Herpes treatment options
Although there is no cure for herpes,
there are medications that significantly reduce the
frequency and duration of outbreaks. These medications have
few side effects in most people.
There are 3 prescriptive medications
approved for the treatment of herpes. They work by
interfering with DNA synthesis to prevent the virus from
reproducing. The directions for each medication vary, so pay
close attention to the frequency of taking the medication.
Herpes treatment options include:
- Acyclovir (Zovirax): This is the
oldest and there is a generic of this medication so it
is cheaper.
- Famcyclovir (Famvir)
- Valacyclovir (Valtrex): There should
be a generic of this medication in approximately one
year.
All of these medications are effective in
suppressing HSV 1 and HSV 2 and can be taken episodically or
continuously.
Episodic therapy
This means taking the medication when you have an outbreak
or feel a sore coming on. As soon as you feel a sore coming
on, begin taking the antiviral medication. If you begin
treatment soon enough, the drugs can lessen the severity and
shorten the healing time.
You should take the antiviral medication
episodically:
- If you are not sexually active and
have infrequent outbreaks
- If both partners are infected with
genital herpes.
If you are both infected with the same
virus, HSV 1 or HSV 2, in the genital area, you don't need
to worry about giving it to each other. One or both of you
may want to suppress if you are having frequent sores, but
you don't have the responsibility to protect each other from
getting the virus since you both already have the virus.
Suppressive therapy
You can take the medication continuously to prevent an
outbreak or a sore. This is called suppressive therapy. We
know that up to 70 percent of new cases of herpes are
transmitted from someone showing no apparent symptoms at the
time they infect their partner. This is called asymptomatic
shedding of the virus. When taken suppressively, the drugs
don't always prevent outbreaks, but help them to occur less
frequently. In patients who have at least 6 outbreaks per
year, suppressive therapy reduces the frequency by 70
percent to 80 percent. Many patients report no symptomatic
outbreaks when using suppressive therapy.
You should take the antiviral medication:
- If you have frequent sores
- If you have HSV 1 or 2 that and are
sexually active with a non-infected partner
- If you have HSV 1 of the mouth and
your partner has HSV 2 of the genital area, both of you
would suppress to prevent exposing your partner to the
another type of herpes
Once again, for optimal protection, it is
important to use a condom or dental dam along with antiviral
suppressive therapy.
Over-the-counter medications
Currently, there is no over-the-counter medication shown to
be effective. The most frequently discussed OTC is L-lysine.
Some people report favorable results but studies don't
support L-lysine to be effective in preventing or shortening
herpes outbreaks. If you do feel it helps, remember, you
still have an obligation to protect your partner. L-lysine
has not been shown to be protective for your partner. For
now, you will need prescription medication to protect your
partner.
Symptom relief
If your genital symptoms are bothersome to severe, here are
a few tips to help relieve these discomforts:
- Wear loose clothing.
- Wear cotton underwear.
- Urinate in the tub or pour water over
the genitals while urinating.
- Use a drying agent in your tub water.
You can sprinkle cornstarch lightly on your genitals
while in the tub. Soak twice a day for 15 minutes.
- Tannic acid found in black tea has
been found to reduce itching and pain. Place a moist tea
bag over the sore.
- Ice packs to the lesion may be
soothing.
A vaccine is being tested. This vaccine
will not help the person who already has herpes but will
protect a person from getting the virus.
Generics can help Reduce Drug Costs
ROCHESTER, Minn. - Today, more than ever,
consumers can opt for generic equivalents of brandname
medications at substantial cost savings. According to
the December issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter,
generic versions of brand-name prescription drugs can cost
30 percent to 90 percent less. Last year, the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) approved a record number of
generic drug applications, up more than 30 percent from
2006.
