What is valtrex?
This is an antiviral drug used for the treating infections associated with different types of viruses. These tablets are administered orally. Each of the tablets has with it a 500mg to 1 gram valacyclovir. In adults, it is prescribed for shingles which is referred to as herpes zoster, sores that are found on the mouth and helps to reduce genital herpes effects. It is used in little kids to treat the cold sores. It is preferred for kids above twelve years. It also treats chicken pox in the children of over 2 years of age.
Valtrex does not cure the herpes although it helps in reducing the signs through lessening the growth time and spreading the germ. This enables the immune system of the body to have an enhanced opportunity of fighting off the infections and lessen the outbreak amount. The medicine also reduces itching, herpes pain, heals the sores by ensuring the new sores are stopped from forming. This drug is prescribed to treat cytomegalovirus; this is a viral infection which really associates with the pregnant women together with individuals that have a weaker immune, this is mostly in cases of organ transplants.
Warnings of valtrex
Valtrex may have a more severe effect on older adults, this is especially with the problems associated with kidneys, mental or mood change, which include disturbance and confusion. The spread of herpes is not prevented by valtrex drug, therefore protection should be used to protect sex partner. It is advisable that an individual should keep off sexual contacts when symptoms show up or in case of an outbreak. Herbs are also passable from one partner to another even if symptoms are not showing, therefore, protections like condoms and dental dams are advised.
The sores are easily transmitted during kissing or having body contacts with people until the sores have cured up completely. The virus can also be passed from one person to another when someone touches their sore with fingers and end up touching someone else. So it is advisable to frequently wash hands if you have such outbreak. When attacked with Valtrex, it is important to inform the doctor whether you have been found to have the HIV virus, or if you might be having a weaker immunity.
The Valtrex is a threat to the kidneys, as they attack kidney. This risk raises up while an individual takes other medications that are harmful to the kidney. The doctor should be made aware of any drugs that an individual might be taking, the past of kidney disease, treatment of dialysis or whether at one point you ever had a transplant of either kidney or bone marrow. Finally, before having some immunizations such as vaccinations against the virus known as varicella, an individual is supposed to consult their doctors first for guidance.
Pregnancy and valtrex
The pregnancy should be discussed with a doctor, but valtrex is not expected tp harm the unborn baby. If a mother is infected with herpes, it can be transmitted from the mother of the child only when the mum suffers from genital lesion when giving birth. Valtrex can enter into the breast milk of a mother and can easily harm a mother's infant. It is advisable that the mothers should not take this drug when breastfeeding not unless they seek doctors guidance.
Valtrex side effects
It is important for an individual to let their doctors know if they experience any side effects after taking the valtrex drug. The side effects could include either all or some of this: nausea, abdominal pain, wooziness, headaches, diarrhea and queasiness.
The severe side effects of valtrex drugs
The patients are advised to talk to their doctors immediately if they experience these symptoms:
- Mood changes like confusions and hallucinations
- Difficulties in speaking
- Shaking or having unsteady movements
- Changes of urine amounts
Although not common, valtrex can lead to a life disorder which alters the effect of thecells of blood, kidneys and also body parts. This surely occurs more to the people that have a weaker immunity maybe due to diseases such as HIV/AID, transplant of the bone marrow or the kidney.
Very serious side effects of valtrex
Patients are encouraged to get help as fast as possible when they develop the following symptoms:
- Extreme tiredness
- An either slow, fast of heartbeat that is irregular.
- Dark urine.
- Fever
- Severe stomach ache
- Yellow skins or eyes
- Abrupt vision change
- Consciousness loss.
Valtrex interactions
Due to the fact that valtrex is an antiviral medicine, it hence can make varirecella inactive before the body develops resistance to fight the germs, especially voiding the immunization advantages. The doctors usually delay to offer such vaccines until all the valtrex is removed from the body. Drug such as non steroidal anti inflammatory that lead to kidney problem, can work together with the valtrex drug. Because valtrex is same as Zovirax, these two medications then should not be taken at the same time. The ability of the kidney to clear valtrex out of the body can be reduced by two drugs known as Probenecid and cimetidine. They lead to valtrex high concentrations in the body and also have its harmful effects.
The medicine is able to make an individual woozy. The finest solution is avoiding alcohol at all costs because its combination could raise the effect. Patients should always tell their health care professions about all prescriptions, non prescribed drugs, over the counter, and also illegal drugs.
Valtrex dose
The valtrex is usually administered orally. It is a drug that takes a form of a tablet in 500 mg and 1 gram. Its prescription usually works okay and finest if taken when the first symptoms of the outbreak begin to show up. If the treatment is delayed then the effectiveness of the valtrex can be slowed down by delayed treatment. When having shingles or chickenpox, the drug should be taken instantly. While for the cold sores or genital herpes, the medicine should be taken at the initial outbreak symptom or when an individual experiences itchy feelings.
Valtrex usually works best when it is at consstant levels in our body systems. Therefore, it is important to take it at regular intervals as per doctors' prescriptions.
The frequency and intervals of valtrex dosage depends on what it's taken for:
- For shingles, it should be every eight hours, takes thrice a day and for consecutive seven days.
- While for the genital herpes, it should be two times a day for about five to ten days.
The directions prescribed should be followed with a lot of care. The valtrex medication should be taken until the full prescription amount is done. No medication should be altered or stopped before conversing with the doctor.
