Drug Ratings for VALTREXAverage Rating: 3.4 (468 Ratings)
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Results are sorted by length of time drug was taken from longest to shortest Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) |
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR VALTREX | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
  | F M | | | | |||
| 4 | Genital Herpes | None really other than feeling tired and looking worn out. I look like crap after I take my medication, so I usually take them before bedtime, unless I have an outbreak. | I have had GH for 20 yrs - started taking Zovirax worked well - was switched to Valtrex about 8 yrs ago. Started taking 500mg. outbreaks increased so dosage was increased to 1000 mg 1 x daily. However, if I miss taking my daily dose an outbreak is imminent. Along with tingling in my legs and buttocks area, I have severe pain in my hip joint area. The pain is so bad that I cannot walk. To help alleviate the pain I take Valtrex every 6 hours around the clock for roughly 2 weeks in order to get rid of the pain in my hip area. Sometimes I wonder if I am taking too much but eventually the pain/outbreak subsides. I noticed that the herpes virus travels through out the body. So I have to make sure I don't miss my daily dosage and I drink lots of water because I read that kidney damage is potentially a long term side effect. | F | 53 | 20 years | 8/26/2008 | 4 | genital herpes | I get light head occasionally (with no warning), occasional sharp abdominal pains (not sure if that is related, but I am healthy otherwise). | I have been taking Valtrex on and off for 19 years...everytime I stop taking it the outbreaks return immediately and occur monthly. I am worried about the long term effects of Valtrex on my body, but I can't find any studies or data about this. | F | 39 | 19 years | 7/25/2007 | 5 | HSV-2 | Never had any. | Valtrex changed my life. I used to have monthly OB, which ended completely after starting taking the drug. I found out that extreme stress (death in the family, one week not sleeping well) could cause an OB even while taking the drug, but the symptoms are minimal (tiredness, constipation) and last for a day or two, without visible blisters. | M | 45 | 17 years 500 mg 1X D | 11/10/2011 | 5 | Genital herpes (type 2) | possibly dizziness, headaches, GI upset, and fatigue | I've had genital herpes for over 25 years, since I was 21. I've taken Valtrex for so long I can't remember when I started, but I began on Zovirax, the first version of the drug. It's been at least 15 years, so I must be one of the people who have taken it the longest. I take 500 mg daily with no major side effects, or at least side effects that I can definitely attribute to Valtex. I love that it keeps me breakout-free and can also reduce the chances of transmitting it to others. I rarely get a breakout, except if I miss or skip a dose and am sick or stressed. Sometimes sexual activity can irritate the area and trigger a breakout. Even if I get a breakout, it's now so minor I don't always know if it's a herpes sore, and it doesn't really hurt, I just have the sensation that there's a little spot of irritated skin. But I would much rather take the drug than have to deal with even minor breakouts, so I continue with daily suppressive therapy. If I get a sore, I double the dose for several days. I get bloodwork done every year to make sure my liver function is fine, and so far it has been. My only concern is that your body may become dependent on Valtrex and if you go off the suppressive regimen, it may take your body a while to build up its own antiviral defenses, so you might have to endure a series of breakouts before they subside. Then again, that might not be the case. I will continue taking Valtrex indefinitely. I'm hoping the generic version will be just as effective. | F | 48 | 15 years | 7/15/2009 | 5 | genital herpes | nothing detectable | valtrex has completely suppressed my outbreaks for years. My husband of 15 years has not been infected. | F | 50 | 15 years | 12/3/2009 | 3 | Genital Herpes | Pain just below sholder bone in back. Diarrhea. | I have genital herpes for the past 15 years. I have taken Valtrex off and on over the past 15 years both as suppressive therapy and just during outbreaks. I now realize the pain I have experienced in the upper left of my back just below my left shoulder bone is from the Valtrex. The pain makes it difficult for me to turn and use my left arm. I wonder what is causing this pain. I wonder if the drug causes a kidney problem - I am just guessing. | F | 51 | 15 years | 8/22/2008 | 3 | Genital herpes | Severe abdominal pain, anxiety, trouble sleeping, dizziness, floaters. | I've had herpes for 15 years and began taking acyclovir every day for about 7 years. I switched to Valtrex brand after that and would take 1 pill (500mg) about every other day or so up until about 3 years ago. I began experiencing severe stomach pains right after I got out of college which was about the time I began taking Valtrex. At the time I didn't correlate the two but after seeing a few doctors and nobody finding out what was wrong with me I started questioning them about Valtrex since that was the only medicine I had ever taken on a consistent basis. They assured me the medicine in no way could be behind it. My symptoms got worse and I noticed I starting having anxiety problems. At one point it got so bad that I couldn't sleep at night. At that point I got serious about finding out what was wrong and I realized that if I took a Valtrex that evening I would have the horrible anxiety symptoms that night and I would have stomach problems a day or so after. I slowly started lowerin | F | 32 | 15 years | 7/17/2008 | 5 | Type II | none | Shortens the duration of outbreak and alleviates the symptoms of itching and tingling. I only take the medicine when I get back to back outbreaks that seem to be getting worse each time. The first outbreak was very painful and the medicine saved my life. | F | 31 | 14 years | 12/7/2006 | 4 | HSV 1 Coldsores in mouth | Heat rash, headaches, heartburn, tiredness | Have taken for coldsores in mouth for over 10 years. After first episode I had a long break before next outbreak...maybe close to a year. Then I began getting a cold sore on one spot of lip every other month it seemed. Then it jumped to inside my mouth where most of my primary infection had occurred. Recurrence was often so went on 1 500 a day of Valtrex for about 10 years. Would still have occasional episodes but less severe. Eventually I stopped it because of pregnancy. The first outbreak was very bad after stopped. Then became less sever but still frequent..about once every two months on average. I didn't take anything for 3 years for episodes but after having my son coldsores were occurring very frequently, once every 3 weeks or more. I began taking for each episode2 grams twice for one day then 1 500 for a few days. Works well to shorten but since I don't know I'm getting one until it really is forming it does not usually prevent. Thinking of going on once daily again but unsure. Want to protect my kids most of all but I seem to be getting them a little less now, can go 5 to 8 weeks between. Menstruation seems to be my trigger. Anything hormonal. I recon I am also predisposed genetically to recurrences. Using the generic Valacyclovir now. Can't tell exactly if it works as well. I think it does but unsure. Here is a good link on side effects- http://www.drugs.com/pro/valacyclovir.html | F | 37 | 13 years 4 grams 1X D | 11/28/2011 | 5 | Genital Herpes | None....ZILCH! | I have been taking this drug for 12 years now. I am really surprised to read all these side effects these people have been having. I've never once experienced any side effects at all. Even in the beginning. Did anyone stop to think that the reason they are depressed is they've just found out they've contracted a std and it's rocked their world. Yeah I was depressed for a few years after getting it but it was the situation not the drugs. My little blue pill makes me a happy camper. I am on suppressive therapy taking one 500mg dose a day. I tried about 4 years ago to wean myself off to just treating the outbreaks but I was getting them too frequently when I stopped the Valtrex completely. Don't give up on something just because of perceived side effects that might not even be related to the drug. | F | 31 | 12 years 500mg 1X D | 5/12/2011 | 4 | HSV-2 | GI Upset with occasional cramping, diarrhea, nausea without vomiting. Musculoskeletal effects include joint ache, muscle soreness, muscle fatigue and increased soreness after muscle exertion. Tendency to develop tendonitis and ligamentous discomfort in the fingers, toes, wrists, and ankles (tendons especially). Occasional spaced out feeling with visual blurring, light sensitivity, easy eye fatigue. Vertigo symptoms will develop with some medications and especially with concomitant use of alcohol. I have noticed increased irritability and behavioral changes while on a higher dosing of valtrex. | For twenty years I have taken acyclovir or valtrex (valtrex is more effective for me). The genital herpes outbreaks