When a drug medication such as Valacyclovir goes into action to help first time herpes sufferers escape their misery, it usually takes up to about 10 days (or even longer is some cases) for the herpes or cold sore blisters to heal and dissipate from the effects of this medication. Sure, whatever active ingredient may be responsible for healing the condition but usually it’s the timing that’s critical in the healing process. Read on to learn the reasons why.

Valacyclovir and recurring herpes outbreaks

What’s so disturbing about herpes is its propensity to remain dormant in the body for weeks, months and even years between outbreaks. Dormancy of course means to be temporarily inactive meaning that herpes can stay inactive until such time as something comes by and trigger its awakening.

It’s medically known that on average, people who have the HSV-1 virus infection would experience only about one outbreak in a year, but people with the HSV-2 variant would normally experience four of five outbreaks each year.

It really doesn’t matter how many outbreaks of herpes or cold sore there are in a year, the good news is that Valacyclovir is always on hand to provide a fast and effective solution to the painful and discomforting effects of the herpes infection.

Typically the dose for valacyclovir for patients who suffer from recurring herpes outbreaks has been set at 500 mg which needs to be taken twice daily for a period of three days.

Similar to the administration of valacyclovir to first-time herpes sufferers, doses of this drug medication should be given or taken as soon as you notice the first signs of an outbreak of herpes developing.

In doing so you’ll be ensuring that valacyclovir will provide the user with quick relief in as little as two to three days. When you use this approach you’d be minimizing the herpes symptoms and also reduce the risk of passing genital herpes to your sexual partner.

The difference between HSV-1 and HSV-2

Is there a difference between these herpes outbreaks? Strictly speaking the answer to this question is that there’s no great difference except in their recurring cycles with HSV-1 sufferers expecting to suffer from only one outbreak a year while those who have HSV-2 tend to experience 4 to 5 outbreaks a year.

Treatment for shingles

The typical dose of Valacyclovir for shingles is a big dose of !,000 mg which should be taken three times a day meaning that the dose is divided into three smaller doses that can be taken for the day.

Whatever type of herpes you have, it’s very important that the best way to treat them is to begin administering valacyclovir as soon as you notice the shingles symptoms beginning to appear.

A majority of experts recommend that for best results, the administration of valacyclovir should begin within 72 hours from the time the symptoms of herpes begin to appear.

Valacyclovir (Valtrex) for cold sore treatment

The treatment for cold sores is double that of shingles with two large doses of 2,000 mg. This dose should be divided into doses of 12 hours apart from each other.

Similar to the other outbreaks of HSV, the administering of valacyclovir will set in motion a speedy process for healing cold sores.

However, despite the rapid and effective action of valacyclovir, it will still take from 7 to 10 days for the herpes blisters to heal and fully disappear.

Acting quickly is the best solution for herpes outbreaks

If you are worried about cold sores or shingles outbreaks there is a sure solution which you can use by simply acting quickly to ensure that fast relief will be delivered in time to stop an HSV-1 or HSV-2  outbreak.

It’s for this reason that most doctors recommend that valacyclovir should be taken in the first 24-72 hours (1-3 days) after the first appearance of cold sore or other herpes blister is seen to be developing.

If you notice a cold sore or any other herpes outbreak symptoms occurring, you should talk to your doctor about how to administer the treatment and other relief options as soon as you can.

What about the Mylan Valacyclovir 500 mg tablet?

In addition to the huge doses available for treating cold sores and genital herpes (shingles) mentioned earlier, this 500 mg tablet form drug medication was specifically manufactured to tackle the onslaught of genital herpes or shingles.

Nevertheless the treatment can also be used for cold sores in addition to other uses but it does require several days before kicking in.

Instructions on the Valacyclovir 500 mg tablet

This version of the earlier big doses of valacyclovir for cold sore and shingles is taken 3 times a day but your doctor and pharmacist may have other instructions for you to follow that may prove more beneficial for you.

You should nevertheless take it continuously on a regular basis so that you can reap a sustained benefit from its effects.

, More important, you should heed and act on the following instructions:

• Carefully read and follow the instructions inscribed on the label
• Avoid using more of the medication than what has been prescribed
• Avoid using the medication more often than what is prescribed
• Should you miss your dose inadvertently, take it when you remember but if it’s almost time to take your scheduled dose, don’t take your missed dose and take your scheduled dose instead.
• Never double up your doses to make up for the dose you missed
• You may take this medication with or without food

Side effects caused by Valacyclovir

When the above directions are strictly followed, experts claim that the medication will work perfectly, otherwise, it can cause certain side effects which you should have avoided in the first place by following the instructions. If you fail to avoid them, here are some of them for you to remember: Essentially valacyclovir may cause:

• nausea and vomiting;
• headaches;
• stomach ache;
• menstrual pain.
• joint pains.

There’s also the issue of different reactions by different persons to the taking of valacyclovir. If you are in fact experiencing side effects mentioned above in addition to others, you should consult with your doctor or pharmacist. They can help you identify whether or not the drug medication is the cause of the problem.

Bottom line

When you are absolutely convinced that a particular drug medication is one of the best and most popular medications there is, you must have the facts to prove that this is the case. You would positively conclude that valacyclovir is one such medication. Indeed you would pursue the point further by pointing out the pros and cons of the medication and further convince readers that there’s something unique about valacyclovir as we’ve attempted to reveal in this article.