|  | Conditions Treatments | Herpes

Chronic Herpes Treatment

The drugs used in treating chronic (six or more outbreaks per year) herpes are the same ones used in treating a specific outbreak of herpes. However, the treatment plan is changed to include daily therapy instead of treatment that begins during prodrome (the earliest signs of an impending herpes outbreak).

  1. Daily Suppressive Therapy

    • Treatment for chronic herpes is the same as that used for suppressive purposes (daily suppressive therapy), a technique wherein antiviral drugs are used on a daily basis. According to the American Social Health Association (ASHA), people with chronic outbreaks who are on suppressive therapy can cut their number of outbreaks by 75 percent, and some people experience no outbreaks while on suppressive therapy. The side effects of daily suppressive therapy are generally so mild that people can use this form of therapy effectively without serious consequence.

    Drugs

    • The antiviral drugs approved for use in the treatment of genital herpes include acyclovir, valacyclovir and famciclovir. Valacyclovir uses acyclovir as its active ingredient, and famciclovir uses penciclovir. Both valacyclovir and famciclovir can be taken less frequently than acyclovir; ASHA reports that treatment varies between one and two pills per day. This group of drugs is used in the treatment of other herpetic conditions, including shingles and chickenpox.

    Side Effects

    • The side effects of antiviral medications used in the treatment of chronic herpes include headache, nausea and diarrhea. Side effects may be worse in people with weakened immune systems, such as those who are HIV-positive.

    Benefits

    • Genital herpes can be transmitted even in the absence of an outbreak. Suppressive therapy used for chronic outbreaks can help reduce your chances of transmitting HSV-2, the virus that causes genital herpes, to your partners.

    Considerations

    • The length, severity and frequency of genital herpes outbreaks generally decreases over time, though this is not true for all people; if outbreaks do not decrease, continued suppressive therapy may be appropriate. ASHA does not recommend the use of over-the-counter and topical treatments for genital herpes.

Herpes - Related Articles