptions for valacyclovir if the doctor deems it necessary.
For more information on our pricing, click here.
And Now A Word About Over
If you are concerned about cost-effective utilization of medications , a bigger source of wasted pharmaceutical dollars is over-prescribing. If any medication is prescribed to a patient who has no chance of benefiting from that prescription, then that money has been absolutely wasted! The obvious example is antibiotics prescribed for viral illnesses. In my experience, drugs for Herpes are often prescribed inappropriately both in correctional facilities and in the community at large. Here are some mistakes I have seen:
1. Prescribing anti-virals for non-herpetic problems. Patients sometimes do not know exactly what genital herpes is. They sometimes will say I have herpes but if you look, they really have a genital wart or fungal crotch rot or pickin pox or even a syphilitic chancre! The key here is looking. Herpes, of course, has a characteristic appearance that is unlike any other lesion you will see on the groin: a bunch of blisters on a red base. Anything else is something else and will not benefit from valacyclovir.
2. Prescribing acyclovir or valacyclovir too late in the illness.
Too late to treat
The herpetic anti-virals only have clinical efficacy if they are prescribed within the first 48 hours of the outbreakeven better in the first 24 hours. At this stage, the blisters look like blisters. During the several day course of the illness, the blisters will rupture and weep and then crust over and finally resolve.
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How Do Antivirals Treat Cold Sores
Antiviral medications dont kill viruses directly.
Instead, they stop them by inhibiting their ability to develop and multiply.
In essence, antivirals treat cold sores by limiting how much the herpes virus can grow and spread, which reduces the intensity of symptoms.
Different antivirals have unique mechanisms of action.
Heres how valacyclovir and acyclovir treat cold sores.
How To Prevent Herpes Infection
There is no vaccine to prevent herpes infection. The following are some of the best ways to prevent infection.
- Protected or safe sex
- Limiting the number of sex partners
- Routine Herpes STD testing
- It is very important to inform your recent sex partners to get tested for herpes.
If you have herpes cold sores, follow the ways mentioned below to avoid the spread of the virus.
- Avoid direct physical contact with other persons.
- Dont share any of the personal things that can pass on the virus such as plates, towels, lip balm, and clothing.
- Avoid oral sex, kissing, or any type of sexual activity until the sores are healed.
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Drug Treatment For Genital Herpes
If you are infected with genital herpes, your doctor may prescribe oral antiviral drugs to help ease your symptoms during both a first episode and recurrent episodes. Your doctor may also suggest taking antiviral drugs daily as a suppressive therapy to reduce symptoms and protect partners.
Remember, though, that antiviral drugs do not wipe out the virus completely. It continues to live in your body, so if you stop taking the drugs that suppress it, you may have more frequent or more intense symptom outbreaks, and the risk of your transmitting the virus to others rises.
Three antiviral drugs, all taken by mouth, are used to treat genital herpes:
How Does Valacyclovir Work
Valacyclovir works by slowing, stopping, or disrupting the growth of certain viruses, which are dormant in infected individuals most of the time. When these viruses activate, valacyclovir is taken to prevent the virus from multiplying and spreading to healthy cells . This helps to decrease the severity of the outbreak, and shorten the duration of the outbreak.
Valacyclovir helps to heal genital herpes sores, cold sores, shingles sores, and chickenpox sores faster. It also helps to prevent new sores from forming. Valacyclovir also reduces pain and itching associated with sores and may reduce the length of time pain lingers after sores have healed.
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Antiviral Drug Reduces Genital Herpes Transmission Between Sexual Partners By 50 Percent
SEATTLE â Dec. 31, 2003 â An international team of researchers finds that taking a single daily dose of an approved antiviral drug known as valacyclovir can reduce the transmission of genital herpes to uninfected partners by 50 percent. The results are published in the Jan. 1 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
The team of researchers led by Dr. Larry Corey, a member of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research, conducted a study of nearly 1,500 heterosexual monogamous couples in which one partner had genital herpes and the other did not. Infected partners who received a standard daily oral dose each day of valacyclovir were half as likely to transmit herpes simplex type 2 than infected partners given a placebo.
University of Washington collaborators included Dr. Anna Wald, associate professor of medicine and laboratory medicine, and Dr. R. Ashley Morrow, professor of laboratory medicine.
The strategy potentially could be applied to combat the spread of other sexually transmitted diseases that are caused by viruses.
This is the first demonstration that an antiviral drug can prevent a viral sexually transmitted disease, said Corey, also a professor of laboratory medicine at UW and head of Fred Hutchinsons infectious diseases program. The study provides the conceptual framework to extend other viral sexually transmitted diseases, such has HIV infection.
