Feedback on Valtrex Side Effect and Usage, page 40
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If you use Valtrex, 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: 91 years old with shingles
Date: 1/26/2010
My husband is 91 years old and has shingles on his inter arm(left arm) only. He was given Valtrex and a pain killer after 3 days we stopped the valtrex…he is healthly now he has problems getting around…he was fine before he took this…will he regain his strength???
Pat
AskDocWeb: His doctor should be able to give you some idea of how much your husband might recover.
Subj: Acute renal failure
Date: 1/27/2010
My father miss mis-prescribed Valtrex for keflex and was subsequently found unconscious and had to be hospitalized, after ingesting ten 500 mg tablets over 3 days. Upon admission to the hospital, he was treated for encephalopathy, while on a ventilator, and also had to have 2 MRI’s done. Later he developed acute renal failure. After recovering, he had to be discharged to a rehabilitation clinic to be able to walk again.
Craig
Subj: Severe abdominal pain
Date: 2/4/2010
I’ve been on a generic Valtrex and I have severe abdominal pain. Any suggestions for reducing the pain?
Brian
AskDocWeb: About 3% of patients taking Valtrex report abdominal pain. Valtrex may be taken with or without food however, taking it with food may help reduce abdominal pain.
Subj: Aggressive and irritable
Date: 2/9/2010
I highly recommend not getting shingles on the bottom of your feet. Valtrex is making it feel worse. Blisters seem to be coming to the surface more quickly. Muscles along inerventions are aching and cramping more. I hope this means it’s working. If not just shoot me now!!! My family can attest to the more aggressive and irritable attributes.
Joan
Subj: Stopping before the seven days
Date: 2/9/2010
I just started using VALTREX 1gram Caplets every eight hours, the instruction says take 1 Caplet every eight hours for seven days and do not stop taking it before you ask your doctor, what is the side effect if I stop before the seven days?
KS
AskDocWeb: There aren’t any side effect but if you stop treatment early, that reduces the effectiveness of the treatment and increases the chance of a relapse.
Subj: Valtrex and antibiotics
Date: 2/10/2010
I have shingles and was perscribed valtrex but now I have a really bad sore throat and im all congested. If I refill my perscription will valtex help me like the antibiotic amoxicilyn will. Please get back to me thanks.
Trish
AskDocWeb: Antivirals and antibiotics both help fight infections, just different kinds of infections. Antibiotics work only on infections caused by germs and antivirals work only on viral infections.
Subj: L-lysine
Date: 2/10/2010
I have taken valtrex for the past 5 years. I kept getting outbreaks until I was taking 500 mg of valtrex daily. I have switched doctors and was told that I needed to get off of the valtrex and start taking l-lysine. How much l-lysine do you have to take to equal 500mg of valtrex?
Julie
AskDocWeb: While l-lysine has been found to be beneficial in reducing outbreaks, there is no equivalent dosage of l-lysine for Valtrex. Readers report good results using from 500 mg to 3000 mg a day, some taking it along with Valtrex. Please note that there are a few health concerns with using lysine
Subj: Long term affects of Valtrex?
Date: 2/10/2010
I’ve been on Valtrex for an outbreak I was getting above my eyebrow. I have been on a 1gm pill, 1x a day for over a year. I have NOT gotten any more outbreaks since I started taking Valtrex. My Question is: Is it safe to stay on Valtrex indefinitely? If so, what if any, concerns should I have with being on Valtrex for an indefinite period of time? Any Long term affects?? I have no side effects from the Medication. Your prompt answer will be greatly appreciated.
Lenore
AskDocWeb: For most people Valtrex is very well tolerated, even in the long-term. Statistics on the side effects of long-term use do not seem to be available although there seems to be the possibility of developing liver enzyme abnormalities (rare) and hepatitis.
Subj: Losing my hair
Date: 2/14/2010
I have been taking Valtrex for years. But was changed to taking it daily about a year and a half ago. 2 500 mg daily. I get sores in my mouth. I recently had a real bout with my health. A blood infection that kept me in the hospitol for a month. Now 2 months after getting out of the hospitol I am losing my hair. The only meds that I am on are, Nexium, Valtrex and a med for portal hypertension. Do you have any ideas?
Cathy
AskDocWeb: Hair loss is not listed as a side effect of Nexium unless it is combined with other drugs such as the case with Nexium Hp7. It appears that hair loss is one of the rare side effects of Valtrex.
Subj: Valtrex for shingles
Date: 2/20/2010
I just started taking Valtrex for shingles. I am unsure when the rash appeared but I do know it has been less than a week. Will Valtrex most likely be effective for me as it may be more than 72 hours when I realized it may be shingles? This med is quite expensive so I’m really hoping it will work. So far I’ve take three doses of 500mg and have develolped a migraine type headache on the right side of my face – the shingles are located on my forehead. I’m thinking the headache is caused by the shingles itself. Also my daughter-in-law is living with me and has never had chicken pox. What are the best methods to try and keep her from contracting CP from me?
