How Should I Store This Medicine
Store this medicine at room temperature. Keep the container tightly closed. Protect it from heat, high humidity, and bright light.
This advisory includes selected information only and may not include all side effects of this medicine or interactions with other medicines. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information or if you have any questions.
Ask your pharmacist for the best way to dispose of outdated medicine or medicine you have not used. Do not throw medicine in the trash.
Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.
Do not share medicines with other people.
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.
What Other Information Should I Know
Keep all appointments with your doctor.
Do not let anyone else use your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.
It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.
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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.
What Should I Watch Out For
Do not use this medicine for other infections unless your healthcare provider approves.
An adult should supervise the use of this medicine by a child. Do not put tight-fitting diapers or plastic pants on a child when the skin problem is in the groin area.
If you need emergency care, surgery, or dental work, tell the healthcare provider or dentist you are using this medicine.
Contact your healthcare provider if your condition does not improve or if it gets worse. You may need to use this medicine for up to 2 weeks before your symptoms improve.
Adults over the age of 65 may be at greater risk for side effects. Talk with your healthcare provider about this.
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How Should I Use Triamcinolone Acetonide In Absorbase
Use exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label.
Triamcinolone Acetonide in Absorbase will not treat a bacterial, fungal, or viral skin infection.
Wash your hands before and after each application, unless you are using Triamcinolone Acetonide in Absorbase to treat a hand condition.
Apply a small amount to the affected area and rub it gently into the skin.
Avoid using this medication on your face, near your eyes or mouth, or on body areas where you have skin folds or thin skin.
If you are using the dental paste, apply the medication in a thin layer, just enough to cover the mouth ulcer. The paste may stick better if you dry the mouth ulcer before applying the medication.
Do not cover treated skin areas with a bandage or other covering unless your doctor has told you to. If you are treating the diaper area of a baby, do not use plastic pants or tight-fitting diapers. Covering the skin that is treated with Triamcinolone Acetonide in Absorbase can increase the amount of the drug your skin absorbs, which may lead to unwanted side effects. Follow your doctor’s instructions.
Contact your doctor if your condition does not improve or if it gets worse after using this medication for several days. It is important to use Triamcinolone Acetonide in Absorbase regularly to get the most benefit.
Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
What Other Drugs Will Affect Triamcinolone Acetonide In Absorbase
It is not likely that other drugs you take orally or inject will have an effect on topically applied Triamcinolone Acetonide in Absorbase. But many drugs can interact with each other. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.
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Is It A Cold Sore
Cold sores are a symptom of herpes, a viral illness.
The herpes virus can lie dormant for long periods. When it is active, it can cause cold sores in response to certain triggers, such as stress or exposure to sunlight.
People may confuse cold sores with other lesions, such as canker sores. Canker sores are ulcers that form inside the mouth and may look like white circles with reddish halos. Cold sores are fluid-filled blisters that usually appear on the lips or around the mouth. They go through these stages:
Cold sores can resemble other skin lesions, so it is a good idea to get a diagnosis from a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist before considering a treatment.
the symptoms and slightly speed up healing.
Effective cold sore creams may include:
A cold sore cream works best if a person applies it as soon as they notice any symptoms.
Abreva Cold Sore Cream
Best cold sore cream
This antiviral cream has been approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration , and it contains 10% docosanol. This helps treat recurrent cold sores by stopping the herpes virus from entering surrounding cells. This helps protect the healthy area around the cold sore.
The manufacturer claims that if a person uses the cream at the first sign of a cold sore, the cream can heal the sore in as few as 2.5 days. However, the company acknowledges that the average time of healing for someone using their product is 4.1 days.
The company says that this white cream penetrates deep into the skin, is tasteless, and has no smell.
A person should not use the product if they are pregnant or breastfeeding unless their doctor says that it is safe.
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Treatment For Oral Herpes
The antiviral medications available in pill form have been specifically developed for the treatment of genital herpes. However, it is not uncommon for healthcare providers to prescribe the antiviral drugs to those who have frequent or severe outbreaks of oral herpes.
A recent study found valacyclovir to be effective for treating oral herpes in a one-day treatment of 2 grams taken at the first sign of a cold sore, and then again about 12 hours later.
There are two topical antiviral medications prescribed for the treatment of oral HSV symptoms: acyclovir ointment and penciclovir cream. Both work to speed up the healing process and reduce the viral activity. These topical drugs are put directly on the lesions themselves, but can also be used at the onset of prodrome.
Other topical treatments for oral herpes are available over-the-counter , but are not antiviral compounds like acyclovir and penciclovir. Some also contain ingredients that numb the area and induce temporary relief from the discomfort of an outbreak. Unfortunately, some OTC treatments may actually delay the healing time of symptoms because they can further irritate the area with repeated applications. There is only one OTC FDA-approved cream, called Abreva®, which has been clinically proven to help speed the healing process.
Can Steroid Cream Help Herpes
Hydrocortisone is a corticosteroid that helps relieve itching, pain, and burning symptoms. This medication can speed up healing of cold sores, but it does not cure herpes or prevent passing the infection to someone else.
What does Nystatin and triamcinolone acetonide cream treat?
The combination of nystatin and triamcinolone is used to treat fungal skin infections. It relieves itching, inflammation, and pain. This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
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Understanding Herpes With H Hunter Handsfield Md
Herpes expert H. Hunter Handsfield, MD, explains the basics about genital herpes, including the difference between genital HSV-1 and HSV-2 infection, testing options and the importance of knowing virus type, and the three-prong strategy for prevention. See more herpes videos at sexualhealthTV.com.
Have a question about herpes youd like Dr. Handsfield or our other experts to answer? Visit our Ask the Experts page to learn how.
Best For Early Relief: Zilactin Cold Sore Gel
- List price: around $11
- Dose: apply no more than 34 times per day
- Pro: this product has a more affordable price than some options
- Con: some reviewers mention difficulty removing the protective layer
This gel dries, forming an invisible protective layer over a cold sore. According to the manufacturers, the patented bioadhesive formula promotes healing.
People should not remove the film layer before they apply more product, as doing so may cause skin irritation.
The gel contains 10% benzyl alcohol, which may help relieve the pain of a cold sore for 6 hours.
As with the other products, a person should use this when they first notice symptoms of a cold sore.
- Pro: the company claims it is safe for both children and adults
- Con: does not contain any medicated ingredients
The company states that while it has designed this product for children, it is also suitable for adults. It is in chapstick form, so a person can easily carry it around and apply it as necessary.
The product does not contain medicated ingredients making it suitable for children. Most of the ingredients are certified organic. However, it contains beeswax, so it is not suitable for vegans.
The company recommends applying the product during early symptoms. The formula may tingle after application.
- Active ingredients: menthol 0.1% and L-lysine
- Dose: apply every 2 hours
- Pro: can moisturize lips as well as relieve pain from cold sores
- Con: contains beeswax, so not suitable for vegans
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To Use Acyclovir Ointment Follow These Steps:
Ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the manufacturer’s information for the patient. Read this information before you start using acyclovir and each time you refill your prescription.
What Should I Know About Storage And Disposal Of This Medication
Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture . Do not freeze it.
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 FDAs 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.
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Search Methods For Identification Of Studies
We searched electronic databases including MEDLINE via ovid, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. Searches were limited to English-language reports of human studies from 2000, which marked the first clinical trial conducted on topical corticosteroids and antiviral therapy on humans, to 2013.
A combination of medical subject headings and key word searches were used to retrieve the relevant literature in this review. All keywords were entered either with OR and AND boolean operators and were used with $/* where appropriate.
The following MeSH search terms were used:
herpes simplex herpes simplex virus herpes labialis herpes labialis viruses recurrences recurrent herpes topical administration anti-infective agents topical drug administration corticosteroids steroid antiviral agents antiviral drugs.
The following key words were used:
herpes simplex herpes labialis herpes virus recurrent herpes labialis prevention of herpes treatment of herpes labialis antiviral for herpes antiviral+corticosteroid+herpes topical antiviral for herpes topical treatment+herpes herpes labialis treatment+antiviral+corticosteroid.
Additional studies were sought through a review of the reference lists of obtained reports and other relevant reviews on the topic. Grey literature was also searched using Google Scholar and the ClinicalTrials.gov website .
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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What Are Fever Blisters
Fever blisters are fluid-filled blisters that commonly occur on the lips. They also can occur on the gums and roof of the mouth but this is rare. Fever blisters are usually painful pain may precede the appearance of the lesion by a few days. The blisters rupture within hours and then crust over. They last about seven to ten days.
Triamcinolone Acetonide In Absorbase Side Effects
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives difficult breathing swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Stop using this medication and call your doctor at once if you have any of these signs that you may be absorbing Triamcinolone Acetonide in Absorbase through your skin or gums:
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blurred vision, or seeing halos around lights
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uneven heartbeats
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weight gain, puffiness in your face or
Less serious side effects may include:
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skin redness, burning, itching, or peeling
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thinning of your skin or
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blistering skin or
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.
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What Are The Possible Side Effects
Along with its needed effects, your medicine may cause some unwanted side effects. Some side effects may be very serious. Some side effects may go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that continue or get worse.
Life-threatening : Allergic reaction .
Serious : Redness, skin irritation, swelling, burning, or pain that continues or gets worse increased thirst or hunger increased urination depression anxiety.
Other: Itching, dryness, mild skin irritation acne change in skin color.
How To Use Triamcinolone Acetonide Cream
Use this medication only on the skin. Do not use it on the face, groin, or underarms unless directed to do so by your doctor.
Wash and dry your hands. Before applying the medication, clean and dry the affected area. Apply a thin film of the medication to the affected area and gently rub in, usually 2 to 4 times daily or as directed by your doctor. Do not cover, bandage or wrap the area unless directed to do so by your doctor.
After applying the medication, wash your hands unless you are using this medication to treat the hands. When applying this medication near the eyes, avoid getting it in the eyes as this may worsen or cause glaucoma. Also, avoid getting this medication in the nose or mouth. If you get the medication in your eyes, nose, or mouth, rinse with plenty of water.
Use this medication only for the condition prescribed. Do not use it for longer than prescribed.
Inform your doctor if your condition lasts or gets worse.
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What Should My Healthcare Provider Know Before I Take This Medicine
Before taking this medicine, tell your healthcare provider if you have:
- An allergy to any medicine
- A skin infection such as herpes, tuberculosis of the skin, or other infection
Females of childbearing age: Talk with your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Do not breast-feed while taking this medicine without your healthcare providers approval.