Valtrex overdose
In case of an overdose, it is advised that the patient should seek urgent medical attention. The overdose symptoms include:
- Changes in the production urine amount.
- Excessive tiredness
- Mental or changes in mood
- Consciousness loss
Missed valtrex dose
A patient should take the doses they missed immediately he/she remembers. The mixed doses however can be skipped if it is about time to the next dosage. The amount of time taken for valtrex to work.
For the peole that have repeated herpes outbreaks and know of the signs and symptoms that precede this outbreak, this drug may then be prescribed for a short period of about five days. A lot of people that take the valtrex usually notice some of the symptoms relief within either two or three days, with the blisters healing after a week.
Valtrex and liver damage
The dosage for the therapy is one gram daily. Two grams can only be taken only if there is an outbreak. However, using it on a daily basis is too much for the people that are concerned about the drug's effects of heavy doses on the liver, because it is where the valtrex is produced. But they can only be taken wherever an outbreak occurs.
How to use valtrex
The patient information leaflet should be read if it is available from the pharmacist before beginning to use valtrex and also before getting a refill. Any questions should be forward to the doctor for replies.
Valtrex should be taken by the mouth, before or after food, this will depend on the doctor's prescription. Drink a lot of fluids when using this medication so as to lower its side effect chances. The dosage and treatment length are based on the types of infections. For chickenpox treating in children, its dosage is based on weight.
The medication works best when used during the first outbreak, it may not work better if there is a delayed treatment.
Conclusion
Valtrex is highly effective and tolerated well as therapy of continuous suppression in men and women suffering from recurrent genital herpes. The benefits that the one times patient get include the improved compliance of patients.
What does antiviral refers to?
These are drugs that are prescribed to help prevent the complications which are associated with flu or to lessen the severity and flu durability. They are used for treating infections associated with flu. Unlike most of antibiotics, antiviral drugs cannot destroy their pathogen but rather inhabits developments. The Larger groups of antiviral class are the antibiotics.
Antiviral drugs recommendation
These drugs are recommended for both the prevention and treatment of flu. The antiviral drugs do work best when they have been taken within two days of the flu symptoms onset, but still when taken later they may offer benefits. The reduction of flu may be aided by this medication within 24 to 48 hours which later will prevent some severe flu complications.
Antiviral uses in preventing flu
Here, your doctor may be able to prescribe an antiviral and that is if you come in close contact with other people or family members who may have the flu and you may further want to avoid getting the flu infection, the centers for disease control and prevention also abbreviated as CDC however discourages this kind of practice, this is simply because it can lead to drug resistance strains of this virus. People at risk of severe flu are recommended by CDC to take the antibiotics. These people are such as the pregnant mothers or people who have asthma related diseases, heart disease or heart attack do gain the antiviral treatment soon as the symptoms of the flu start to show. The most effective way to prevent flu is vaccination.
Drugs Recommendation of antiviral for both treatment and prevention of flu
The antiviral drugs recommended by the CDC are oseltamivir(Tamilifu),zanamivir or peramivir. All this three antiviral drugs helps instantly when given within two days of the flu systems, after being given within two days after the symptoms appear, they may still help in the prevention of severe complications.
Antiviral Side Effects
The antiviral drugs negative effects include vomiting, queasiness, stuffy nose behavior changes and diarrhea and this drug is not recommended for people suffering from asthma and zanamivir. The doctor is responsible to determine the safest drugs for an individual. And in case of such sighs, it is recommended that the patients reach their various doctors for prescriptions.
How to treat the flu
There are a lot of prescribed medications depending on the types of signs and symptoms experienced by a person. Mostly, the antiviral drugs are essential for treating people that suffer from flu.
Uses of antiviral drugs
These drugs are used to treating and preventing diseases such as the flu. They are specific for the viruses of different individuals and have no benefits for other conditions that are caused by other virus.
Antiviral interactions
Patients need to use this drugs as prescribed by the doctors. Regarding the HIV virus drugs, these drugs should not be discontinued or misused without having to consult the doctor and seek recommendations.
Concern of parents
Liquid dose form should be measured with either teaspoon or droppers but they should not be administered with the household teaspoons as they have volume variations therefore they may either result to overdose or under dose. The anti influenza doses should only be put to use by those people with no vaccinations.
The benefits of the anti viral drugs
Within 48 hours of becoming sick with the symptoms of the flu, the antiviral drugs can be used to reduce the symptoms and help in shortening the time that you are not felling well. They may alternatively reduce risk of complications especially in children such as pneumonia and ear infection
How Long Should Antiviral Drugs Be Taken
So as to treat the flu, oseltmivir and zanamivir are the drugs that are usually prescribed to be taken for 5 days only two times a day, people hospitalized with the flu may need to take the antiviral drugs for longer than the 5 days.
Antiviral Drugs and children
There are drugs which are recommended for children such as the CDC and AAP (American Academy of pediatrics) for flu in the ages of different people. It can either be adults or young children. The zanamivir drug is recommended for the early treatment of this flu in children of 7 years of age or above. So it is safe for young children.
Antiviral drugs effect on pregnant women.
Some antiviral drugs are recommended for pregnant women, drugs such as oral oseltamivir which is very much recommended for treating the pregnant women who have flu, this is because when compared to other medications that are recommended, the antiviral medication do have the most studies that are available and further suggest that is best and very safe. it also has some beneficial effects during the time which a woman is pregnant, hence this antibiotic is highly recommended.