Pat
AskDocWeb: Valtrex is most effective at reducing the pain, inflammation, and vesicle formation of shingles when taken within 48 hours of the onset of the rash. If taken after that, it still has a beneficial affect, just not as much. And yes, the virus is contagious. Shingles can be spread from an affected person to those who have not had chickenpox. They don’t get shingles but they can develop chickenpox. For most people, the best way to prevent contracting chickenpox is to get vaccinated against the varicella zoster virus with the varicella vaccine.
Subj: Genital herpes
Date: 2/21/2010
About two years into my second marriage, I discovered that my wife was taking Valtrex for genital herpes, and had been since before I met her. We remained together three more years, and now it has been nine years since that discovery. My doctor recently told me I would most certainly have herpes as well, even though I’d never had an outbreak. I’d been tested negative for herpes at least three times. The doctor said the herpes blood test was a “sh*tty test,” with many false negatives. Immediately after that visit (that very day), I had stinging pains in my scrotum and anus that arose sporadically for about two months (no visible symptoms). Psychosomatic? Or is it Valtrex time for me, too?
Wesley
AskDocWeb: It sounds like your doctor was talking about the older ELISA test. It can detect herpes but can’t distinguish between HSV-1 and HSV-2. It does not detect herpes if there has been no outbreak. The fact that you had pains the same day does raise some suspicion but there is more to an outbreak than just pain. Typically sores develop after the stinging pain and since you had no visible symptoms there is some doubt as to whether you have an HSV infection or not. It is also possible to have the virus and never have any symptoms.
Subj: Quick treatment
Date: 3/8/2010
Two days after my first herpes outbreak, my doctor prescribed 500mg of Valtrex, twice per day… for 10 days. Is there any chance that since we started treatment extremely soon… that the virus could be entirely removed? (Or does “quick treatment” not really help?)
Susan
AskDocWeb: A quick treatment, which in this context means starting as soon as possible, really does help. In most cases starting treatment quickly results in fewer lesions, shorter healing time, and less pain.
Subj: Drug interactions?
Date: 3/11/2010
I am taking Valtrex to prevent breakout. Is it safe to take while on Ibprofen and Lexapro?
Lacy
AskDocWeb: There are no drug interactions listed between Valtrex and the other two but there is between Ibuprofen and Lexapro. According to drugs.com, patients taking Ibuprofen and Lexapro may increase the risk of bleeding, especially upper gastrointestinal bleeding. “Patients should be advised to promptly report any signs of bleeding to their physician, including pain, swelling, headache, dizziness, weakness, prolonged bleeding from cuts, increased menstrual flow, vaginal bleeding, nosebleeds, bleeding of gums from brushing, unusual bleeding or bruising, red or brown urine, or red or black stools.”
Subj: Drug test
Date: 3/12/2010
Will Valtrex make a drug test show up as dirty?
Teri
AskDocWeb: No.
Subj: Valtrex not working
Date: 3/13/2010
Diagnosed HSV 2 via PCR test — taking Cifla Generic Valtrex 1000 each day as a suppressant — now just after six weeks after taking tablet every day without fail I have another painful break out of Herpes in exactly the same place — always by lymph area either side. This is v. depressing since Valtrex appears not to be working for me. Any ideas why?
Nick
AskDocWeb: It sounds like it may be time to talk to your doctor again. You may have to adjust your expectations about the effectiveness of this drug. For most people suppressive therapy is helpful in reducing the number and severity of outbreaks but it does not completely eliminate them.
Subj: Has Valtrex caused negative HIV test?
Date: 3/16/2010
can valtrex make you have a negitive hiv test? Had a affair in July 09 and same guy July, August and Sept. he gave me herpes. I started valtrex Oct. 09 and been test 5 times last test 7 weeks after the last time we were together. I have heard valtrex can make hiv test neg. for up to one year is this true. Panicing here email me the answer if you can please.
Joellen
AskDocWeb: You can relax somewhat, even heavy doses of Valtrex do not affect HIV test results.
Subj: Lessen chance of contracting herpes?
Date: 3/17/2010
Can I take Valtrex to lessen the chance of contracting herpes from my girlfriend during sex? How soon should I take it before having sex?
M3
AskDocWeb: Valtrex is not a vaccine or preventative medication. Taking Valtrex will NOT prevent you from getting herpes.
Subj: Difference between Valtrex and Voltrex?
Date: 3/21/2010
What is the difference between Valtrex and Voltrex?
Stephanie
AskDocWeb: You may be wondering, what is Voltrex? Well, it is just one of the common misspellings of Valtrex. It has also been incorrectly spelled as Veltrax, Valtrax, Voltrax, Veltrex, and Valtracks.
Subj: Alcohol?
Date: 3/27/2010
Can you drink alcohol while on valtrex?
Lisa
AskDocWeb: Using alcohol does not seem to affect the effectiveness of Valtrex but you may still want to avoid it. Alcohol lowers the strength of your immune system. Read more feedback about Valtrex.
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