Many are familiar with the herpes virus, which, having penetrated the human body, is no longer going to leave it. Currently, eight varieties are known that can be harmful. There are drugs to fight this virus. The treatment of herpes with “Acyclovir” reviews is positive, but you need to know how to use the medicine correctly.
Drug action
More than 90% of the population of our planet is a carrier of the herpes virus, but not everyone has its negative effect. Most often, the virus is quietly asleep in anticipation of suitable conditions. And those for him are:
- Hypothermia.
- Long stress.
- Weakening of the body against a background of a long illness.
You can fight the virus if you use modern antiviral drugs. “Acyclovir” for herpes also falls into this group, reviews confirm its effectiveness. The effect of the drug has the following:
- Reduces pain and discomfort at the rash site.
- Reduces the likelihood of complications.
- May prevent the appearance of herpetic vesicles.
- Accelerates healing.
Penetrating into the body, the active substance of the drug spreads rapidly, bioavailability is from 15 to 30%. The metabolism of the drug occurs in the cells of the liver, and the excretion of metabolic products is carried out by the kidneys.
“Acyclovir” tablets for cold sores on the lips, reviews confirm this, it is necessary to take it at a dosage recommended by the doctor, taking into account the patient’s condition and his age. If the infection is of a primary nature, then the dosage of the active substance should be greater, since the body has not yet formed enough antibodies to fight the virus.
Product release form
Manufacturers release the drug in several dosage forms:
- Ointment in tubes with an active substance concentration of 5%.
- Cream with the same concentration.
- Tablets with a mass fraction of 200 mg, 400 mg and 800 mg.
It is necessary to choose the form of the drug, taking into account the severity of the pathology and the localization of the virus in the body. If you use "Acyclovir" tablets for herpes, in the reviews people say that it is possible to quickly defeat the manifestations of the disease. The ointment with cream has also been proven effective.
Indications for use of the drug
You can use the drug in various forms with the following pathologies:
- Herpes on the skin.
- Genital herpes.
- Shingles.
- Recurrent herpes.
The drug proved to be effective as a prophylactic.
Characteristics of ointment and cream
The drug in this form is used for external treatment. Means differ a little in their composition. The ointment has a greasy base in the form of petroleum jelly or lanolin, and the cream with a lower fat content, therefore, is absorbed faster.
Choose an ointment or cream, taking into account the place of rashes. According to reviews, “Acyclovir” against herpes on the lips is better to use as an ointment. It not only differs in activity against the virus, but also has a moisturizing effect, which does not allow the formation of poorly healing wounds.
When treating genital herpes, it is better to use a cream that quickly penetrates the skin and does not stain underwear.
The duration of therapy is usually at least a week, although improvement occurs on the second day.
Rules for using cream and ointment
"Acyclovir" in such forms should be applied directly to the affected areas of the skin. For effectiveness, it is recommended to adhere to the following application rules:
- Place on the skin should be treated with a cotton pad, which is moistened in warm water. This manipulation will prepare the skin for applying the drug.
- Apply ointment or cream to the skin. It is better to do this pointwise using a cotton swab to prevent spread to healthy areas.
- Apply the drug every four hours.
- Therapy lasts about a week, if the wounds heal poorly, then the course can be extended to 10 days.
When applying, it is important to prevent contact with eyes. You can also not mix ointment or cream with other cosmetics.
Reviews about "Acyclovir" against herpes are good, but if lesions appear in the eye area, then it is better to entrust therapy to a specialist to prevent the virus from spreading to the mucous membrane of the eyeball. Such lesions can cause loss of vision in whole or in part.
Herpes therapy is recommended to be combined with the use of immunostimulants, which will accelerate recovery.
Characterization of the tablet form
Reviews about "Acyclovir" from herpes on the lips in tablets are described only on the positive side. This form of release gives good results if you start taking them when the first symptoms appear. They proved their effectiveness with genital and herpes zoster.
The main component of the drug, penetrating the body, is embedded in the genetic material of the virus and blocks the process of reproduction. If you drink a course of the drug, then you can achieve the following results:
- Accelerate healing.
- Prevention of the appearance of new herpetic vesicles.
- Reducing itching, redness, and soreness.
Therapy, unfortunately, is not able to permanently rid the virus. Pathology goes into remission. Exacerbation can provoke a decrease in immunity, therefore, attention must be paid to improving the protective properties of the body.
In the presence of immunodeficiency, Acyclovir therapy is not practical, since few enzymes that support the virus are produced in the patient's body. The same can be said about patients who underwent chemotherapy.
Dosage and administration
Reviews confirm that “Acyclovir” for herpes is effective if treatment is started as soon as the first manifestations of the pathology appear. After taking the pill, you need to drink plenty of water. During herpes therapy, it is recommended to take more fluids so that the toxic waste products of the virus are excreted.
The doctor recommends the dosage and duration of admission for each patient individually, but in the instructions for the use of Acyclovir-Akrikhin tablets for herpes, reviews confirm this, it is recommended to take it according to the following scheme:
- In case of primary infection - 200 mg up to five times a day. The duration of therapy is at least five days. If there is immunodeficiency, then the dosage should be increased to 400 mg at a time. For the treatment of the virus that provokes the development of chickenpox, it is necessary to take 800 mg of the drug every four hours. At night, an 8-hour break.
- For prophylactic purposes, taking "Acyclovir" tablets for herpes in adults, which is only positive on the Web, is recommended to drink 200 mg four times a day. You can double the dosage, but take twice.
It is better to use the drug after a meal in order to reduce the negative effect on the gastric mucosa. If you missed the drug, then the next time the dosage should not be increased, just take the next dose.
Experts at the same time recommend taking the vitamin-mineral complex in order to accelerate recovery.
Who should not be treated with "Acyclovir"
Doctors leave positive reviews on the treatment of herpes with Acyclovir tablets, but remind that the drug has contraindications. It is not recommended to carry out therapy if:
- There is a violation in the work of the adrenal glands.
- There are deviations in the functioning of the nervous system.
- A woman is expecting a baby or is breastfeeding.
- Elderly patient.
If there are contraindications, the specialist will choose another therapy with the use of other drugs with antiviral activity.
The negative effects of Acyclovir therapy
If you undergo treatment with ointment or cream, then among the side effects, you can often observe allergic reactions in the form of itching, redness at the site of application. Long-term therapy can cause peeling of the skin.
Pills "Acyclovir" from herpes, reviews of many patients say this, can provoke the following negative manifestations:
- Pain in the lumbar region.
- Disorders of the digestive tract.
- Lethargy and drowsiness.
- Swelling of the extremities.
- Pain during urination.
- Yellowness of the skin.
- The development of anemia.
- Cramps.
- Hair loss.
Rarely, long-term therapy with large doses of the drug can provoke a coma.
Use of the drug in the treatment of children
“Acyclovir” tablets for children with herpes, reviews confirm this, you can give, but the dosage should be different from the adult. The drug therapy is also indicated for other viral infections that are sensitive to the main component of the drug. Among them are:
- Herpes sore throat.
- Chickenpox.
- Weak immunity.
- Cytomegalovirus infection.
- The presence in the body of the Epstein-Bar virus.
The drug is also suitable for the prevention of complications against the background of influenza or enterovirus infections.
For children under two years of age, it is not recommended to give tablets, and if there is a need, then you can stop at the ointment. The dosage regimen and dosage of Acyclovir for children is recommended as follows:
- If the pathology is provoked by a herpes virus type 1 or 2, then tablets (200 mg) should be given to children from three years to six and a half three times a day.
- Older babies can increase the dosage to one tablet (200 mg).
- The duration of therapy is at least five days.
Children who are not yet three years old are not allowed to take Acyclovir tablets, and there is a high probability of complications.
If for the treatment of herpetic rashes “Acyclovir” for herpes, in the reviews parents also talk about this, it is used in the form of ointment, then it should be applied only strictly to the affected areas. After the procedure, a film should be observed on the surface.
The treatment procedure for the child should be repeated five times a day. The duration of treatment is at least five days, and in severe cases, the doctor can extend it.
The principle of using the cream for the treatment of herpes in children is the same as the ointment, but experts recommend applying it under a thin bandage of gauze or a napkin. With extensive lesions, applications with cream should be done up to five times a day, changing the napkin every two to three hours. The duration of therapy can be up to 10 days.
Herpetic sore throat, stomatitis is recommended to be treated with pills. The dosage should be selected only by a specialist, taking into account the age of the small patient, the severity of the course of the disease.
Maximum effectiveness can be obtained if the treatment combines the ingestion of tablets and the external application of ointment or cream.
Herpes therapy in children should be under the strict supervision of a physician. A baby does not have to be hospitalized, but a regular visit to a dermatologist is necessary.
Analogues of the drug
“Acyclovir” pills for herpes have good reviews, but not everyone can use them for therapy. If there are contraindications or the drug did not fit, then you can pick up an analogue that perfectly copes with its task in the fight against the herpes virus. Analogs include:
- Zovirax. The composition of the drug includes propylene glycol. This substance does not allow the skin to dry out and copes well with puffiness. But the cost is higher than that of Acyclovir.
- Vivorax. If patients have an allergic reaction to Acyclovir, then the doctor may recommend that you buy this medicine. The active components of both drugs are the same, but Vivorax contains them in a bound form, which eliminates the development of side effects. But the drug can not be used in therapy for pregnant women, there is a chance of a negative effect on the fetus.
- "Virolex". It copes well with the herpes virus, but can cause headaches, allergic reactions, and neurological disorders. The drug is prohibited in the treatment of women awaiting the birth of a baby.
- Gervirax. In addition to the active substance of acyclovir, the product contains liquid paraffin, cetyl alcohol, propylene glycol, cremophor and nipazole. Therapy is recommended in a strictly prescribed dosage. If it is exceeded, peeling of the skin, the appearance of itching and redness are possible.
Any analogue is better to choose after consulting a doctor. Each organism is individual, and the remedy that helps one patient well can be completely useless for another.
According to reviews, we can conclude that the drug is popular for combating the manifestation of herpes. If you start applying the ointment to the affected areas immediately, as soon as suspicious symptoms appear in the form of itching, tingling, you can cope with an unpleasant problem in a few days. The main thing is to apply the ointment five to six times a day.
Some note that pills rather than external remedies help them more. But we can say that if herpes is disturbed with an enviable frequency, then we need to think about strengthening immunity, especially in the cold season.
It must be remembered that it is unlikely that it will ever be possible to drive the herpes virus out of the body, but it is in our power to make it always in a dormant state.