Dosage and Cost of Treatment Regimens for Primary Genital Herpes Infection
| Drug | Dosage | Cost (generic)* |
| Acyclovir (Zovirax) | 200 mg five times daily for 10 days | $ 65 (49-53) |
| Famciclovir (Famvir)† | 250 mg three times daily for 10 days | 100 |
| Valacyclovir (Valtrex) | 1 g twice daily for 10 days | 80 |
How often do you take Zovirax for genital herpes?
The recommended regimen for infants treated for known or suspected neonatal herpes is acyclovir 20 mg/kg body weight IV every 8 hours for 14 days if disease is limited to the skin and mucous membranes, or for 21 days for disseminated disease and disease involving the CNS.
What is the duration of treatment for herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection?
Jan 31, 2022 · Genital Herpes: Treatment of Initial Genital Herpes: 200 mg every 4 hours, 5 times daily for 10 days. Chronic Suppressive Therapy for Recurrent Disease: 400 mg 2 times daily for up to 12 months, followed by re-evaluation. Alternative regimens have included doses ranging from 200 mg 3 times daily to 200 mg 5 times daily.
How long does acyclovir (Zovirax) take to work on genital herpes?
Adult treatment doses for HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections are: 1) 1 gram orally twice daily for 7–10 days for first episode genital herpes (Table 64.1, 64.2) 500 mg orally twice daily for 3–5 days for episodic treatment of recurrent genital HSV disease (Table 64.1); and 64.3) 1 gram orally once daily for suppression of recurrent genital HSV (Table 64.1). Suppression of recurrent oral …
What is the duration of the illness of herpes zoster?
Apr 01, 2021 · Acyclovir slows the growth and spread of the herpes virus in the body. Zovirax is used to treat infections caused by herpes viruses, such as genital herpes, cold sores, shingles, and chickenpox. Zovirax will not cure herpes, but it can lessen the symptoms of the infection. Warnings. Take Zovirax for the entire length of time prescribed by your ...
How many days should you use Zovirax?
How long is the treatment for HSV-1?
Is 5 days of acyclovir enough?
Can you use Zovirax more than 5 times a day?
Does HSV-1 Go Away?
Do I need medication for HSV-1?
Can I take acyclovir every 3 hours?
The usual dose is one 200 mg tablet taken five times a day • You should space your dose by at least four hours • Suggested times are: 7am, 11am, 3pm, 7pm and 11pm • You should take Aciclovir 800 mg Tablets for five days, or longer if your doctor tells you to.
Can I take acyclovir every day?
Is it OK to take acyclovir daily?
Can you use Zovirax for more than 4 days?
How long does Zovirax take to work?
How often do you apply Zovirax cream?
Before Taking This Medicine
You should not take Zovirax if you are allergic to acyclovir or valacyclovir (Valtrex).To make sure Zovirax is safe for you, tell your doctor if yo...
How Should I Take Zovirax?
Take Zovirax exactly as it was prescribed for you. Follow all directions on your prescription label. Do not take this medicine in larger or smaller...
What Happens If I Miss A Dose?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to...
What Happens If I Overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.Overdose symptoms may include agitation, seizure (convulsions), or...
What Should I Avoid While Taking Zovirax?
Herpes infections are contagious and you can infect other people, even while you are being treated with Zovirax. Avoid letting infected areas come...
What Other Drugs Will Affect Zovirax?
Zovirax can harm your kidneys. This effect is increased when you also use certain other medicines, including: probenecid, antivirals, chemotherapy,...
Genital Herpes
Treatment of Initial Genital Herpes: 200 mg every 4 hours, 5 times daily for 10 days.
Treatment of Chickenpox
Children (2 years of age and older): 20 mg/kg per dose orally 4 times daily (80 mg/kg/day) for 5 days. Children over 40 kg should receive the adult dose for chickenpox.
Patients With Acute or Chronic Renal Impairment
In patients with renal impairment, the dose of ZOVIRAX Capsules, Tablets, or Suspension should be modified as shown in Table 3.
Hemodialysis
For patients who require hemodialysis, the mean plasma half-life of acyclovir during hemodialysis is approximately 5 hours. This results in a 60% decrease in plasma concentrations following a 6-hour dialysis period. Therefore, the patient’s dosing schedule should be adjusted so that an additional dose is administered after each dialysis.
