Valtrex Contagious

Valtrex Contagious Information

Valtrex Contagious Information in Q&A

How does valtrex work? 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?

rann_georgia replied: "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."

Steffany E replied: "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"

Alli replied: "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. 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!"

bob b replied: "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."

billy s replied: "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."

How long will my Shingles last and be contagious to people who have not had Chicken Pox? I was recently diagnosed with shingles. It is extremely painful and I can barely function. They started me on Valtrex yesterday. My problem is that I am due with a baby is 2 1/2 WEEKS. The Doctor said that if my Shingles are not gone then my baby will get chicken pox. Does anyone know how long it should take to go away with my Valtrex. I am so worried. Thanks in advance.

TweetyBird replied: "Herpes zoster is what you're calling "shingles" . Yes it painful, more painful for some. Outbreaks can last 3-4 weeks but 7-10 days is an average duration. I imagine your doctor prescribed for daily therapy. Is that correct? I don't know your dosage but a typical protocol for treating h. zoster might be 1000mg three times a day for 7 days. It should take a week to control your symptoms but take it for as long as your doctor has recommended. Outbreaks don't happen often during a pregnancy. Valtrex is not associated with birth defects. Having an outbreak late in your pregnancy makes it possible for the baby to be infected with chickenpox. And if you have an outbreak more than five days before you give birth, you may transfer the disease to the baby. Your doctor is quite correct. But even if the baby is born with chicken pox, he/she can be treated and at this stage of your pregnancy, birth defects aren't an issue. You're past the 30 week mark. Why didn't you ask your doctor this question???? Oh and as to how long will your condition be contagious to those who haven't had chicken pox -- the virus responsible for both chicken pox and h. zoster is the varicella zoster virus, or VZV. It's in the fluid in the blisters. You're most contagious during an outbreak when the lesions have erupted into open, draining sores but you can keep the lesions covered. It takes direct and prolonged contact with the drainage or open sores to transmit VZV. With h. zoster, it isn't transmitted by casual contact, sneezing or coughing."

nursegailegirl replied: "I am sorry you have to deal with this when you are pregnant I am sure it is very scary for you, and Lord knows it is extremely painful! If you have to have Shingles or Chicken Pox while pregnant, you are in the better of the time periods right now. Before 30 weeks there is a chance of birth defects, if acquired just before birth it can cause very serious complications. If acquired during this time period your body has a couple of weeks to deal with the virus and to help protect your baby, and that is what it will attempt to do. In the next couple of weeks your body will build up what they call antibodies. These antibodies will be passed on to the baby and will help the baby deal with the virus should it still be present at the time of birth. They say that if you have an outbreak of shingles or Chicken Pox 5 - 21 days prior to birth then you will have the opportunity to build up these needed antibodies anything more than 21 days and I suppose you clear the virus and anything less than 5 days does not allow for you to build up the needed antibodies. You are so close to the far end of this time table with 2 1/2 weeks to go. If I were you I would feel more comfortable than not. Combined with the fact that you are on the anti-viral drugs, I would try to relax and enjoy the last couple of weeks of your pregnancy. Try to make a calm and nurturing environment for you and your unborn baby. Do not feel like you have to be superwoman! Do what you have to do to make yourself comfortable physically and this includes taking your medication. Your child is mostly developed, so if you need something for the pain take it. Your doctor will not prescribe anything that will harm you or your baby so if he says it is OK to take then by all means take it. Listen to what your doctor has to say. He will be honest with you. He/ she will tell you up front of the potential complications of this situation. They are not in the habit of sugar coating or lying about important issues such as this.If you have questions make sure you ask, and if you feel that you can't get his/her attention, make sure to demand it! Good luck."

How contagious are shingles? Medical professionals, please.? Explain fully how shingles are contagious. I have a granddaughter who has had the vaccine and a pregnant daughter having contractions even as I type. I have a small patch of shingles (I caught it within 72 hours), I have been taking Valtrex for 6 days and one of the lesions broke today and I expect the rest to break really soon.

lok_n2_my_iz replied: "i know I'm not a medical professional but know that shingles are a form of the herpes virus (it is the second stage of the chicken pox virus)....if you ask me I would not have contact with either of the family members until the sores clear up."

