Drug Ratings for VALTREXAverage Rating: 3.4 (468 Ratings)
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Results are sorted by length of time drug was taken from shortest to longest (with no time reported listed first) 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 | HSV-1 | none | i try to take it daily but, its hard to remember too living such an active life like i do. since i was diagnosed last april i havent had any more breakouts..im satisfied so far but, i havent been takin it for long. | F | 19 | 1 years | 2/25/2008 | 4 | HSV II | nausea and diarrhea | This is the third time I have tried Valtrex. I went on it for about two months when I was first diagnosed, but stopped because I was having GI side-effects. During the time I was on it I had one outbreak. I tried again a year later, and went off after a week because of the same side effects. I tried taking famcyclovir for about a year, but was still having 8-10 outbreaks a year. I went on valtrex for the third time about 1 year ago, and this time have not experienced noticeable side effects. I had two minor outbreaks in the first few months of taking the drug, but now have not had an outbreak in 9 months! This is by far the longest I have been outbreak-free since I contracted herpes 5 years ago. | F | 27 | 1 years | 3/25/2009 | 3 | H1 | This medicine should not be used if you want to actually function. Severe headaches, Stomach pain, right hand numbness, joint pain and sleepy all of the time. | F | 28 | 1 years | 2/10/2009 | 3 | Genital Herpes | None that have really stood out, perhaps some stomach discomfort at first. I take it before bed so perhaps that has helped. However, after reading these posts, I am wondering if itching on stomach and top of legs that accompanies each outbreak is related to Valtrex or herpes. | Have had GH for 20 years but with such infrequent outbreaks that it wasn't even diagnosed until a year ago. Now I get so many outbreaks that they overlap. I think it's due to stress. Valtrex has not cut down on the number of outbreaks, only the severity. I no longer get shooting pains down legs and only get a bad lesion every four months or so. I take 1 gram per day as suppression therapy. Am considering stopping just to see what would happen as the number of outbreaks continues to be high, and would love to get rid of the itching! I started taking 1500 gm Lysine per day, plus vitamin C, E and D, and Lysine in particular has helped with number of outbreaks. I wonder if it would help with severity as well. I actually get a one or two day break in between!! | F | 45 | 1 years | 8/14/2008 | 3 | genital herpes | Severe joint (hip&knee) pain, back pain, vision blurriness, headaches and muscle stiffness. | I started taking valtrex 1 year ago 1/day. I take it at night so I don't notice the sleepiness. I thought all was well but in the last 9 months, I've been chronically injured. My muscles hurt all the time, I've been in physical therapy for over 3 months and they can't figure out why I'm always injure or in pain. Plus I've been to my eye doctor a couple of times because my vision has been blurry and we've been trying different types of lenses. PT recently asked me about my meds, but I didn't mention the valtrex. After reading these posts I'm starting to think it is the valtrex. I found some relief in the number of outbreaks, but not noticeably better than before. Especially not worth it if it is causing these other problems. | F | 38 | 1 years | 3/7/2008 | 3 | HSV-2 | Fatigue, irritable, neck pain | I started taking Valtrex when I was diagnosed with HSV-2. Before I began supressive therapy, I had about 10 outbreaks a year(for 1 year), right before I would start my period. I could always feel when I was about to have an outbreak, my thigh, buttocks, or pubic area would become very sensitive and even painful. My outbreaks would typically last 5-8 days and were usually quite painful. Since starting treatment 1 year ago, although I have not remained outbreak free, I have had only 5 outbreaks which last no more than 3 days and usually are not too painful or bothersome. I also do not have the sensitivity and pain that I used to feel before an outbreak would occur.I am thinking of asking my HCP to increase my intake to 1 gram daily to see if it may eliminate outbreaks all together. For me, the side effects I experience from Valtrex do not outweigh the symptoms I experience from HSV-2 and will continue to take this medication. | M | 28 | 1 years 500mg 1X D | 7/19/2010 | 2 | HSV II | none | i've had herpes for 5 years now, and my outbreaks have only gotten worse with time. Famvir always worked better for me, Valtrex works only some for me. But with both, I noticed they