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Acyclovir: Medications
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Acyclovir is the generic name for an antiviral medication that can be used to treat herpes infections of the skin, lips and genitals. It is ... used to treat chicken pox and shingles. Acyclovir does not cure these viral infections, but does reduce the severity of outbreaks and prevents the development of new herpes-related blisters. For genital herpes infections,this treatment decreases the pain and itching of blisters and promotes healing.
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Acyclovir, the prototype antiviral drug, is a DNA polymerase inhibitor. Acyclovir may be given orally or intravenously. Major drawbacks of orally administered acyclovir include its lower bioavailability compared with other agents and its dosing frequency (five times daily). Intravenously administered acyclovir is generally used only in patients who are severely immunocompromised or who are unable to take medications orally.
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The effects of Acyclovir during pregnancy and breast feeding have not been adequately reviewed in clinical studies. If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, notify your physician prior to taking the medication. If you are nursing and need to use Acyclovir, your physician may advise you to discontinue breastfeeding while using the medication.
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Acyclovir is the prototype antiviral agent used to treat various types of herpes infections. Since acyclovir was the first antiviral to be considered the gold standard for the treatment of herpes infections, all other anti-herpes virus medications are compared to it. The drug is approved for the treatment of herpes simplex encephalitis, herpes genitalis, herpes labialis, herpes zoster, varicella (chickenpox), varicella-zoster virus, and viral conjunctivitis. It is approved for the prophylaxis of herpes genitalis.[1]
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Acyclovir is an anti-viral medication that can be used to treat chicken pox, shingles and genital herpes. Acyclovir will not cure any of these viruses, but it can help reduce the discomfort and duration of the outbreaks.
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If you are using Acyclovir for genital herpes, begin taking the medication 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. You may take Acyclovir with or without food.
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