![]() ![]() Moreover, 75% of the partners did not show any symptoms of genital herpes, even if they had acquired the virus. Antiviral drugs reduce viral shedding, when the virus makes new copies of itself on the skin's surface.Ī study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2004 found that daily doses of valacyclovir protected sex partners of those with genital herpes from being infected. Half the partners of people taking daily valacyclovir became infected with the virus, and half did not. Taking daily suppressive therapy may also reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to a sex partner. Rather, more important factors are how often the outbreaks happen and if they are severe enough to interfere with your life. There is no set number of outbreaks per year that doctors use to decide when someone should start suppressive therapy. Many people who take the antiviral drugs daily have no outbreaks at all. For someone who has more than six outbreaks a year, suppressive therapy can reduce the number of outbreaks by 70% to 80%. ![]() If you have outbreaks often, you may want to consider taking an antiviral drug every day. Sores will heal and disappear on their own, but taking the drugs can make the symptoms less severe and make them go away faster. You can take the pills for two to five days as soon as you notice sores or when you feel an outbreak coming on. Antiviral medications used for genital herpes include: Acyclovir (Zovirax) Valacyclovir (Valtrex) Your doctor may recommend that you take the medicine only when you have symptoms of an outbreak or that you take a certain medication daily, even when you have no signs of an outbreak. 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. Your doctor may keep you on the drugs longer if the sores don't heal in that time.Īfter the first treatment, work with your doctor to come up with the best way to take antiviral therapies. People who have had a history of chickenpox are the ones who actually develop this infection. Shingles is a skin problem that is typically caused by the infection of herpes zoster virus. If you have symptoms such as sores when you're first diagnosed with genital herpes, your doctor will usually give you a brief course (seven to 10 days) of antiviral therapy to relieve them or prevent them from getting worse. Over the counter treatment for shingles involves the use of non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as naproxen and ibuprofen. When Treatments for Genital Herpes Are Given Severe cases may be treated with the intravenous (IV) drug acyclovir. There are three major drugs commonly used to treat genital herpes symptoms: acyclovir ( Zovirax), famciclovir ( Famvir), and valacyclovir ( Valtrex). Drug therapy is not a cure, but it can make living with the condition easier. These drugs can also reduce the severity and duration of symptoms when they do flare up. Treatment with antiviral drugs can help people who are bothered by genital herpes outbreaks stay symptom-free longer. ![]()
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