How does valtrex work?

Question

The doctor prescribed valtrex taken three times a day for 10 days. Symptoms of a cold sore on the lip but never a blister or sore. Itching, burning, tingling and crawling feel around mouth. Medicine was not taken but symptoms gone on lip. A day later nose started itching around it and on it. If prescribtion is picked up and taken will it stop the symptoms and next time it show up will it come on stronger than before. Is cold sores only contagious when there is a sore? Concerned about washing face and body with wash cloth can it spread in that manner?

Answer 1

Valtrex is a nucleoside analog of guanine (1 of the 4 building blocks of DNA) but you have to go a bit into biochemitry to really understand whats going on. Actually, valtrex is a prodrug converted to aciclovir by the liver then viral and cellular kinases convert the aciclovir (a prodrug as well) to the nucleotide analogs. Valtrex increases bioavailability but is no different from Aciclovir once metabolised by the liver. These chemicals do not actually target Herpes per se. Rather, they are more readily incorporated into viral polymerase than cellular DNA. Viral kinases convert aciclovir into a monophosphate form where as the cell then converts it to a triphosphate. These phosphorylated analogs in turn, are what prevent viral DNA synthesis. I suppose another way to look at what im saying is-- herpes actually "target" the drugs, not the other way around. Cellular (your own) polymerase can also incorporate the analogs into DNA chains which would have a mutagenic effect. Usually, cell death is the typical result of analog mutagenicity as seen by other analogs used in cancer chemotherapy and other anti-virals. But, since viral polymerase binds much more readily than cellular polymerase to these particular analogs, its toxicity and side effects are low.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

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Answer 4

Too many questions. You need to do a google search on herpes. You may have spread it from your lip to your nose. Both are moist and both would be good places for the virus to invade.

Should have gotten the Rx. I'm not sure, but one of these drugs is given for the first outbreak and then there's something else given after that. Don't know, you'd do well to look up Valtrex and exactly how it's Rxed.

Answer 5

Generic Valtrex (Valcyclovir) will do the same job as Valtrex and will most certainly help to make living with herpes that little bit more comfortable, and do it at a substantially cost.
Reducing the outbreaks and lowering the symptoms of the herpes virus will enable you to carry on living a normal life again.
Simply by taking common sense precautions you will be able to help fight the spread of the virus and have a normal and active sex life.
The active ingredient in Valtrex, valacyclovir is a pro-drug. Meaning, when it's administered to the patient, its form is less active as compared to the active form of other medications. A pro-drug becomes active as soon as it's inside the patient's body. So, when valacyclovir is inside your body, it metabolizes into its active form, namely acyclovir. The action of acyclovir has been seen to be effective against most of the viruses that are a part of the herpes virus family including herpes simplex virus type 1(HSV-1), herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) and also the herpes zoster virus.
The action of Valtrex helps block the working of DNA polymerase, a viral enzyme. This enzyme is needed by the herpes virus to replicate genetic material; multiply and spread the infection from one part of the body to another. By inhibiting the function of DNA polymerase, this medication prevents the herpes virus infection from multiplying and spreading. So, the body's immune system is able to cope better with the virus as compared to the system dealing with the virus without the help of the medication. The objective of
It's available in doses of 500mg and 1000mg. For cold sores, 2 grams of Valtrex are recommended. These need to be taken two times a day for one day. You need to keep a 12 hour gap between one dose and the next. In the case of genital herpes, 1 gram of Valtrex is prescribed to be taken two times a day for ten days. Evidence supports the use of acyclovir and Valtrex in the treatment of herpes labialis as well as herpes infections in people with cancer. The evidence to support the use of aciclovir in primary herpetic gingivostomatitis is less strong.

Side effects of Valtrex

Some of the common side effects of this medication include abdominal pain, headache, fatigue, vomiting and even painful menstruation. Contact your doctor in case these side effects become severe or bothersome. There are also some uncommon side effects of the intake of this medication which include speech problems, vision changes, confusion, behavioural changes, fever and sore throat. If you have an allergy to any of the ingredients of the drug, you may suffer from allergic reactions like breathing trouble, throat inflammation and itching.
Precautions while taking Valtrex
To optimize the use of this medication, it's important that you maintain a few precautions while using it. Precautions need to be taken even before you are prescribed Valtrex. You need to inform your doctor about your current intake of medications and also whether you currently suffer from any health conditions. This will help your doctor make the correct decision when it comes to prescribing this medication. Also, if you are allergic to any of the ingredients of this medication, it's advisable to avoid its intake.

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Answer 6

i dont think cold sores will appear on your nose. i would wash your body then your face last and wash the cloth afterwards with warm to hot water. valtrex is a suppression therapy, its not a cure so you will have to let the cold sore be. the medication speeds up the process so that you are not in further discomfort

Answer 7

Valtrex (generic name: Valaciclovir) works by interfering with viral replication, effectively slowing the replication rate of the virus and providing a greater opportunity for the immune response to intervene.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herpes#Treatment

You should try and stay clear of your cold sore when you are washing your face. It is possible to spread herpes sores to other parts of the body, like the genitals, or your eyes (ocular herpes). That is why it is important to always wash your hands after touching a herpes sore to prevent spreading it to other parts of the body.

Good luck!

Answer 8

Next time you have an outbreak take the medicine.I take acyclavir and my cold sores go right away as soon as I get the pills in me.I'm acturually on a cycle right now.Cold sores are painful and they are very unattractive.

Answer 9

Your mom has herpes it really is a STD she were given it from having unprotected sex with an contaminated better half and he or she would have it continuously and would in elementary words wisely have sex with different herpetics to any extent further. She must have instructed you about it so that you received't make an identical mistake, yet who am I to question her parental judgment.