Drug Name: VALTREX
Pronounced: VAL-trex
Chemical names: Valacyclovir hydrochloride

VALTREX Drug Use: Valtrex is used to treat certain herpes infections, including herpes zoster (the painful rash known as shingles), genital herpes, and herpes cold sores on the face and lips.

VALTREX Drug Usage Instructions: Take Valtrex exactly as prescribed by your doctor, with or without food. If you are taking Valtrex for shingles, you should start using it as soon as possible after your doctor has made a diagnosis. It’s best to see a doctor and start the drug within 48 hours of first noticing the rash. If you wait more than 72 hours after you first get a herpes zoster rash, the medication may not be effective. If you are using Valtrex for genital herpes, begin taking it at the first sign of an attack. The medication may not be effective if you wait longer than 72 hours after the first attack or 24 hours after a later attack. If you are taking Valtrex for cold sores, you should start using it at the earliest signs of infection, such as tingling, itching, or burning. If you wait until the cold sore develops, the medication might not work.

VALTREX Storage Instructions: Store at room temperature.

VALTREX Missed Dose: Never take 2 doses at the same time. If you miss your dose of Valtrex, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the one you missed and go back to your regular dosage schedule.

VALTREX Side Effects: Side effects of Valtrex may include: abdominal pain, aggressive behavior, agitation, allergic reactions, coma, confusion, decreased consciousness, depression, diarrhea, dizziness, facial swelling, hallucinations, headache, hepatitis, high blood pressure, joint pain, mania, menstrual problems, nausea, rapid heartbeat, rash, visual abnormalities, vomiting.

Special Precautions with VALTREX: Avoid Valtrex if you are sensitive to it or the similar drug acyclovir (Zovirax) High doses of Valtrex have proved dangerous in people whose immune system is compromised because of HIV infection, bone marrow transplant, or kidney transplant. Valtrex relieves the symptoms of genital herpes, but it is not a cure. It does not prevent the transmission of the disease. Do not have sexual intercourse during a flare-up.