Kristen B replied: "Shingles are a "re-infection" of chicken pox in someone who already had them. It is spread the same way chicken pox are spread-- anyone who hasn't had the pox better stay away. It can be dangerous for pregnant women because the baby hasn't yet had the pox and can be exposed and now gets chicken pox. Also-- just like chicken pox, they usually stop being contagious after they "scab over". They are most contagious right before and right during the initial outbreak occurs."

S P replied: "As long as the people have had the chicken pox and are not touching the shingles themselves then they are completely safe."

Lisa replied: "I am not a medical professional, but am interested in the subject and have read a lot about it. Shingles is only contagious through direct contact with the fluid from the blisters. If you just have a small patch, cover it with clothing or a bandage, wash your hands, and enjoy meeting your new grandchild!"

how is herpes contagious in between outbrakes, with no signs or symptoms? I saw the Valtrex commercial on herpes which said herpes can be passed on in between outbreakes, with no signs or symptoms. Is this a scare tactic/advertising exageration?

meee replied: "Yes! it really can be spread .....during anytime!! It is not a scare tactic at all!!"

-Matt- replied: "No its not a scare tactic. Just because you can't see it doesn't mean that it is not there. AIDS for example. No visible sings until very late in the infection, still passed on very easy."

hecla 1 replied: "No......it can still be passed on because the virus is still in the persons system...some people don't have outbreaks or have them very seldom, but can still spread it.....there is no cure for herpes"

Mary N replied: "It is true that it can be passed when there ae no symptoms, The virus remains present in the body and if the infected person's secretions enter the body of a sexual partner, the virus can be passed. The viral load is increased during an outbreak (when symptoms are often visible) ."

chunkymonkey022 replied: "Herpes is spread from skin to skin contact. A person is most contagious durring an outbreak. But they can also have the virus presant on their skin at any time, its called virul shedding. Thats how I got it. My B/F was not having an outbreak and we never had sex when he did and I still got it from him. So yes its true you can get it at any time. So always be carefull. What Valtrex does is keep the virus dormant for longer periods of time so it reduces the chances of passing it on."

Rivergirl100 replied: "Herpes is always contagious when you are having an outbreak. During other times (perhaps 10% of the time) you can have the virus present on your skin, and thus spread it to other people, but not have any symptoms. All the antivirals that people take (Valtrex, Famvir and Zovirax) will reduce both outbreaks and viral shedding. A study was done (the one referenced in the Valtrex ads, I believe) on about 1500 couples where one had the virus and the other did not. If the couples merely refrained from having sex when the infected partner was coming down with, had, or was just getting over an outbreak, the infection rate was about 2%. With the antiviral, it dropped to less than 1%. I've put a link to the study, for your reference, as well as a link to my fave herpes site. Good question."

Question about Valtrex? I have been diagnosed with oral hsv-1. I have never had a cold sore before. In the future I would like to take something consistently to prevent an outbreak. I was thinking about Valtrex. Have any of you tried this medication before? If I take Valtrex, will I still be contagious? Or will it just reduce my chances of spreading the virus. Ideally, I would like to be able to kiss a guy without having to tell him before that I have oral hsv-1. But if this medication will not prevent transmitting the virus through kissing, then it would only be fair to tell him. Any advice?

Jina S replied: "My boyfriends been on Valtrex for 18 months, we've been unprotected without probably 30 other women and not a problem yet."

Mary Boo replied: "If that what you want but read this. "

Laura M replied: "80 percent of the population has hsv 1 ... now out of them I can't remember the exact number but it is like 30 percent show symptoms from cold sores. If you have never had one before and still don't have one I would not worry about kissing. Now, if you do have one, do not kiss and no oral sex. Since it could make it hsv 2 for your partner. I suggest going to the valtrex website and reading about it. Knowledge is power my friend. Then if you are still curious, talk to your health care provider about what the best option would be for you."

frozenheart610 replied: "Valtrax is great. I highly reccomened it. It will not prevent it completly from transmiting it to him. There is always that chance. But...most people already have that strain even if they don't know about it. If you are planning on having sex, you need to be honest about it. But if you are planning on kissing and that's it, you don't need to. If you have any other questions about this, feel free to email me. I have that also, so I understand."