are minimal to none while taking valtrex 500mg once to twice daily. Occaional tingling and lancinating pains in the genital region warn me of an impending outbreak. A gram twice daily for a day or two followed by 500mg twice daily thereafter for 5 days stops the symptoms/outbreak from developing or minimizes them. I feel the valtrex is making my muscles, ligaments, and tendons more vulnerable to feel discomfort. Also consumption of alcoholic beverages while on valtrex has cause dizziness, vertigo, and eye jerking (nystagmus) while taking valtrex. Am I willing to go off of valtrex? No way. I can't stand having herpetic outbreaks or post-herpetic neuralgia. I feel that valtrex allows me to live a near normal life without the debilitating sequelae associated with frequent outbreaks of genital herpes. I rarely think about it anymore. I take my valtrex daily though. I've chang | M | 41 | 12 years | 10/21/2007 | 5 | GH | I COULDN'T LIVE WITHOUT THIS MEDICINE AND AS FAR AS I KNOW I HAVE HAD NO SIDE EFFECTS!!! BEEN TAKING IT EVERY DAY FOR ALMOST 11 YEARS NOW........ | F | 44 | 10 years | 3/22/2009 | 5 | a form of herpes on my neck | none | i don't take it regularly. i only take it when i have a break out. i have a form of herpes on my neck that makes me have little bumps, kinda like shingles, all over my neck. it causes me great pain, and although ABREVA helps somewhat, it takes a long time to work... when i take valtrex, within 2 days, i'm all cleared up and feeling great again | M | 27 | 10 years | 6/8/2009 | 5 | Genital Herpes | I have been on Valtrex for over 10 years. Sometimes I get good results taking it every other day and sometimes I have to take it every day to keep the virus in remission. I have had no side effects from taking this drug. It's a miracle drug for me | F | 36 | 10 years 1000mg | 4/19/2012 | 5 | Genital Herpes | No negative side effects. On the positive, I don't get colds or the flu as frequently as I used to, and I recover quicker. | It's a great drug. I was diagnosed 25 years ago. I used to get outbreaks just about every month and used cream / pills when the OB would occur. Started suppressive therapy about 10 years ago and have had only 2 OBs since. My partner for the past 7 years has never shown any symptoms. | M | 54 | 10 years 1000mg 1X D | 7/8/2012 | 5 | herpes | Nausea headache dry mouth weird dreams, the list goes on. But the side effects are less severe because I drink at least 80 ounces of water throughout the day | F | 37 | 10 years 500mg | 4/3/2013 | 5 | HSV-2 (Genital Herpes) | No Side Effects (I do not do dosing as prescribed) - If I have any side effect, the only one I experience is a bit of a dehydrated skin appearance and maybe a little tired feeling at the end of the day - it actually seems to help me sleep. | Prior to having an outbreak, at least 9 out of 10 times, I start to feel a dull pain in the very lower part of my spine; almost in the pelvis and usually to the left (in my case). Like the lowest part of my back needs to be cracked. This is when I take the Acyclovir (generic). I do not keep taking it. I only take it as much as to keep the outbreak at bay. (I absolutely wear a condom or I just don't have sex when this is happening.) I have trained my body to fight this virus and now usually have only a couple of potential outbreaks a year (if that). One thing I have come to realize it that HSV-2 causes constipation (or actually, I do not have daily movements). When the outbreak starts to happen I have excess gas, bloating and general intestinal discomfort like irritable bowel syndrome. The Acyclovir has greatly improved/retained my quality of life. Just remember that I do not take this daily like everyone else. I just take it to knock down the symptoms... I should note that I eat Activia daily and it has proved to be essential in this formula. I am not exactly Mr. Macrobiotic but I try to eat low glycemic, low saturates, ample raw veg's, fruits, nuts & grains, with 30% of my diet coming from healthy fats (with fish oil supplements), and 30% from proteins. I suggest to everyone with HSV-2 to try this. | M | 50 | 10 years Varies 1X AN | 8/30/2010 | 5 | herpes | none | Been using valtrex for 10 years and take 500mg a day for 3 months then stop until I have an outbreak and then take another 3 months and stop. I usually have no outbreaks while taking the drug and can now go almost 3 months before I have an outbreak once I stop. It is really good medicine and works for me. | F | 64 | 10 years | 8/9/2006 | 4 | herpes: finger, eye, elsewhere | Some minor nausea, occasionally diarrhea, Majoring emptying