Peritoneal Dialysis
No supplemental dose appears to be necessary after adjustment of the dosing interval.
Bioequivalence of Dosage Forms
ZOVIRAX Suspension was shown to be bioequivalent to ZOVIRAX Capsules (n = 20) and 1 ZOVIRAX 800-mg tablet was shown to be bioequivalent to 4 ZOVIRAX 200-mg capsules (n = 24).
Is valaciclovir good for genital herpes?
Although data from controlled clinical trials are limited, because of greater bioavailability, valaciclovir may be advantageous in treating infections caused by viruses relatively less sensitive to acyclovir than HSV (e.g., VZV and CMV).
Is acyclovir effective for HSV?
Topical therapy with acyclovir for HSV ocular infections is effective, but probably not superior to trifluridine (Hovding, 1989 ). Long-term suppressive therapy reduces the number of recurrences of ocular infection in those with histories of frequent recurrences (Herpetic Eye Disease Study Group, 1998 , 2000 ).
What is cidofovir used for?
The primary use for cidofovir at the current time is for the management of CMV retinitis in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) (Lalezari et al ., 1997; Studies of Ocular Complications of AIDS Research Group in collaboration with the AIDS Clinical Trials Group, 1997 ). However, cidofovir has been utilized successfully in the management of disease caused by acyclovir-resistant HSV isolates (Lalezari et al ., 1994 ). Due in part to its toxicity profile (described below), cidofovir does not have a role in antiviral prophylaxis of herpesvirus infections.
Is antiviral therapy effective?
The effectiveness of antiviral therapy sometimes is limited by the development of antiviral resistance. Antiviral drug resistance has increased in parallel with the expanded use of, and indications for, antiviral therapy.
How long does acyclovir stay in your system?
In the absence of compromised renal function, the half-life of acyclovir is 2 to 3 hours in older children and adults and 2.5 to 5 hours in neonates with normal creati nine clearance . More than 60% of administered drug is excreted in the urine (Wagstaff et al ., 1994 ).
How long does it take for acyclovir to heal?
Acyclovir therapy for the treatment of first episode genital herpes reduces the duration of viral shedding by about a week, time to healing of lesions by approximately four days, and time to complete resolution of signs and symptoms by approximately two days (Bryson et al ., 1983; Mertz et al ., 1984) (Table 64.2 ).
Is acyclovir used for chickenpox?
Acyclovir is licensed in the United States for the treatment of initial episodes and management of recurrent episodes of genital herpes, for the treatment of chickenpox, and for the treatment of acute herpes zoster infections. It is also indicated for the treatment of neonatal HSV disease, herpes simplex encephalitis, mucocutaneous and viscerally disseminated herpes infections in immunocompromised hosts, and the treatment of chickenpox in the normal host.
Does Zovirax cure herpes?
Zovirax is used to treat infections caused by herpes viruses, such as genital herpes, cold sores, shingles, and chickenpox. Zovirax will not cure herpes, but it can lessen the symptoms of the infection.
What are the side effects of Zovirax?
Zovirax side effects. Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to Zovirax: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Call your doctor at once if you have: easy bruising or bleeding, purple or red pinpoint spots under your skin; changes in behavior;
How to know if you have a kidney infection?
Call your doctor at once if you have: 1 easy bruising or bleeding, purple or red pinpoint spots under your skin; 2 changes in behavior; 3 confusion, hallucinations; or 4 signs of a kidney problem - little or no urinating; painful or difficult urination; swelling in your feet or ankles; feeling tired or short of breath.
What is acyclovir used for?
Acyclovir slows the growth and spread of the herpes virus in the body. Zovirax is used to treat infections caused by herpes viruses, such as genital herpes, cold sores, shingles, and chickenpox.
How to prevent a syphilis infection?
Avoid touching an infected area and then touching your eyes. Wash your hands frequently to prevent passing the infection to others . Follow all directions on your medicine label and package. Tell each of your healthcare providers about all your medical conditions, allergies, and all medicines you use.
Is Zovirax safe for babies?
