Some medications are also sensitive to heat, so be sure to store Valtrex at room temperature. This helps your kidneys process it more efficiently. Even though it starts working right away, it may take several days for you to notice a difference in your symptoms.
Acyclovir brand name Zovirax is another antiviral drug that can be used to treat herpes virus and varicella-zoster virus infections. You can compare the medications here. Skip to main content Search for a topic or drug. Valtrex side effects and interactions, and how to avoid them. Top Reads in Drug Info. Can you mix Trintellix and alcohol? Does hydroxyzine for anxiety work? Do coffee and Zoloft mix? Treating heartburn during pregnancy Oct. Looking for a prescription?
Search now! It works by stopping the production of the viruses that cause herpes and shingles. The relationship between the level of in vitro sensitivity of herpes viruses to aciclovir and clinical response to therapy has not been adequately established. Development of resistance by HSV to aciclovir has been documented.
The tablets also contain microcrystalline cellulose, povidone, sodium starch glycollate, aluminium magnesium silicate, magnesium stearate, Opadry Complete film-coating system White Y Proprietary Ingredient Number , and macrogol The tablets also contain microcrystalline cellulose, povidone, sodium starch glycollate, aluminium magnesium silicate, magnesium stearate, hypromellose, macrogol , macrogol , and titanium dioxide Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction may include shortness of breath; wheezing or difficulty breathing; swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body; and rash, itching or hives on the skin.
Do not take this medicine after the expiry date printed on the pack or if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering. If it has expired or is damaged, return it to your pharmacist for disposal. If you have not told your doctor about any of the above, tell them before you start taking Acyclo-V.
Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including medicines that you buy without a prescription from a pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop. These medicines may be affected by Acyclo-V or may affect how well Acyclo-V works. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you what to do if you are taking any of these medicines. They also have a more complete list of medicines to be careful with or avoid while taking Acyclo-V. Your doctor will tell you how much to take and when to take it.
Take Acyclo-V exactly as directed by your doctor. Your doctor will tell you how many tablets you need to take each day and when to take them. This depends on your condition and whether or not you are taking any other medicines.
Your doctor will decide the right dose for you. The tablets may be swallowed whole with a glass of water. The tablets may also be dispersed in at least a quarter of a glass of water about 50 mL and then swallowed. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the dose you missed and take your next dose when you are meant to. Otherwise, take the missed dose as soon as you remember, and then go back to taking your tablets as you would normally.
Keep taking Acyclo-V for as long as your doctor recommends. Do not stop taking Acyclo-V unless advised by your doctor. Immediately telephone your doctor or Poisons Information Centre telephone 13 11 26 for advice, or go to Accident and Emergency at the nearest hospital if you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much Acyclo-V. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. Acyclovir will not cure genital herpes and may not stop the spread of genital herpes to other people.
Acyclovir comes as a tablet, a capsule, and a suspension liquid to take by mouth. It also comes as a delayed-release buccal tablet to apply to the upper gum of the mouth. The tablets, capsules, and suspension are usually taken with or without food two to five times a day for 5 to 10 days, starting as soon as possible after your symptoms begin.
When acyclovir is used to prevent outbreaks of genital herpes, it is usually taken two to five times a day for up to 12 months. The delayed-release buccal tablet is usually applied with a dry finger as a one-time dose within 1 hour after itching, redness, burning or tingling cold sore symptoms begin but before the cold sore appears.
Take or use acyclovir at around the same time s every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take or use acyclovir exactly as directed. Do not take or use more or less of it or take it more often or for a longer time than prescribed by your doctor. Do not chew, crush, suck, or swallow the delayed-release buccal tablets.
Drink plenty of liquids, if you have a dry mouth while using the delayed-release buccal tablets. 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.
Your symptoms should improve during your treatment with acyclovir. Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve or if they get worse. Take or use acyclovir until you finish the prescription, even if you feel better. If you stop taking acyclovir too soon or skip doses, your infection may not be completely treated or may become more difficult to treat.
The delayed-release buccal tablet is applied as a one-time dose. Acyclovir is also sometimes used to treat eczema herpeticum a skin infection caused by the herpes virus to treat and prevent herpes infections of the skin, eyes, nose, and mouth in patients with human immunodeficiency virus HIV , and to treat oral hairy leukoplakia condition that causes hairy white or gray-colored patches on the tongue or inside of the cheek.
Discussing the risks of expired medication is actually more complicated than some might think. The expiration date of medications is chosen somewhat arbitrarily and does not necessarily represent when a medication loses potency or might be dangerous. It instead represents when medication is no longer guaranteed by law and the manufacturer to function as intended.
There are essentially two risks associated with expired medication. The most common issue is that the medication may have lost potency. Put simply, mg of expired Valtrex will not necessarily have the strength of a new batch of Valtrex.
Knowing exactly how potent an expired medication is requires lab testing. The second risk, and much rarer, is that an expired medication might become dangerous over time.
According to Harvard Health Publishing, the only medication readily associated with potentially becoming dangerous over time is tetracycline.
However, it is still worth noting since many medications are not well studied past their expiration dates, Valtrex included. You are unlikely to be seriously harmed by taking expired Valtrex, but again, the drug may lose potency over time.
Since the complications associated with many of the conditions Valtrex treats can be serious if improperly treated, it is a good idea to make sure your medication is reliable. Valtrex, like most drugs, will be set to expire some time between two to four years after purchase.
As discussed above, exactly how long it lasts beyond that is a question without a well-researched answer. Drug manufacturers have little incentive to test their drugs potency beyond the legal requirement. As a matter of fact, it is in their best interest to not do so as testing potency beyond the norm will take time and money.
It is more profitable for companies to instead make new medications and market products. Nearly every drug manufacturer is a for-profit organization. It is a bad idea to rely on a medication that is expired. After a period of one to two years beyond its expiration date, it should probably be tested to make sure the potency is still reliable.
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