Generics might look different from the
brand-name drug because they can have different fillers or
coloring agents. But the active ingredients are closely
regulated by the FDA and must be within a small percentage
of the brand-name medication. For a brand-name drug to
become available as a generic can take decades. An initial
patent life is 20 years, and patents can be extended for
variations on the medication. When the patent expires, the
FDA frequently grants one company six months of exclusive
rights to produce the generic drug. Usually, the price drops
slightly. But if the generic is widely used, other companies
will manufacture the drug, and usually the price drops
substantially.
Here are some brand-name drugs available
as generic since 2006:
Altace (ramipril) for blood pressure and
heart failure
Ambien (zolpidem), a sleep aid
Depakote (divalproex) for seizures,
migraines and bipolar disorder
Fosamax (alendronate) for osteoporosis
Requip (ropinirole) for restless legs
syndrome
Toprol-XL (metoprolol succinate) for blood
pressure, heart failure and angina
Zyrtec-D (cetirizine/pseudo ephedrine) for
allergies. Now available over-the-counter.
Many more brand-name medications are
expected to be available in generic forms in the next two
years. Among those to watch are the migraine medication
Imitrex (sumatriptan), the glaucoma drug Cosopt (timolol/dorzolamide),
the anti-seizure drug Topamax (topiramate), and the herpes
anti-viral drug Valtrex (valacyclovir). Ask your doctor or pharmacist about
less-expensive medication options. Not all brand-name
medications have generic equivalents, but always inquire.
Cold Sores and How to Deal with Them
Cold sores, those painful, raw sores that appear on the lips and around
the mouth, tend to crop up more during the winter, when our immune
systems may be compromised by a cold or flu virus. While most cold sores
(also known as fever blisters) will vanish on their own within a week or
two, but some are more persistent and may need medical treatment.
The cold sore virus is actually the Herpes simplex virus, but it is a
different strain (usually referred to as type 1) than the one that
causes genital herpes (type 2). It’s estimated that up to 80% of
Americans carry one of the versions of herpes. Though many people have
strong enough immune systems to resist cold sores and will not have any
symptoms, there are still a large number of people sporting sores each
year.
Cold sores are contagious through skin to skin contact. For example, if
your partner has a cold sore and you kiss him or her, you can get the
same virus. The same goes for parents kissing children when they have an
open sore. Most importantly, and most people do not realize, is if you
have a cold sore on you lip and perform oral sex on your partner, you
could spread the type 1 herpes virus to the male penis or female vagina.
It should only return about once every two years if at all, but should
be a concern when your partner has any type of fever blister.
To prevent infection of other people or other areas of the body, it’s a
good idea to wash your hands after touching the cold sore or the area
around it. Also, avoid sharing items that could carry the virus, such as
lipstick, lip balm or drinking glasses.
The herpes virus has no cure, though it can be dormant in a person’s
body. It appears when the immune system is low, which is why people
under stress or who aren’t sleeping enough often get cold sores. They
are also more common when you are ill with something else or during
major hormonal changes, such as during pregnancy. Poor diet and extreme
temperatures can also cause outbreaks.
Once you have contracted the virus, it takes up to 12 days to incubate.
After this you could go for years without a single cold sore, or you
could have one every couple weeks. Usually, there is a painful, tingling
sensation on the skin around the mouth one or two days before a new cold
sore appears. The sore can last for up to two weeks, first appearing as
a blister, which later will break open and seep highly infectious liquid
before crusting over and finally healing.
While cold sores cannot be cured, there are various
medications on the market that help reduce the uncomfortable
symptoms and may even shorten the outbreak by causing the blister to
heal faster. You can also try at home remedies such as applying ice to
ease the pain, or laying a cool, used teabag over the afflicted area.
Also, using a moisturizer made for the lips is a good way to prevent the
blister from drying out and cracking, causing further pain.
With more than half the US infected with the cold sore virus, herpes
simplex 1, it’s a good idea to understand what causes cold sores and how
to prevent them, even if you have already been infected. Staying healthy
in general and keeping the infected area well moisturized will help
prevent painful outbreaks.
Is is a Bad Cold or is it the Flu