of wallet, insurance company hassels, doctors who want to "make sure" before Rx'ing. (Like this can be mistaken for anything else to one "in the know".. | A god send... Worry about long term effects but to anyone with severe, recurrent outbreaks lasting 20+ years, ... you would have to pry this one from my cold, dead fingers. Side effects very minor compared with benefit... .and I take twice the average dose. | F | 42 | 10 years | 4/15/2007 | 4 | Cold Sores on upper lip and in nose | stomach ache, slight headache, slight tiredness | I have had cold sores since I was a kid. I was first misdiagnosed as having impetigo. A few years later it was diagnosed as Herpes Simplex 1 a.k. cold sores. I was first prescribed one 500mg pill once a day for 5 days, my new physician recommends two 1000mg pills twice a day for two days which seems to keep the outbreak under control when I get it. I have however, seemed to have gotten more frequenct outbreaks since taking Valtrex. What used to be 1 or 2 times a year is now 6-10 times per year. I would rather go for a more natural treatment but it does work wonders when I have an outbreak and it usualy goes away pretty quickly. | F | 23 | 10 years | 9/3/2008 | 3 | herpes | Extreme fatigue, fogginess | When I have an outbreak I take 1 gram, twice a day, for 3 days. It relieves the symptoms of an outbreak almost immediately. However, I'm otherwise non-functional because of total exhaustion and brain fog. For 8 years I took it every day; I did not have fatigue or fogginess when I took it daily. The symptoms of exhaustion occurred only after I switched to the as-needed dosage. | F | 39 | 10 years | 6/14/2009 | 3 | HSV 2 | headache, nausea, severe abdominal pain, fatigue, muscle aches | At one time I was taking the medication daily for preventive reasons but now I only take it when I have an outbreak. | F | 39 | 10 years | 5/2/2007 | 3 | Genital Herpes | No side effects at all. | I have had genital herpes for about 10 years and have taken Valtrex for almost as long. In the beginning I would take it when I had an outbreak to shorten the duration. I switched to a daily dose about 7 years ago as the outbreaks got worse. (2-4 outbreaks/year) Steadily, year after year, the outbreaks have gotten more and more frequent and MUCH more intense. As I type this I am having the worst breakout in all 10 years. 2 months -> going on 3 of constant blistering. It will begin to heal and then breakout again. ... You would think after 10 years that I could tell you if Valtrex works or not. There are times when I've sworn by it and thought it really worked, and there are times, like now, that it seems to be doing nothing. Herpes is quite the sex life killer. | M | 38 | 10 years 1 GM 1X D | 5/2/2010 | 5 | Genital herpes | NO SIDE EFFECTS | I take 1Gram a day and it works great. I only take so much everyday because I have frequent outbreak. I never have a outbreak and no side effects. Great product I would reccomend to anyone. Only one complaint and thats the price, make sure you have medical and prescription coverage. | F | 27 | 9 years | 7/30/2007 | 5 | Genital Herpes | None that I know of | I have been taking 500 mg of Valtrex for 9 years and no outbreaks or side effects that I am aware of. I went to my new doctor and she had a cow that I had been taking Valtrex once a day. She said it has a high chance of causing kidney disease and to stop taking it. I haven't been able to find much about long term use. I may stop taking it to see if I feel better or have an outbreak. | M | 64 | 9 years | 8/21/2008 | 4 | HSV, Genital Herpes | None in the past; Lately feeling enhanced tingling/pain in the lesion area 10-20 mins after taking dosage. | I contracted GH orally from a college boyfriend. I often get really upset and wonder why it had to happen to me and not people who take excessive sexual risks. I'm a triathlete and its frustrating to wonder if I can race while going through this. Its nice to read I am not alone in my journey. In 9 years, I only had ~4 OB's, the latest occuring now. I take meds as needed, but this past year, I've exceeded my 3 refills, as I've "felt" like I was about to have an OB many times, but Valtrex supressed it just in time. Does it get worse as we get older? Or is a higher stress level a factor? I've never had side effects from this drug, until now -- which may be more in my head?! It seems that once the dose sets into my body, I get more tingle/pain in my "area" that I had 30 mins prior to taking the drug. Anyone else experience this? | F | 29 | 9 years 500 mg 10X AN | 6/10/2011 | 3 | HSV 2 | Grogginess (Groggy), some hair loss, loss of sexual appetite, extreme pain in knees/inflammation | I only noticed the symptoms when I started suppressive therapy. At first, I only took as needed, or the 3 day prescription/dose. I still get outbreaks, even during suppressive therapy. Very frustrating. I think I'm going to stop taking the medication because my knee pain is too much now. Bending my knees, which is very often, is painful. I did physical therapy for 2 months, but I'm going to stop taking medication to see how my knees improve. Someone out there has to come up with a medication that can help us! | F | 33 | 9 years | 5/1/2009 | 5 | HSV | Little to none. | It works great. My outbreaks were weekly. Now they are mayby once or twice a year and only if I forget to take the valtrex. I take it when I remember to take it. on the avg I say abotu 1000MG caplet 2 times a week. I am 10 years with HSV. But long term effects do have me looking around and thats how I found this forum. Good luck to all, maybe a cure is in our future... However, I guess their is no money in that for the drug companies | M | 39 | 8 years | 3/15/2009 | 5 | genital | Headache rarely - be sure to take with plenty of water | I'll take it for 3 months and then go off until I have an outbreak. In the past I have taken it everyday and did not have any outbreaks while doing so. Increased life stress DEFINIELY affects outbreaks with me. | M | 40 | 8 years | 1/18/2007 | 5 | Genital Herpes | Lost of apetite. | Had genital herpes since 1984. Got shingles EVERY SECOND MONTH... My doctor prescribed Valtrex for a period of two years. When I got off after two years I got shingles only once a year/18months. This drug work. | M | 43 | 8 years | 3/26/2006 | 5 | Oral and genital herpes | No side effects. | I have been taking this for years to suppress outbreaks of cold sores and genital herpes. I have never had any side effects and this medication works well. I just have breakouts a few times a year if I start missing doses. Otherwise, it works great. Before I started taking this drug I was having 1 or 2 outbreaks per month. Not fun. When I take it exactly as prescribed I might have one outbreak per year. Highly recommend. | F | 41 | 7 years 500 mg 2X D | 4/26/2011 | 4 | HSV-1 (spreaded to genital region) | fatigue, dizziness, sleepiness | I have been taking Valtrex on and off since I was 16 yrs. old. I caught the HSV-1 herpes through oral sex, so it is now on my genital region unfortuantely. I take 500 mg. It does work for me, but it causes me to be extremely sleepy. It does take about three to five days for the symptoms to go away for me with Valtrex. I pray they find a cure for this awful virus soon! I'm wondering if they are already working on a cure or if they even already have one and they just haven't put it out yet because of the money. Did anyone else on here happen to contract herpes the same way I did? I need to know if there is a group of people with herpes that I could communicate with. It's very difficult knowing you have this and that you can pass it on to a loved one. That breaks my heart. Thankyou to anyone who reads this. It is appreciated dearly! | F | 24 | 7 years | 5/9/2009 | 1 | HSV 1 &2 | taken 1 gm for several years as supp therapy - still get frequent ob's and docs tell me highly "unlikely" due to supp therapy. Now, I get weird creepy/crawly tingly sensations in my body - mostly hips/thighs. Heat feeling under my skin- weird rashes throughout my body. comes and goes Doesn't prevent ob's in my opinion. I wonder why it works for some people and others not? It's very debilitating and hard for me, I am in constant either itch or pain...my boyfriend doesn't have it so I feel as though I need to keep taking it to avoid transmission. | If someone else is out there and experiencing this, please respond to my email - mimi20121@ hotmail.com I am having trouble finding a good doctor - any help greatly appreciated. thank you :( | F | 34 | 7 years | 10/28/2008 | 5 | Genital Herpes | Photosensitivity from sun exposure: results are (day 1) small red blotches on areas of skin that was exposed to sun and then day 2 are small pustules. | I've been taking Valtrex for about 6 years, 2 years of it on suppressive therapy. Since I've been on suppressive therapy I have not had an outbreak. The only side effect I've had is the photosensitivity. I'm not much of a sun bather, but I've noticed over the years that when I get the tiniest bit of sun this pimply red rash occurs and it takes several weeks for it to go away. I just want to know if anyone else has this problem. | F | 25 | 6 years | 