About Acyclovir

If you’ve used Acyclovir, please help others by adding your feedback. What would you tell your best friend about this product? Please remember that we do not give medical advice. That is for your local health care provider, who is familiar with your medical history.

Subj: Awful fatigue
Date: 8/7/2006
I am taking aciclovir disp 400mcg x 5 daily for shingles although the shingles have not broken out into blisters, we are hoping early intervention with medication will stop this, however, the fatigue is awful. I sleep for three hours every afternoon (on 4th day of 7) and am so spaced out the rest of the time. I go back to work in two days and am dreading it. Is this normal?

Carol

AskDocWeb: Sorry, this is a side effect for about 8% of users of this drug.

Subj: Diagnosed with shingles
Date: 8/7/2006
I was diagnosed with shingles and it isn’t too bad. Would I be better off without taking acyclovir unless I get too uncomfortable?

James

AskDocWeb: If you want to experiment talk to your doctor first, otherwise you should take the Acyclovir as prescribed by your doctor.

Subj: Acyclovir hair loss
Date: 8/9/2006
I had been taken 400mg of acyclovir twice a day to prevent a 3rd recurrence of shingels in the eye. My side effects were anemia, shortness of breath and hair loss. I have stop the acyclovir but I still have a lot of hair loss. Please give me an idea of what I can do!

Sue

AskDocWeb: The hair loss is likely to taper off over a period of a month or so after discontinuing the drug so you may not have to do anything. If it continues beyond that then you might want to take a look at Nisim NewHair Biofactors.

Subj: HSV2
Date: 8/9/2006
Did anyone ever try genisil? is this really good or just a scam and is zovirax cream good for treating hsv2

Tom

AskDocWeb: We are not familiar with genisil, maybe someone will write in who has tried it. None of the creams are as good as taking a medication orally (like Acyclovir) for HSV2.

Subj: Dosage
Date: 8/10/2006
My mother has got herpes at her neck region and she is a k/o hypertension and COPD simultaneously she is diagnosed with hypothyroidism but doctor didn’t give her acyclovir. Should I start it? if yes plz tell me the dose and course? Thanks

Dr

AskDocWeb: Sorry Doc, we do not give medical advice here. The purpose of this website is to share information about side effects and let consumers read and report about them.

Subj: I have a question
Date: 8/15/2006
I was recently diagnosed with genital herpes and my doctor prescribed Acyclovir. The thing is it was by random accident I found out I had herpes, I’ve obviously had it for many years and as far as I know have never had an ‘outbreak’, so with no symptoms should I still bother to take the medication? Also if I do I’m worried that it may provoke an actual outbreak when I stop?

Sara

AskDocWeb: It won’t provoke an outbreak. Acyclovir just stops the virus from multiplying.

Subj: Anemia
Date: 8/23/2006
I had shingels twice and had been on acyclovir for 2 years. I have anemia now. I read this can be a side effect, if it is from acyclovir is it reversible?

Sue

AskDocWeb: Yes, aplastic anemia has been reported in some cases. If you are truly anemic you may be put on b-12 injections for awhile, but not for long.

Subj: Acyclovir inner ear infection?
Date: 8/25/2006
I’ve been taking this for a inner ear infection I have to take 400mg 3 times a day and I have been taking it for about 6 weeks now. Has any one ever had it to raise their blood pressure? I will get dizzy headed and I will take my blood pressure and it is high. Then other times I feel fine and it is normal I’m just 21 and very atheletic and have never had high blood pressure?

Trey

AskDocWeb: Most ear infections are caused by bacteria because the Eustachian tubes provide an ideal environment for the bacteria to grow but some ear infections are caused by a virus and Acyclovir may help. There is no mention in the literature about Acyclovir causing high blood pressure.

Subj: Acyclovir on 9 year old
Date: 9/4/2006
My 9 year old daughter has been taking Acyclovir for 2 years now only as needed for cold sores. She takes 1 tsp. 3 x day (200 mil). She only gets them once every 2 or 3 months. They are very mild now. But I noticed that she has a red, bumpy rash on her buttock. Is this a side effect of the medicine and is she in danger? I have been using Cortizone on it.

Patty

AskDocWeb: The rash on her buttock should be checked out by her doctor. And while you are there, ask the doctor for something that will work better than the cortizone.

Subj: Efforts to find a cure?
Date: 9/5/2006
I fear that acyclovir is treated as an acceptable treatment for herpes and therefore limited effort/funding is being made to find an actual cure. Is acyclovir deemed a satisfactory treatment within the medical community to a point that limited effort is being made to find a cure for herpes?

