Valtrex vs Acyclovir

[Jances13]

I have been taking valtrex when ever I get an outbreak. But lately I get rid of one outbreak another comes . Would it help if I switch to acyclovir to see if this works better ? Any thoughts greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[markh57]

Hi

I’ve taken aciclovir which is preferred over valciclovir in the UK

I suspect it wouldn’t make much different changing drug as they work in a similar way. Neither of them have any preventative effect once you finish taking them.

If you’re having frequent severe outbreaks the best approach might be to take one or other as continuous suppression for say a year.

The frequency of outbreaks tends to decline over time so that might be enough

[Jances13 in reply to markh57]

Hi . Thank you so much for taking the time to reply . I was just put on a daily dose of 500mg valtrex so am going to wait and see . I thought since am having a hard time with this that maybe changing to acyclovir might just do the trick . Here in the US valtrex pretty much is the standard and it's more expensive than acyclovir . But I know some people do better on one than the other . Do you find that probiotics help ?

[markh57 in reply to Jances13]

I have recently started taking probiotics for general health reasons. I don't get outbreaks very often now its settled down so its difficult to say whether theres any difference.

[Jances13 in reply to markh57]

Thank you so much ! Have a great weekend !

[saj01]

Hi , don't know if you read one of my posts, if not tell you what I found out.. Apparently arginine an amino acid promotes the herpes virus , whereas lysine supresses it. *I found a list of foods which gave the % each one contained and noticed that nuts and seeds generally are very high in arginine. Nuts and pumpkin seeds are my favorite nibbles! So I ordered a tub of powered lysine and when I have a break out I take the lysine as well... only just 1/2 teaspoon in water... best not to take too much as it loosens the bowel movements!! I take aciclovir 200mg 5 per day for 5 days. I also use lidocaine 5% on the sore which helps to numb it a bit.

**The web site was DiscoverHomeopathy.com .Article by Gabrielle Traub entitled What foods are high in lysine and low in arginine.

It's worth having a look and maybe tweaking your diet. e.g. wheat is high in arginine, where as rye is lower. Hope that helps.

[Jances13 in reply to saj01]

Wow , thank you so much. So I usually take Valtrex 2 a day for 3 days and usually am good but I just stopped a medication that I had been on for 14 years and my body is flaring up . So my Dr . Now prescribed for me to take 1 valtrex daily which is 500mg as a maintenance dose . Along with that I got a yeast infection so that makes it worse . I've been looking into the lysine but the pill form but the powder maybe is more stronger. Do u mind sharing which one you use ? Also I will look up that book , am sure it has a lot of valuable information . I always stay away from nuts , and chocolate and I do eat a lot of yogurt to try to keep the yeast away . I know that acyclovir is very similar to valtrex but since am really having an issue trying to get this under control I thought maybe changing would change something .

[saj01 in reply to Jances13]

Hi there... I think from memory the aciclovir has less side effects, so switching might help you. What works for me might not work for you but it's certainly worth giving it a try.

I bought the l-lysine from Health leads, it should be standard, so shop around for a good price. As I mentioned lysine can cause loose bowel movements ( a bit like magnesium)which is why I chose powered rather than tablets so you can adjust the amount to suit you. It more like granules rather than powered so takes a while to break down in water.. I tend to use warm water... not hot and use about 1/2 teaspoon that's all, when I need to..

I've used more but as I also take magnesium for another reason, which can also cause loose bowel movements , I'm very careful not to over do it !!!

You sound as though you're very good with your diet.... better than me! Strangely enough dairy including yoghurt and cheese is higher in lysine but sadly chocolate is higher in arginine ... that's a real pity because I have 2 squares of 90% chocolate a day! ( stand in the corner!) Ideally look at your overall daily diet and of course as I don't know how old you are, maybe your monthly cycle or stress/ anxiety can all be contributory factors . But don't get bogged down by thinking... I can't eat this, that or the other.. it's more a matter of balancing what you're having because you still need a healthy, varied diet.

p.s. it's not a book it's just a list of foods which I printed off , but you can also do a web search for any individual item if your not sure.

Take care

[Jances13 in reply to saj01]

Hi, You made me laugh so hard about the chocolate , I needed that today , Thank you.! I love cheese and I like yogurt , and I love sweets but I do not eat enough veggies . . I’ve been dealing with this for at least 6 years. In the beginning it was horrible then it leveled out and now again . Your right , It does make more sense to use the powder am going to ck around to see . I know Amazon has quite a few different brands. I pretty much have figured out my triggers like chocolate and coffee and if I start a new medicine here we go again. Thank you for the advice , yes lately a lot of things have been going on . I just need to get a grip on things , and get back on track. Oh , I did look up the food list , sorry I thought it was a book , but that is very nice of you , thank you ! Am going to print it so I use it.

I wish you the best ! Have a great weekend !

[saj01 in reply to Jances13]

Hope it will be of some help to you.. take care.

[Galen70]

Valaciclovir gets broken down to aciclovir within the body so it is not more effective on a drug level. What is is slightly more effective at is bioavailability..meaning better absorbed. Thats it nothing else.

All the supplements ...there is no hard scientific evidence any of those work. So don't spend large amounts of money on them