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Other Triggers For Genital Herpes Outbreaks
Other triggers of genital herpes may include:
- Sexual intercourse. Some people find that the friction of sexual intercourse irritates the skin and brings on symptoms. Using a water-based lubricant can help reduce irritation. Don’t use one that contains the spermicide nonoxynol-9, however. Nonoxynol-9 can irritate mucous membranes, such as the lining of the . Oil-based lubricants are a no-no, too. They weaken latex, making condoms more likely to break. Even if the friction of intercourse seems to be a trigger for symptoms, it probably won’t cause a flare-up every time you have sex.
- Colds and sunlight. The common cold and sunlight seem to trigger outbreaks of oral herpes , but no proof exists that they trigger genital herpes outbreaks.
- Hormones. Hormonal changes, like those that occur in the menstrual cycle, can affect genital herpes outbreaks. No one knows why.
- Surgery, weak immune system. Trauma to the body, such as having surgery, may make herpes symptoms appear. It’s possible that having a weakened immune system does, too. People whose immune systems are weakened by HIV, for example, tend to have outbreaks more often than people with normal immune functioning.
Remember that triggers may not be the same for everyone, and doctors are not certain how much lifestyle affects outbreaks of herpes symptoms. If you think something in particular triggers symptoms, ask your doctor what you should do about it.
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What Does Genital Herpes Look Like
Genital Herpes generally is asymptomatic, but in some cases when the symptoms start to appear, it is referred to as outbreaks. These are present in the form of clusters of sores or blisters which are itchy and painful. They appear as sacs that are fluid-filled and of different sizes. Occurring at different places, they eventually bleed or secrete a white-colored fluid.
Where Can I Get Medications For Herpes
The most common antiviral medications used to manage herpes simplex symptoms are available by prescription. If you have symptoms such as a cold sore or genital herpes, call your doctors office. They will first diagnose if you have herpes simplex. Then they will prescribe an appropriate medication to manage your symptoms.
Only docosanol is an antiviral medication available over the counter as a cream to manage oral symptoms such as cold sores or fever blisters.
If you have mild symptoms from a recurring oral herpes infection, you may be able to use nonprescription methods or some home remedies to manage your symptoms.
Examples include:
- pain relievers such ibuprofen or acetaminophen to help with pain
- cold compress or ice to soothe burning or itching
- zinc oxide topical cream, which may help soothe itching or burning
Before trying over the counter medications or supplements, be sure to talk with your doctor or pharmacist about your symptoms.
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Get A Valacyclovir Prescription Online
Are you looking to get valacyclovir online? You can get your medication prescribed online in minutes and delivered straight to your door. Please note that medications will only be prescribed if the doctor feels it is appropriate and safe for you.
Get a confidential diagnosis by text, video or audio chat.
Side Effects And Follow
Side effects with these herpes drugs are considered mild, and health experts believe these drugs are safe in the long term. Acyclovir is the oldest of the three, and its safety has been documented in people taking suppressive therapy for several years.
People taking suppressive therapy should see their doctor at least once a year to decide if they should continue. You may find taking the pills every day to be inconvenient, the drugs may not work for you, or you may naturally have fewer outbreaks as time goes on. Your doctor can help you make treatment choices to suit your needs.
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Can Genital Herpes Be Treated
Your physician can prescribe different medications to help reduce your symptoms and speed up the healing of an outbreak. These medicines work best when you start them soon after an outbreak occurs.
To reduce pain during an outbreak:
- Sit in warm water in a portable bath or bathtub for about 20 minutes. Avoid bubble baths.
- Keep your genital area clean and dry, and avoid tight clothes.
- Take over-the-counter medications, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Avoid aspirin.
Let your physician know if you are worried about your genital herpes. He or she can recommend a support group to help you cope with the virus.
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How Will My Healthcare Provider Know If I Have Genital Herpes
Your healthcare provider may diagnose genital herpes by simply looking at any sores that are present. Providers can also take a sample from the sore and test it. If sores are not present, a blood test may be used to look for HSV antibodies.
Have an honest and open talk with your healthcare provider about herpes testing and other STDs.
Please note: A herpes blood test can help determine if you have herpes infection. It cannot tell you who gave you the infection or when you got the infection.
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What You Need To Know
- Fifty percent to 80 percent of U.S. adults have oral herpes.
- Oral herpes can be spread through intimate contact with someone who is infected.
- Oral herpes can be difficult to diagnose. Often confused with many other infections, it can only be confirmed with a virus culture called PCR, blood test or biopsy. PCR is the preferred test for diagnosing herpes infections.
- The best treatment for oral herpes is antiviral oral medication. Symptomatic treatment may include antiviral ointment, over-the-counter topical anesthetics or over-the-counter anti-inflammatory agents.
Whether you call it a cold sore or a fever blister, oral herpes is a common infection of the mouth area that is caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 . Fifty percent to 80 percent of U.S. adults have oral herpes. According to the National Institutes of Health, about 90 percent of adults have been exposed to the virus by age 50.
Once infected, a person will have herpes simplex virus for the rest of his or her life. When inactive, the virus lies dormant in a group of nerve cells. While some people never develop any symptoms from the virus, others will have periodic outbreaks of infections.