David

AskDocWeb: It does seem to be counterproductive when treating the disease is more profitable than curing it. It makes you wonder, doesn’t it? It’s easy to see that the overall orientation of the medical community is much more reactive than it is proactive.

Subj: Suspending Acyclovir
Date: 9/8/2006
I have been using Acyclovir for a few years for herpes. My prescription recently ran out. I did not see my doctor to get it refilled. For a couple of weeks after stopping use I was quite emotional. Anything that made me upset I felt like I was going to cry. Other feeling of uselessness and anxiety about making simple decisions. Is this normal after suspending use of Acyclovir?
Sam

AskDocWeb: No, there are no listed withdrawal symptoms from suspending the use of acyclovir.

Subj: Secondary infections
Date: 9/10/2006
I have had a shingles outbreak on my neck for about 5 weeks now. I am taking Acyclovir 800 mg 5X per day. The sores are slowly healing, but I’m told this is longer than normal. Should I consider taking Amoxicillin for any possible secondary infections? Are there any conflicts between the 2 medications?

Scott

AskDocWeb: No, there aren’t any conflicts with using the two medications at the same time but, unless you develop a staph infection your doctor will not give you a prescription. In most cases antibiotics are used treat an infection, not to prevent one.

Subj: Valtrex Acyclovir
Date: 9/12/2006
Hi. Is Valtrex the same as Acyclovir? Also long time use of Acyclovir cause hair loss to everyone or only some people? How long do you need to take this drug to get this side affect?

Rob

AskDocWeb: Not everyone has reported hair loss, just some people. Valtrex (valacyclovir hydrochloride) is the hydrochloride salt of L -valyl ester of Acyclovir. Think of it as a form or type of Acyclovir.

Subj: Prescribed Acyclovir
Date: 9/14/2006
Have all the symptoms of shingles…but no rash outbreak after 5 days…was prescribed acyclovir. Is this med still worthwhile with no outbreak of rash? How does one tell if one is on the road to recovery with no rash healing to follow?

Jay

AskDocWeb: Yes it is worthwhile. You will know you are recovering when the symptoms start going away.

Subj: Small kidney stone
Date: 9/16/2006
Can years of suppressive use of acyclovir 400 mg twice a day suddenly cause microscopic hematuria and/or kidney stones? Have had hematuria for about 6 months and ultrasound showed small kidney stone.

Michele

AskDocWeb: For those unfamiliar, hematuria is an abnormal presence of blood in the urine. Many kidney diseases and disorders of the urinary and genital systems can cause it. This has not been reported with Acyclovir but in a small number of cases renal failure has been noted.

Subj: Bell’s Palsy
Date: 9/26/2006
My husband has Bell’s Palsy and was prescribed 1000 mg of Valtrex three times daily. This seems like a lot. Is this dosage normal and safe for him? Thanks.

Andi

AskDocWeb: Yes, your husband is receiving the standard recommended dosage of Valtrex to treat Herpes Zoster.

Subj: 4 week outbreak
Date: 9/29/2006
I have had herpes for over twenty years. The outbreaks were always pretty much the same in size and duration. A few months ago I started taking Acylovir. Everything was great for a while. Now I’m having the longest outbreak I’ve ever had. I’m approaching 4 weeks now. My doctor wasn’t much help. Do you think The Acylovir might be having some sort reaction on me. Please Help!

Johnny

AskDocWeb: We don’t think it’s due to the acyclovir but something else may be going on. We suggest getting a second opinion from a different doctor.

Subj: Chicken pox vaccination
Date: 10/4/2006
I have a question. My HSV 1 and 2 IGG test came positive. Had my Chicken pox vaccination 3 weeks before the hsv testing. Will the vaccination have an effect on the test results?

Diml

AskDocWeb: We found no evidence of that ever happening but we did come across an interesting article about the development of an effective vaccine against HSV2. It will be manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline. The vaccine only protects women and those who have never been exposed to HSV1 or HSV2. But, because most of us are exposed by our early 20s, the vaccination needs to be given during adolescence. Clinical trials are now under way in the US. The results are expected to be published in 2009.

Subj: Acyclovir for cold sores
Date: 10/13/2006
I have been taking this drug for cold sores for about 2 years. It works well, but during this time I feel like my skin (pores on my face enlarged and scaring) has become much worse. It seems after every round of treatment, new permanent facial blemishes develop. Is there any documented evidence similar to this with this drug? Thanks,

Mark

AskDocWeb: According to The Physician’s Desk Reference some cases of erythema multiforme have been reported. That’s an allergic condition of the skin that can show up as nodules, pimples, blisters, and/or rash. And they can appear in a verity of shapes and sizes. You might want to consult with a dermatologist and see what he has to say.

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