|  | Conditions Treatments | Herpes

Herpes II Treatment

According to the American Social Health Association (ASHA), there are three drugs that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of genital herpes (HSV-2). In addition to drug therapy, there are also two different treatment plans for genital herpes--episodic and suppressive.

  1. Treatment Goals

    • There is no treatment that can cure genital herpes. However, treatment is still valuable, and the Mayo Clinic has outlined a number of major goals of treatment for genital herpes. These include clearing symptoms faster if you are diagnosed during your first outbreak; decreasing the duration, severity and frequency of subsequent outbreaks; and lowering your chances of transmitting the virus to your sexual partners, which is possible with suppressive therapy, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

    Acyclovir

    • Acyclovir is the oldest treatment for genital herpes and is available in both pill and topical forms. It has been shown to be safe for daily therapy. Acyclovir is an antiviral drug that is used in the treatment of many conditions that cause herpetic symptoms, including shingles and chickenpox. According to RxList, side effects include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

    Valacyclovir

    • The active ingredient in valacyclovir is acyclovir. According to ASHA, valacyclovir delivers acyclovir more effectively to the system, meaning that it can be taken less often than acyclovir. RxList reports that side effects include headache and nausea, with additional side effects in people whose immune systems are weakened, as in the case of HIV infection.

    Famciclovir

    • Famciclovir uses penciclovir to prevent the HSV-2 virus from making copies of itself. According to ASHA, like valacyclovir, famciclovir can be taken less often than acyclovir. RxList reports that side effects include urticaria (a type of skin rash), hallucinations and confusion, but these side effects are not as well established as they are for other treatment options for genital herpes.

    Episodic Treatment

    • Episodic treatment means only taking antiviral drugs when there is an outbreak of genital herpes. According to ASHA, this means beginning medication during prodrome (a herpes aura, when a person can sense that an outbreak is coming on) and then for several days after, which may help limit the length and severity of that outbreak. ASHA reports that if medication is not begun during prodrome, there may be little effect on the outbreak.

    Suppressive Treatment

    • Suppressive treatment means taking antivirals on a daily basis for genital herpes. This has the benefit of possibly preventing or curtailing the length, severity and frequency of future outbreaks and is recommended for people who have five or more outbreaks in a year, according to the Mayo Clinic. The CDC and ASHA both report that suppressive therapy for genital herpes lowers the risk of transmitting the virus when there are no symptoms.

Herpes - Related Articles