To make sure Zovirax is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have : kidney disease; or. a weak immune system (caused by disease or by using certain medicine). Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Herpes can be passed to your baby during childbirth if you have a genital lesion when your baby is born.
Can herpes be passed to a baby?
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Herpes can be passed to your baby during childbirth if you have a genital lesion when your baby is born. If you have genital herpes, it is very important to prevent herpes lesions during pregnancy. Take your medicine as directed to best control your infection.
What is the best antiviral for herpes simplex?
Prescription antiviral medicines approved for the treatment of both types of herpes simplex include: 1 Acyclovir 2 Famciclovir 3 Valacyclovir
Is herpes simplex the worst?
The first (primary) outbreak of herpes simplex is often the worst. Not all first outbreaks are severe, though. Some are so mild that a person does not notice. When the first outbreak of genital herpes is mild and another outbreak happens years later, the person can mistake it for a first outbreak.
What are the antiviral agents for HSV?
Antiviral agents for HSV infection include acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir. Metabolites of these nucleoside derivatives interfere with the synthesis of viral DNA by inhibiting viral DNA polymerase [ 1 ]. Of all the human herpesviruses, acyclovir has the greatest in vitro activity against HSV-1 and HSV-2.
What is HSV-1?
INTRODUCTION. —. Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a cause of recurrent vesiculoulcerative lesions of the oral or genital mucosa. It can also cause infection in the eye, skin, central nervous system, and/or visceral organs. This topic will review treatment and prevention of primary and recurrent HSV-1 infections in immunocompetent adolescents ...
What is the primary infection of HSV?
Primary infection — The classic clinical manifestation of primary oral HSV-1 infection (ie, initial HSV infection in a seronegative host) is gingivostomatitis, which may be associated with pharyngitis. Although gingivostomatitis and pharyngitis are self-limited illnesses, severe infection can lead to significant oral pain and dehydration. Symptomatic primary HSV infections are associated with an increased risk of constitutional symptoms, a longer duration of lesions, and prolonged viral shedding compared with recurrent disease. (See "Epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis of herpes simplex virus type 1 infection", section on 'Primary infection' .)
Can HSV-1 recur?
Genital HSV-1 lesions may recur, particularly in the first year after infection; however, multiple recurrences are rare in the setting of HSV-1 infection. The treatment of genital herpes is similar to that or oral disease and is discussed elsewhere. (See "Treatment of genital herpes simplex virus infection" and "Genital herpes simplex virus ...
Where does HSV-1 infection occur?
Other HSV-1 infections — In immunocompetent patients, primary and recurrent HSV-1 infections can occur at a variety of anatomic sites, such as the genital tract, skin, eye, and central nervous system, although these occur less frequently than herpes gingivostomatitis and labialis.
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Can herpes be treated?
Recurrences of herpes are often mild and infrequent, and most patients do not seek treatment. Drug therapy to prevent recurrences is available and effective, but because of cost and inconvenience issues, it is traditionally reserved for use in patients who have more than six outbreaks per year.
How long does it take to isolate a genital HSV?
The gold standard of diagnosis is viral isolation by tissue culture, 1 although this process can take as long as four to five days , and the sensitivity rate is only 70 to 80 percent. Despite these limitations, viral culture is still the diagnostic test of choice for HSV skin infections.
How many people are affected by HSV?
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) affects more than one third of the world's population 1 and is responsible for a wide array of human disease, with effects ranging from discomfort to death.
Is acyclovir an antiviral?
Before the 1970s, when acyclovir (Zovirax) was introduced as an antiviral drug, cutaneous HSV infection was managed with drying agents and other local care. Newer antiviral drugs with once-daily dosage benefits have emerged during the past several years.
How does HSV enter the body?
HSV is a double-stranded DNA virus that may enter the host through abraded skin or intact mucous membranes. 1 Epithelial cells are the initial targets. Once infected, these cells die, releasing clear fluid intradermally to form vesicles and merging with other cells to create multinucleated giant cells.
How long does it take for acyclovir to end replication?
Its mechanism of action necessitates early administration, because replication may end as soon as 48 hours into a recurrence. 3
How long does acyclovir last?
6 The half-life of acyclovir is about 2.5 hours, and the dosage must be adjusted in patients with renal failure.