4/26/2009 | 5 | genital herpes | Sunlight exposure does seem to cause bumps on arms. sometimes get a funny feeling or tingling in my genital area but nothing i cant tolerate. | I was diagnosed at 33 with genital herpes. Took Valtrex for first outbreak and it went away in about 2 weeks. After a year of almost constant outbreaks I decided to start daily Valtrex. Not only did my outbreaks clear up but they went away completely for over 6 years. I started to skip dosage occassionally the past year, may have been a mistake. I am currently experiencing the fun of passing a kidney stone. Feeling terrible I did miss 2 doses in a 3 day period and what happens 1st outbreak in 6 years. I doubled up my 500 mg to twice daily to clear it up. I am still having a super mild 1 bump outbreak i believe due to the kidney stone. I would like to say during the 6 outbreak free years I ate what I wanted, chocolate, oat based products, way too much coffee, fast food, deep fried everything and Valtrex let me live life outbreak free. I can also confirm Valtrex does stop viral shedding. I was outbreak free for over a year before I started to date again and not one of the women I have been with has contracted HSV2 from me. While protection and condom use is preached we all know its not practiced. My last girlfriend was tested after we split up and after 2 years of unprotected sex she was NOT infected. If you have genital herpes this drug can help you live a more normal life. We must always be aware of what our bodys tell us and the mental strain never really goes away. Any side affect this drug may have is better that outbreaks. | M | 40 | 6 years 500 mg 1X D | 4/27/2010 | 5 | Ocular & genital herpes | In 6 years of constant use have had no side effects. | Been using it for 6 years now. Started on 2 tablets a day, after a year stepped that back to 1 a day. Have never had another outbreak in the eye sinse the first one. Only get a genital outbreak when I forget/unable to take the tablets. | M | 35 | 6 years | 10/19/2006 | 4 | genital herpes/ eye | Tired, GI symptoms Poss. Hair loss. | Dx Age 22 Dx Eye Age 43 Has helped with gential, Out breaks seldom and not as bad. Eye clear. Recent Blood Test Liver OK. Keep The Faith. God Bless | F | 48 | 6 years | 5/29/2007 | 3 | Genital Herpes | Acne; Loss of concentration/foggy brain feeling | Worked well to control my outbreaks; not sure if it's worth the side effects since there are other drugs out there that do the same. | F | 36 | 6 years | 7/23/2007 | 1 | genital herpes / shingles | stomach irritation, joint pain, fatigue, disorientation, loss of coordination walking, irritability, kidney stress | This eventually increased the frequency of my outbreaks and the side effects are terrible. I am now trying to detoxify my body from the drug and am only taking a prescription pain med for the worst of the shingles nerve pain. Am beginning to feel better and will try to minimize outbreaks by stress reduction, relaxation techniques and good nutrition & gentle exersize. | F | 54 | 6 years | 9/4/2006 | 1 | Genital herpes | I was ok for the first few years and had continual outbreaks however in the last six months developed severe fatigue.. Can't stop sleeping, migraines, rashes and depression The generic brands are not the same! Symptoms were worse on the original brand I'm going to stop taking this tomorrow | F | 33 | 6 years 500mg | 4/18/2013 | 5 | Cold sores | After taking medication for years periodically for cold sores. I all of a sudden had pronounced anxiety with bizarre thoughts.. Racing heart beat and angst.. I will never take it again way scary | F | 51 | 5 years 500mg | 2/4/2013 | 5 | shingles in eye | no side effects | So thankful for Valtrex! I've suffered with shingles in my eyes for 21 years now and since discovering Valtrex, my life has been so much better. I take 1000 mg a day to prevent outbreaks. I also watch my diet very close and avoid high arginine containing foods. I try to eat a balanced diet, enough sleep and exercise and take Valtrex every day. When I do have an outbreak, I go back to the 1000 mg, 3 times a day and can usually stop the outbreak from getting too bad. | F | 47 | 5 years 1000 3X D | 3/16/2010 | 5 | Herpes | None | I think this is a great drug. I have been taking it for five years and have no problems and no side effects whatsoever. I never have outbreaks and do not stress about it anymore. | F | 25 | 5 years | 10/17/2008 | 5 | HSV 2 | When I first started taking 5 years ago, my stomach felt like it was having hunger pains for 2 months everyday. I stuck with it. Went away. I may have some slight