LINDSEY S replied: "i take Valtrex but not for cold sores. since mine are not all that bad. i just use Abreva or Lipactin. those can block the virus, helps heal it and prevents it from spreading, even prevents it from breaking out. Valtrex reduces your chances of spreading herpes to a new partner, since it is suppressing the virus. wait for an outbreak to go away before kissing or having oral sex becase u can spread it durring one. it would only be fair to tell him, if he gets cold sores he will be mad at u for not telling him."

I am a nurse diagnosed with shingles. Is it ok to go to work? I have been on Valtrex for 3 days.? All of the research I have found talks about it only being contagious to those not having chickenpox. It doesn't address the need to stay away from people in general. I just finished school and have been a nurse for a whole 2 weeks. Plus, I don't work in infectious disease. I was hoping to get an answer from a more experienced nurse.

dbernard replied: "If you're a nurse, you ought to know that....or at least a doctor you could call. What the heck are you asking us for? My faith in the medical world is now shot."

acedoll1985 replied: "Dbemard i agree with you. Here is a thumb up. Whether you have been a nurse for one day or ten years common sense would tell you to ask your doctor about going back to work if he did not mention it to you."

deborah g replied: "I am a nurse and you can not give shingles to anyone. people than have not been exposed to varicella or chicken pox could be at risk.check out md .com"

ijc replied: "I take medications to suppress my immune system, after an organ transplant. Please do not come near me. I have not had chicken pox. How would you know that you are not in contact with people who have not had chicken pox? At work, or at the store, etc?"

Does taking Valtrex reduce the possibility of transmitting the HSV1 virus if I don't have an active sore? I just started getting cold sores about 6 months ago. Since then, I've started taking L-Lysine daily, and Valtrex when I feel an outbreak coming on (I'm also usually armed with Abreva, just in case I ever need it). I also stopped dating as soon as I got the diagnosis. I'm just starting to peek my head out from behind the curtain again, and would like to resume dating. But I am very worried about transmitting this virus to anyone. I am aware that there is a small possibility of me transmitting the virus to someone, even if I do not have an active sore (viral shedding), and I was wondering if taking Valtrex reduces the chances of transmission at all. I want to be able to go out & feel reasonably secure that if I meet a girl & hit it off, that I can proceed as normal, and kiss her if things go that way, without the lurking fear that I may have infected her. Does Valtrex work in this way? Will it make me less contagious? I do not currently have a sore (and haven't had one in a while).

Amber replied: "Valtrex does reduce the risk- and really all you have to be careful about doing- kissing or giving oral. Becuase you having HSV1 can transmit someone else into HSV 2 so just be careful."

kayshoizdashiit replied: "Yes valtrex prevents passing it on but with hsv1 you shouldn't be worrying at all because if you don't have a hsv sore at the time of kissing or oral sex you cannot pass it on only when an active sore is present but you are taking the right approach with the abreva and lysine you can also ask your doctor for a cream called zovirax it makes the sore go away quickly there are two kinds one for hsv1 and one for hsv2 so ask for the one for hsv1 to suit you plus you can take echinacea for help of your immune system its a herbal supplement also so yeah I hope I helped"

