| Key to ratings for famvir: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |
| Rating | Reason | Side Effects | Comments | Sex | Age | Time Taken | Date Added | |
| | F M | | | | ||||
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| 5 | Cold Sores | Headache (mild, brief), sometimes vertigo (mild) | I just had a major victory with Famvir, I felt the 'tingle' stage of a cold sore coming on and- per Dr's prescription- took a single dose of 3 pills. Only ended up getting 4 papules and two days later it is almost entirely gone. Yay! | F | 30 | 1 days | 12/30/2009 | 4 | herpes | I am diabetic and my blood sugar soars the entire time I am on this medication. The amount of insulin I need to control my blood sugar levels is easily four times what I would normally take. | However, this medication does work well. If I take it at the first sign of tingling I can avoid the outbreak all together. If there is already a blister it will cut the cycle in half and the outbreak is far less severe | M | 40 | 18 months | 8/10/2009 | 5 | Cold Sores | Elevated heart rate for about 3 hours. All day headache/migraine and tiredness. | Famvir does clear up the cold sores extremely well and fast. | F | 39 | 1 years | 7/8/2009 | 5 | genetal herpes | a constant, mild, headache. No outbreaks since taking 250 mg twice a day. Twice a day works better than one 500 per day. Not sure if lower energy levels & weight gain are related to the Famvir or the fact I'm now 50. No blood pressure related issues. | Wondering about effects longterm. Not wanting to get off it as it is wonderful not to have outbreaks again. | F | 50 | 7 years | 6/17/2008 | 5 | CNS problems likely realted to VZV | Occasional Minor Headaches | Got hit with Bell's Palsy about 6 years ago. After that, I expreienced all kinds of weird aches and pains that I wrote off as "getting older". Then things got really bad, and took Valtrex at 3G per day. It fixed all my pains, but made me feel sick. Switched to 500mg famvir twice daily, and it keeps all those pains at bay. Very expensive even with insurance until this year when they released a generic. Now it is fully covered by my insurance. | M | 38 | 2 years | 5/1/2008 | 5 | Oral outbreaks | None that I am aware of. After 7 years I am wondering what the long term impacts on my health are. Does this cause loose bowels, affectimmune system's efficiency, etc. | Have been on a 500 maintenance regime. Recently took a 90 day break and am returning to a 250 mg daily maintenance. Frequently experience tingling but breakouts are limited to twice a year. | F | 47 | 7 years | 2/13/2008 | 3 | Cold Sores | Elevated heart rate- it beat faster than usual and made me shaky | F | 18 | 12/5/2007 | 3 | Oral Herpes | Sever headache, flushed, dizzy, confused, ringing ears, neck pain. | Had the same symptoms the first time I took a single-day dose but I had dismissed them. I think that this confirms my reaction to Famvir. I will not be taking it again. Did not have these symptoms with Acyclovir. Both were moderately effetive in healing cold sore outbreaks. | M | 32 | 1 days | 11/1/2007 | 5 | HSV II | sometimes slight headache. important to drink plenty of water with it. | works great. for me, better than valtrex. i have bad, persistent obs for 5 years, and i couldn't live without famvir. without it my obs are unbearable, with severe nerve pain that can last weeks. | F | 31 | 5 years | 10/14/2007 | 1 | anti-viral pre-surgery | Although my Dr. said I was an "ultra-rare" case, it caused my red blood cells to break up and force me into severe anemia. I had horrible headaches, extreme dizziness, fainting, very weak. I eventually was hospitalized and had to receive three blood transfusions because my rbc count got so low. | I am NEVER taking it again! | F | 23 | 7 days | 9/14/2007 | 5 | Cold Sore | none that I could recall | I took this immediatly when I felt tingling of a cold sore, It stopped the cold sore before it ever came to be a nuissance. | F | 21 | 6/6/2007 | 1 | genital hepes | skin rash.... | L-lysine is the best remedy that can help to suppress the herpes virus. | M | 41 | 1 weeks | 4/25/2007 | 5 | herpes keratitis (in the eye) | none ever | This has worked at 250mg/day as a maintenance drug to keep my flare-ups in check. limits severity, frequency, and duration of flare-ups. Have been on it for 6-7 yrs at least. | M | 44 | 7 years | 4/11/2007 | 1 | shingles | Extreme headache, nausea, diarrhea | I took 2 doses and woke up the next morning with headache, nausea, vomiting. Although my doctor feels it is generally a safe drug, she didn't want me to continue it. | F | 58 | 1 days | 2/11/2007 | 3 | Labial Cold Sores | Pain in Joints, other strange unexplainable pains, similar to what I experienced taking Acyclovir, when I stop taking medication pain goes away. | Not worth the extremity pain | M | 44 | 7 days | 12/15/2006 | 4 | Chronic HHV6 reactivation/M.E. | Headache--dull, mild to moderate, usually about an hour after taking dose. Controlled by Tylenol. | I am taking 500 mg three times a day. I've had M.E. with very high HHV6 titers for 21 years. My daily activity level was reduced to 20% of normal, with daily migraines, flu-ish feeling, chills, body pain, weakness, cognitive problems. After 2 months on Famvir my migraines are greatly reduced in frequency and intensity. I feel about 50% better overall. So far, so good. I think I'm getting my life back after many years of suffering. | F | 55 | 2 months | 7/19/2006 | 3 | genital herpes | Headache, all day long for the entire treatment period of 5 days every time I take it. Acyclovir and Valcyclovir caused headaches and vomiting so at least Famvir doesn't make me throw up. | L-Lysine seems to work just as well but the doc insists I take this. | F | 54 | 4 years | 6/8/2006 | 2 | Genital Herpes | No side effects but I still have several outbreaks each month so I'm not sure it's worthwhile taking it. I'm trying to research whether I can increase the dosage I am taking (250 mg twice a day) | F | 53 | 6 months | 3/15/2006 | 5 | genital herpes | ringing in ears, may hav low back pain - could be due to other cause. other than these, no problems | it has been a god send. had an outbreak on vacation w/ no famvir and it was awful for 2 weeks. next outbreak, had famvir and it stopped fatigue, pain and discomfort within 3 days. went @ 11 yrs without outbreak, in menopause having many. | F | 56 | 20 weeks | 11/27/2005 | 5 | neuralgias asso w nasal cold sores | none | It offset the accute neuralgia symptoms, but most surprisingly, it also had a general positive effect on the everyday aches and pains that I did not associate with herpes. I have tried to contact the mfgr with no luck. VERY EXPENSIVE! No long term information available. | M | 52 | 2 years | 11/7/2005 | 3 | shingles | headache, fatigue, | had high blood pressure when I initially went in with symptoms. Have never had high blood pressure before. The high blood pressure has continued throughout the week I have been on the medication. | F | 46 | 7 days | 3/26/2005 | 3 | herpes | none | best i can tell, it will reduce length of outbreak only if taken at first tingle. So, instead of 8 days of sores and healing, maybe only 4 days. I only take when i feel a tingle, rather than daily. | M | 38 | 5 years | 12/22/2002 | 5 | 12/14/2002 |
| Key to
ratings: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |