How much valtrex for outbreak

Patients were evaluated in the clinic daily for 6 consecutive days and, if necessary, twice per week thereafter, until all lesions were healed and clinical symptoms were absent.

Clinical assessments included review of the diary information and an assessment of lesion stages by the investigator. The investigator was permitted to override patient diary data that were inconsistent with clinical findings. Confirmation of genital HSV infection was required for study entry. Confirmation could be done by means of culture, direct antigen detection tests, Tzanck smears, immunofluorescence assays, or be means of a written confirmation by a primary-care doctor. Patients were excluded if they were currently receiving probenecid, had received systemic antiviral treatment in the 7 days before the first dose of the study drug, or had received an investigational drug or immunomodulatory treatment in the 30 days before receiving the study drug.

Other patients excluded from the study were pregnant women, nursing mothers, and sexually active women of childbearing age who were not using an effective and acceptable method of contraception i. Efficacy end points. The primary end point of the study was the time to lesion healing, which was measured as the number of days from initiation of therapy to reepithelialization of all lesions.

Patients whose lesions aborted or who had clinical symptoms but who did not develop lesions were excluded from the analysis of the primary end point. The secondary end point of this study was duration of pain, measured as the number of days from initiation of treatment or start of pain or discomfort whichever was later to the complete cessation of pain.

Other secondary end points included length of the episode and the occurrence of aborted lesions. The length of episode was measured as the number of days from initiation of treatment to complete resolution of all signs and symptoms. All patients, including those with aborted lesions, were included in this analysis.

Statistical analysis. The intent-to-treat population was defined as all randomized patients. The distributions of times to lesion healing, cessation of pain, and cessation of all symptoms and signs were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier product-limit method. The validity of the proportional hazard model the hazard ratio did not change with time was checked by plotting the log of the negative log of the survival distributions against time. The Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test was used to test for treatment differences in proportions of patients with aborted lesions, adjusting for the patients' sex and analysis center.

A total of patients were enrolled in the study, of whom were randomized to receive the 5-day regimen of valacyclovir patients or the 3-day regimen of valacyclovir followed by placebo on days 4 and 5 of treatment patients. The majority of the patients enrolled but not randomized did not experience a genital herpes recurrence during the study period. In each treatment group, the majority of patients who did not complete the study 31 patients in the 5-day group and 35 patients in the 3-day group discontinued the study as a result of a protocol violation.

The other persons who did not complete the study did not return for follow-up visits or voluntarily withdrew from participation. Demographic and disease characteristics of randomized patients are presented in table 1. Demographics and disease characteristics of randomized patients in a comparative study of 3- and 5-day regimens of valacyclovir for the episodic treatment of genital herpes.

In the intent-to-treat analysis, the median time to lesion healing table 2 was 4. The Kaplan-Meier plot for lesion healing is illustrated in figure 2. No significant differences in time to lesion healing were noted between treatment groups by either method of analysis. Time to lesion healing in a comparative study of 3- and 5-day regimens of valacyclovir for the episodic treatment of genital herpes. Hazard ratio, 0. The duration of pain and length of episodes were similar in both treatment groups, with no significant differences between persons who received the 5-day and 3-day dosing regimens for either end point table 2.

To satisfy the proportional hazard assumption, the patients' sex was included in the Cox model as a stratification variable for duration of pain and as a covariate for length of episode.

In men, the median duration of pain was 2. Women experienced a longer duration of pain, with a median duration of 2. For length of episode, the effect of the patients' sex in the Cox proportional hazard model was statistically significant hazard ratio, 0.

Median duration of pain for persons enrolled in a comparative study of 3- and 5-day regimens of valacyclovir for the episodic treatment of genital herpes. No differences were detected between the valacyclovir 5-day and valacyclovir 3-day treatment groups Adverse events that occurred during the study period were similar between treatment groups. The results of this study indicate that a shorter 3-day course of valacyclovir is as effective as a 5-day course for the episodic treatment of recurrent genital herpes, with median durations to event end points similar to those for trials described elsewhere [ 5—7 ].