hair loss and more floaters regarding my vision, but MINOR when I think of going without the med. I can drink alcohol no problem. May increase fatigue but could be another explanation. | Is expensive, so went through Canada to acquire. Now have coverage. Would pay anything for it. My OB were BI WEEKLY for the first 9 months. Suppressive therapy is my only option. Stress would have me in OB every other week. I also worry about long term use, but tests show I am alright. I take 500 mg daily. I never have blisters anymore, but may OB internally presenting as "yeast." Cannot discern which it is. | F | 44 | 5 years | 5/30/2008 | 5 | Herpes 1 | None that I could identify - not having 20 cold sores a year makes any side effects thoroughly unnoticed. | I hope there is no permanent effect, because I really like being on this medication. | F | 31 | 5 years | 9/14/2009 | 4 | Genital Herpes | Constipation | This was very bad when I first started taking it at high doses due to a severe outbreak. Then I went down to 500 mg/day and it seemed better. But later I added an antihistamine due to allergies and then an antidepressant and it has been off the wall. I eat at least 30 grams of fiber/day but that doesn't do much. So now I must decide which med to quit and that is a hard decision. Whenever I stop the Valtrex the herpes returns. | F | 53 | 5 years | 10/29/2009 | 4 | Herpes | patches of rash and pimples on legs and lower abdomen and inflamed redness-nothing seems to end it but going off Valtrex-don't know what I will do for outbreaks now. I was getting them every month or so for the last 20 years. Have been on the Valtrex about 5 years | reduced outbreaks substantially-now not sure what to do for frequent outbreaks pretty worried. apparently I can't continue taking this any more. | M | 51 | 5 years | 7/28/2008 | 4 | Genital Herpes | Some nausea, but not too bad | I take it for outbreaks only. 2 pills a day for 3 days, and I'm done. It is VERY expensive and no generic, but if you have herpes, you're kind of trapped. A tip to anyone reading this, use BLUE STAR OINTMENT on the outbreak to relieve the itching and burning in that first day or two. Works wonders. | F | 30 | 5 years | 7/29/2007 | 3 | herpes | migrane headaches, still had herpes outbreaks, not as often. | F | 46 | 5 years | 6/9/2008 | 3 | HSV2 | I am a very healthy and active 39 year old male. And I have been taking Valtrex daily (500 mg) for almost 6 years now. Since taking it, I have experienced tiredness, uneasiness and feelings of depression. Plus, I started to experience some slight hand tremors. Recently, through blood tests, I learned that I had a high creatinine level. So, I had my kidney function checked (GFR) and learned my kidney function is way down. This may be a possible side effect of Valtrex; however, there are really no long term studies on the drug. | I have searched many websites about Valtrex; however, none really have information about the long term effects. Many sites talk about high creatinine levels and not to use Valtrex if kidney problems exist. But, nothing specific if daily long term use of Valtrex causes kidney problems. As far as breakouts, Valtrex has kept them from occurring. But, if it causes kidney damage, then I would rather live without Valtrex. | M | 39 | 5 years | 12/1/2007 | 1 | Genital Herpes | Extreme, unbelievable, never-ending exhaustion. Also bloating, diarrhoeia,dizziness, anxiety and depression, memory loss, no motivation to do even the things that gave me pleasure and lack of concentration. Generally feeling horrible. Constantly sick with gastric type illnesses - but don't get colds. Feeling spaced out. | 1000 mg a day did stop outbreaks but as soon as I stopped taking it they were back instantly. I think that feeling happy and normal again and having to cope with the outbreaks of lesions, is preferable to the horror of living a substandard life brought about by the side-effects of Valtrex. | F | 43 | 5 years | 9/6/2008 | 1 | hsv type 2 on genitals | Since starting taking valtex ive had liver pain, kidney pain, headaches, dizzyness, elevated liver enzymes and currently waiting on kidney tests to come back. This stuff is a night mare. It works well at first with little to no side effects but now it seems I have all the side effects and then some. Dont even get me started on the massive hair loss from this stuff. | M | 26 | 5 years 1 gram dai | 4/12/2013 | 5 | herpes | none. | This has almost completely supressed my outbreaks (500mg per day). Times of extreme stress have caused very mild outbreaks but this is very rare. I have also used lysine