Valacyclovir is a prescription-only medicine that is used to treat the herpes simplex virus. There are two types of herpes simplex virus, HSV1 and HSV2, valacyclovir works on both types by suppressing the virus, reducing painful symptoms and preventing future outbreaks. Unfortunately, once you have caught the herpes simplex virus, you cannot completely get rid of it. The virus can lay dormant for long periods of time, during which you wont experience any symptoms. However, when the virus is active, it can cause painful and itchy blisters around the mouth or genital area. Valacyclovir can help manage these symptoms.

Valacyclovir can be used by adults, and children over the age of twelve. If you are over 65, have kidney or liver problems, or a weak immune system, make sure you check with our doctors before you take it. You can’t take valacyclovir if you’re allergic to valacyclovir or acyclovir, or to any of the other ingredients in the medication (check the list of ingredients in the patient leaflet provided with the valacyclovir).

The dosage depends on your situation. If it is your first outbreak, your doctor will generally recommend taking a 500 mg tablet twice a day for 5 – 10 days. For recurring outbreaks, your doctor will usually recommend taking a 500 mg tablet twice a day for 3-5 days.

If you experience regular outbreaks, such as 5 or 6 times a year, you can be prescribed a long term daily dose of valacyclovir to suppress the virus. This daily suppression treatment should result in fewer or even no outbreaks. If you do experience an outbreak, your symptoms should be much less severe. FROM MARS offers valacyclovir as a suppression treatment, contact our doctors to find out more.

FROM MARS provides valacyclovir as a daily preventative treatment for patients who have already been diagnosed with herpes and had a specific number of outbreaks, to help lessen the frequency of outbreaks and reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to partners.

It can be taken as soon as the first symptoms of genital herpes or cold sores are felt, however, you should seek advice from your doctor or a healthcare professional in this instance.

Yes, it is very important that you complete your treatment. Valacyclovir only works if you take it regularly and as prescribed.

How quickly valacyclovir works depends on how severe the outbreak is, the dosage used, and how quickly the medication is taken after the first symptoms are noticed. It begins working as soon as it’s in your system, with most people beginning to feel relief from their symptoms after two to three days.

You should steer clear of sex when you have visible cold sores, even if you’re taking valacyclovir. The herpes viruses that cause cold sores are very contagious, and they can be passed to sexual partners easily.

The two viruses that cause cold sores (herpes simplex virus 1 and herpes simplex virus 2) can infect other parts of the body too. If you perform oral sex on a partner, or touch your face and then their genitals, or your own, you can infect them and yourself with genital herpes. It’s best to avoid sex until cold sores have cleared up completely.

Research has shown that valacyclovir is better absorbed when taken orally than other medications that contain acyclovir. It has also been shown to help clear up outbreaks of cold sores and genital herpes much quicker than when no medication is taken, as well as providing relief from the pain and discomfort caused by the blisters and preventing blisters from forming in the first place. As long as you take valacyclovir as instructed, it should help to control your symptoms. Genital herpes and cold sores cannot be completely cured, as the virus can lay dormant in your body. Taking the medication should reduce the severity of your symptoms and help prevent future outbreaks.

No, valacyclovir can’t cure herpes. Currently there is no known cure for herpes, as once the virus infects you, it goes dormant in your body and hides from your immune system and any medication. Periodically the virus reactivates, causing a new outbreak of blisters. Medication like valacyclovir can help to shorten these outbreaks and make them less severe, but the herpes virus that causes them will always remain in your body.

Symptoms such as painful and itchy blisters should calm down and disappear when you are taking valacyclovir. You may also notice that you experience fewer outbreaks or no outbreaks and that any future outbreaks are much less severe.

There are no known interactions between valacyclovir and alcohol.

As with any medication, people can experience side effects when taking valacyclovir. The most common valacyclovir side effects are relatively mild, including headaches, sickness, vomiting and diarrhea, but other more serious side effects can also be experienced. For more information on side effects, please read the patient information leaflet.

Whilst taking valacyclovir it is important to drink plenty of water to stop yourself from becoming dehydrated and causing any damage to your kidneys.

Valacyclovir can make you more sensitive to sunlight and increase your risk of sunburn. You should apply sunscreen when using this medication.

Valacyclovir is the generic name of the drug, but it can be sold under a range of different brand names, one of which is Valtrex. The medication is the same however, whether it’s called valacyclovir or Valtrex.

The main treatments for cold sores and genital herpes all work in a similar way and have the same effectiveness. Other treatments include acyclovir or famciclovir. The main benefits of valacyclovir over other treatments is that you only need to take it twice a day to treat an outbreak. It has also been reported to cause less severe side effects.

Yes, you do. Start your online consultation here. Enter your medical history and symptoms. If approved, you’ll receive a treatment plan from our US-licensed doctors within 2 hours and get valacyclovir shipped to your door.

To find out more about the herpes simplex virus, please visit our cold sores or genital herpes pages. You’ll also find lots of advice and information about the conditions and our treatments on our blog.