Why isn valtrex over the counter

Here are the standard doses of Valtrex for children with cold sores or chickenpox:. Maximum dose is 1 gram taken 3 times daily for 5 days How long does it take Valtrex to clear up an outbreak? Taking Valtrex with a full glass of water helps make sure your kidneys can process it efficiently. Valtrex starts working to treat symptoms right away. Even though it starts working right away, it may take several days for you to notice a difference in your symptoms.

It can take up to 10 days for Valtrex to start working. The amount of time it takes your symptoms to go away will depend on your age, the severity of your symptoms, and your metabolism.

However, symptom relief from Valtrex is not a cure for herpes simplex or varicella zoster viruses. If you miss a dose of Valtrex, you should take the next dose as soon as possible.

If it is almost time for your next dose, just resume the schedule and do not take a double dose. Keep Valtrex at room temperature, away from direct sunlight, and out of the reach of children, who might accidentally mistake it for candy or food.

If your child accidentally takes Valtrex, you should seek medical advice immediately. You should talk with your doctor before taking Valtrex if you have any of the following medical conditions:. You might not be able to take the medication at all. Talking with your doctor before breastfeeding your baby is the best way to avoid any harm. Taking Valtrex at the same time as certain other medications may cause side effects to worsen or cause additional health problems.

The best way to learn more about Valtrex and any potential drug interactions is to talk with your healthcare provider. Taking Valtrex may cause side effects that feel uncomfortable. Taking Valtrex very rarely causes kidney problems or kidney failure that could potentially be life-threatening. If you have kidney problems you should talk to your doctor before taking Valtrex. This blood disorder can be very serious and potentially life-threatening and is more of a risk for immunosuppressed patients that have an underlying health condition like HIV or AIDS.

The best way to learn more about any side effects you might experience from taking Valtrex is to talk with your doctor or healthcare provider. There is no over-the-counter version of Valtrex, but some people take the generic version of Valtrex, valacyclovir.

Many people wonder whether Valtrex will stop cold sores from forming. Valtrex should be taken at the first signs of a cold sore tingling, itching, burning to prevent them from worsening and keep other cold sores from developing.

However, it is not a cure for cold sores. It only treats them as a symptom of a viral infection. This could cause serious side effects or health problems. This is not a complete list of side effects. Other side effects may occur. Consult your healthcare provider if you have questions about side effects of Valtrex. A frequently asked question about Valtrex is whether it will make you urinate more often. Therefore, this extra hydration can result in frequent urination.

If you have any signs of an allergic reaction like difficulty breathing, hives, or swelling of the face, mouth, or throat, you should seek immediate emergency medical treatment. Other serious side effects that could potentially occur when taking Valtrex include:.

Some patients are more susceptible to these serious side effects than others. These side effects are very rare. Antiviral medicines are effective at treating viral infections, but after long-term use, they can eventually weaken the immune system by affecting immune cells.

This is typically only an issue for seniors and people with weakened immune systems. Some studies have even shown that the long-term use of Valtrex is well-tolerated for healthy individuals.

If you start to have side effects from Valtrex and are thinking about stopping the medication, you should call your doctor before doing so. Abruptly stopping Valtrex can cause new side effects or worsen symptoms.

In addition, only 39 percent of doctors even question new patients about their risk for herpes and 38 percent inaccurately tell patients that they are infectious only when they have open sores, the company and other experts agreed. But opponents argue that patients will misdiagnose themselves with herpes when they may in fact have other diseases, such as syphilis, which acyclovir does not help.

About 3 percent of herpes is acyclovir-resistant, a number that increases to at least 5 percent among AIDS patients.

The FDA warned that the educational and marketing campaigns by Burroughs-Wellcome do not emphasize enough that patients must see a doctor first. Heidi Jolson said many people would likely get that message.

David Barry, who emphasized that acyclovir would never take the place of a condom. Acyclovir in higher doses will continue to be available by prescription only to treat herpes-infected AIDS patients, and to treat such other diseases as shingles and chickenpox. Sections U. Science Technology Business U.