and aclovyir but neither were as effective as Valtrex. Yes it is expensive but it works. Most of the side effects people describe here are more likely attributed to other conditions so take what you read with a grain of salt. | F | 34 | 4 years | 5/31/2007 | 4 | Herpes II | When I first started taking Valtrex over 4 years ago, I experienced bad headaches for about a week. After that I've been relatively side-effect free (I had some irregular periods when I upped the dosage to 1000mg, so I went back to 500mg). However, recently, I've begun to experience some hair loss; my hair has been breaking and coming out at the roots quite a bit since last summer. It could be age but I do think it's due to the Valtrex. | I too have been worried about the long term effects of Valtrex and have attempted to wean myself off. I went cold turkey several times and had outbreaks within 2-3 days of stopping the drug. However, for the past 6-7 months I've been taking one 500mg pill every other day, skipping weekends completely, and have remained relatively outbreak-free (one outbreak when I went four days). I plan to try decrease the frequency to every two days to see if my body can handle that. | F | 39 | 4 years 500 mg 1X D | 3/24/2010 | 4 | Genital Herpes - 2 | After reading other's comments, it's dawned on me why I started getting floaters - they are extremely annoying ! I get dry skin on my face which means moisturising every day. Headaches are a constant re-occurance, which means I take more pain killers as a result. I do have a slight tremor, not sure if this is related or not. | I have been on Valtrex for a number of years and have found it to be quite successful in supressing genital outbreaks. However I am concerned at the lack of information in regards to long term use. Unfortunately I am unable to come off the drug because my outbreaks are so agressive, even tried taking the dosage down only to have another outbreak. | F | 26 | 4 years | 9/13/2008 | 4 | Herpes | Abdominal Pain, I get dizzy sometimes (vertigo) and feel fatigued often. However, I tend to feel the vertigo when im getting an outbreak. could be related to the valtrex, but im not sure. | I can definately say that taking 1Gram a day has greatly reduced my outbreaks, and my insurance company acts like its made of gold and for some reason I always end up running out. VERY annoying because I know that compromises my protection. I am pleased with this medication. I am fatigued alot more lately, but I think I just need more sleep | F | 37 | 4 years | 9/17/2008 | 4 | Herpes | Aggression, at times it would make me get angry at the smallest thing. | I havent had any stomach or headache type side effects, and the medicine really does work for me. I will not have a break out when I take it daily. | M | 30 | 4 years | 1/9/2009 | 3 | H1 & 2 | None that | My red blood cells are enlarged and my white count is WAY out of whack; 2 doctors think Valtrex is responsible for this and joint pain and finger numbness. Still get outbreaks w/Valtrex, just not as severe, but both docs want me to stop taking it. | F | 44 | 4 years | 7/14/2005 | 2 | genital herpes | I get an outbreak THE DAY I don't take Valtrex | I was diagnosed with GH aout 4 years ago and started taking 2 valtrex a day for the outbreak, that worked well. About 1 year ago my outbreaks became more frequent and I decide to go on 1 a day for suppression, now I if I miss 1 day of suppression, BOOM I get an outbreak, or I feel one coming on!! I think my body has become so dependent on the valtrex that if 1 day it doesn't get it it instantly begins an outbreak. It's a horrible feeling to think you are completely dependent on a medication for life, but I truely believe this is what the drug companies want, they don't want to cure anything cause that would mean less $ for them, they want to make us addicted to medication. I am VERY SORRY that I decided to go on 1 a day, I am actually thinking of trying to go cold turkey and not take it for a while to see if my body can recover on it's own and build up again a resistance to the herpes. So my recommendation is if you don't absolutely have to go on 1 a day suppression, don't. I am | F | 35 | 4 years | 1/20/2007 | 5 | To prevent outbreaks | headaches initially, which disappeared | I had only infrequent outbreaks but began taking Valtrex daily to be sure of suppressing the virus. Have had no outbreaks while on Valtrex. Would like to know if there are any studies out there regarding whether the virus is contagious during daily suppression therapy. I would love to ditch the condoms! | 3.5 years | 12/15/2008 |