Valtrex problem? Years ago when I 1st got herpes there was only Zovirax...It bothered me because I still felt the tingling & itching that usually meant an outbreak was coming - but no outbreak. My Dr switched me to Valtrex when it came out & it was WORSE! I had a tingling & a MAJOR itch that would NOT go away until I stopped taking it & allowed the outbreak to happen... I was so worried that I was ALWAYs contagious to my husband - that I stopped taking them at all..... Anybody else have a similar experience? My Dr was also so confused by it that I quit taking suppressive therapy AT ALL.....or else I would itch 4EVER and be contagious ALL the time.... it was horrible You're a nurse....could it be that I took it too long? I've had HSV2 for over 20 years. Zovirax was the original & it was several pills/day..but I wasn't sexually active - so the itching didn't bother me - that went on for about 10 years....until I got re-married and was afraid the tingling & itching were symptoms and I didn't want to infect my new husband. A new Dr said "OH YEA - means you're contagious - no sex"....so I asked him to switch me to Valtrex when it came on the market - made the problem worse! Am I the only person on earth with this problem? It actually kept me from having an outbreak - but I would FEEL it under my skin ALL THE TIME - until I'd take some time off of the pills & allow an outbreak....I didn't think it was THAT strange - figured others were having the same problem - and maybe didn't realize it was symptoms & that's why it was getting spread around SO MUCH in recent years.

Kaitlin replied: "This is really interesting. I have been a nurse for 15+ years now and haven't ever heard of anyone having a reaction like this one to these medications. Did they decrease the intensity of the outbreaks? It sounds almost as if they caused you to have outbreaks. Odd."

My older brother just got SHINGLES - can someone tell me about this condition? Is it contagious? He says he is in LOTS of pain, the docs are giving him Valtrex and Lyrica, can anyone tell me what these drugs do?? And what the heck this thing really is? Dude this is scary!!!

mrman121221 replied: "Shingles is basicly the same as chickenpoxs, so you can tell that he hasnt had chickenpox before. Its not contagious and it is likely to be cured after a short period of time."

cheryl c replied: "Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. The virus is called herpes zoster. IT is believed the the varicella zoster in chicken pox lies dormant in the peripherial nerves to the skin, there the virus multiples creating a red rash of small fluid filled blisters. About 10 % of adults will get shingles during their life time. creating a ed rash and blisters. acyclovir can arrest the progression of this condition if given with in 24hours of the appearance of the eruption. The eyes can be infected. keratitis uveitis ulceration and blindness can occur if the eye is infected."

david m replied: "Ignore the first answer - it is absolutely wrong!!!! When you get chicken pox as a child the virus appears to go - but it does not. Instead it goes into the spine and Just sits there. Later in life something wakes it up. There could be a lot of things that trigger it but being run down is thought to be a common trigger. When it wakes up it follows a nerve path. Commonly this goes from the middle of the back and round the ribs. It can also go down the arms or up into the head. It produces lots of colourless blisters that start small and can grow bigger. These blisters are very contagious if burst!!!! They can give chickenpox to someone who has not had it or shingles to someone who has!!!! Shingles is also extremely painful and a small number of people never get rid of the pain!! In some cases it can get into the eyes and in other cases cause nerve damage! If caught in the first few days anti viral drugs can knock it down quickly and usually clear it up in about six weeks. Pain killers and amatriptilyn help."

Herpes vs. Genital Warts? i was diagnosed with herpes 3 months ago and about 1 month ago noticed that my boyfriend has genital warts. of course we are in this together and it has not seperated us. my doctor h as started me on a daily regimen of valtrex and we both know how contagious they are. My doctor says it can stay in your system for up to 10 years. We will never know who we got it from - but isnt it ironic that we broke out at about the same time?

Dr.wiseguy replied: "Ironic yes. Herpes stays in your system for life, unless you are the extremely rare person that has a body which manages to fight off the infection. Remember the danger of genital warts and cervical cancer, you may already have the virus, as if you have had unprotected sex whether the warts showed on him or not he was carrying it - protection is a must, as I'm sure you know."

dnd3d replied: "Either one of you could have been infected by a carrier of HPV years ago. STD's can be in a person for years before they show any signs of symptoms. Warts can be treated and cured, although if heard that they can come back after treatment."

Ms. Le'Kia replied: "There is no way to tell how long you've had herpes since it can lie dormant for many years and possibly your entire life. Its not ironic at all....maybe you both are under stress, which can cause an outbreak. Just keep taking your meds and reduce the amount of stress in your life."

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