The previously recommended 5-day valacyclovir treatment regimen is based on the results of 2 controlled trials in immunocompetent patients with recurrent genital herpes [ 5 , 6 ]. The clinical basis of testing a 3-day valacyclovir regimen for episodic treatment of recurrent genital herpes was the previous viral shedding data from a study of 5-day courses of valacyclovir mg b.

For HSV culture—positive patients who received a 5-day regimen of valacyclovir, the median time to cessation of viral shedding was 2 days. Thus, it was theorized that maximum effect of valacyclovir on HSV is achievable within the first 3 days of treatment, which is consistent with the mode of action of acyclovir in inhibiting virus replication.

Virologic evidence of 3- and 5-day equivalence can be inferred on the basis of a similar trial in Europe [ 8 ], in which patients with recurrent genital herpes were randomized to receive valacyclovir mg b. The median times to cessation of viral shedding for patients with a positive HSV culture result immediately before starting treatment for 3 or 5 days were similar 1. The results of our study demonstrate that a shorter 3-day treatment course with valacyclovir is clinically equivalent to a 5-day course for the episodic treatment of recurrent genital herpes.

In this study, a trend toward longer duration of pain was seen in men who received the shorter course of therapy.

The average household teaspoon may not hold the right amount of liquid. Drink extra fluids so you will pass more urine while you are using this medicine. This will keep your kidneys working well and help prevent kidney problems. To help clear up your infection, keep taking valacyclovir for the full time of treatment, even if your symptoms begin to clear up after a few days.

Do not miss any doses. However, do not use this medicine more often or for a longer time than your doctor ordered. The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine.

If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so. The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine.

Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine. If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible.

However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses. Valacyclovir is also used to treat primary outbreaks of cold sores, or oral herpes. The standard dosage of valacyclovir for managing a primary oral herpes outbreak is 2, mg every 12 hours for one day two doses in total. During a particularly severe or persistent outbreak, your doctor may recommend adjusting your valacyclovir dose or extending the dosage to provide greater relief.

After the primary outbreak, genital herpes enters a latent stage. During this period, the virus lays dormant in the body in its inactive state, it lives in nerves in the base of the spine , with no clear symptoms or signs of an infection. Over time, many people with genital herpes will experience recurrent outbreaks of the virus that cause herpes sores to develop. Recurrent outbreaks are usually less intense than the initial outbreak.

Most people only notice the development of herpes sores on the genitals, with few or none of the flu-like symptoms that can make a primary outbreak so unpleasant. A standard valacyclovir dosage for recurrent genital herpes outbreaks is mg twice per day for three days.

If you have particularly severe genital herpes outbreaks or the herpes sores you develop during an outbreak take longer than normal to recover, your doctor may adjust your dosage to provide extra relief from symptoms and faster healing.

Cold sores also come and go, with many people experiencing recurrent outbreaks every few months after the initial outbreak passes. Like genital herpes, oral herpes outbreaks are often triggered by external factors, such as hormonal changes and illnesses. The standard valacyclovir dosage for an outbreak of cold sores is the same as the dosage used for a primary oral herpes outbreak -- 2, mg of valacyclovir taken every 12 hours, for a total of two doses. Taken early in a cold sore outbreak, this can significantly speed up healing.

For particularly bad outbreaks of cold sores, your doctor may also recommend the use of topical treatments, which can alleviate pain, itching and discomfort. The dosage information provided above is for informational purposes only -- follow the instructions provided by your doctor when you are prescribed this medication if they differ. Interested in learning more about how valacyclovir works? Our Valacyclovir guide goes into more detail about how valacyclovir works to suppress the herpes virus to help you recover faster during outbreaks, reduce your transmission risk and more easily manage life with herpes.