worked far better in the beginning. Overtime my obs have gotten more severe and more frequent with time, and respond less to the medicine. If I miss a dose, I feel nerve pain starting, then i take a pill and it goes away. I too have wondered it if the pills have created a cycle with the herpes, and I find it interesting that many people on this web site are saying the same things as me. | F | 31 | 1 years | 10/14/2007 | 2 | herpes 2 | tired, achness, anxiety, fatigue, feeling out of it. inability to focus. unable to stop taking it without experiencing and outbreak. the drug made my body dependent on it. | Contracted herpes 1 in 1996. maybe three outbreaks from then until 2008. Then in Oct 2008, i took it daily as my doctor recommended it to prevent transmission. However, I had unprotected sex on and off with three different partners for 10 years and did not give them anything.Starting taking it daily oct 08, and now I cant get off it without getting an outbreak and right before my period, i feel iching in my anus and the start of an ob, some small sores. the drug company is a minpulative greed and cruel org. go natural l-lysine, vitamin b, c, e and hair skins nails vitamins do fine. dont start it. let your body fight it off. | F | 35 | 1 years | 8/22/2009 | 1 | Genital Herpes | headache, mood changes, deppression, appetite changes, joint pain, racing heart beat, loss of concentration, hallucinations. | I have had herpes a year and have been taking vatrex for just as long. i still have had outbreaks and it has only caused me more problems. My headaches are very severe. Valtrex affects my concentration so much its hard for me to work. i hate it. | F | 17 | 1 years | 5/4/2009 | 5 | HHV6, EBV, CMV, HSV | None. | First 8 months all viral IgM titers dropped to normal range with the exception of HSV. 7 months later, all IgG titers returned to normal with exception of HSV and CMV. Has worked amazingly well surprisingly well on HHV6 and EBV. Highly recommend. | F | 44 | 1.5 years | 2/9/2008 | 5 | genital herpes | Absolutely none | I have had genital herpes for about 30 years and always came down with a breakout whenever I used to travel and other stressful times. I tried St. Johns wort for about a year on advice from my naturopath but it did not help in any way. About a year ago I decided to try Valtrex which my regular doctor had prescribed earlier but I had initially resisted. It is fantastic. I only take it 3 x a day for 3 days as soon as I feel an outbreak coming on. It stops it right in its track every time. I also actually took a trip this winter and did not have any outbreak, a welcome change to my travel adventures. I would recommend it in the dosage I take but would not want to have to use it daily or weekly as a suppression. It has made my life much better, especially the lack of frequent pain and discomfort in the panty zone. I used to have about an outbreak a month but that has also lessened, but then my stressload in life has also improved which i am sure contributed to my outbreaks. | F | 51 | 1.5 years | 4/21/2008 | 5 | HHV-6, chronic fatigue syndrome | I have to wash off the blue coating because I react to dyes (and GSK will no longer sell the drug to compounding pharmacies). Mild constipation upon initially starting it which resolved on its own. | My HHV-6 IgG levels have not dropped, but my fatigue did improve enough to get me out of bed most days. This is one of the best things I've done with fighting chronic fatigue syndrome to improve my health. I also experience shingles in my neck while already on Valtrex, and I am positive that it helped keep the rash to a minimum. | F | 33 | 1.5 years | 6/17/2007 | 5 | Genital Herpes | None | Have genital Herpes with minor outbreaks a few times a year before Valtrex: small blisters, but no pain or discomfort lasting about a week with a couple weeks to heal. After first year on Valtrex, outbreaks are nearly non-existent with very faint marks lasting about a day with several months between outbreaks. The drug definitely helps. | M | 46 | 1.5 years | 11/2/2006 | 5 | Genital Herpes | Fatigue, muscle pain in lower back and thighs, eye muscle pain | I was diagnosed with GH after I went to the doctor for flu-like symptoms. I thought I had a coincidental yeast infection. She confirmed I had GH (dishonest boyfriend.) I went on Valtrex (1 gram) 1x/day. She said after 6 months, try to stop taking it and see if I have another outbreak. Had an outbreak wihtin days and felt like I had the flu. Went back on it and figured I would try again in another 6 months. Never had an outbreak while on it. Don't feel any of the side effects anyone on here is talking about. In fact, I had no problem losing weight when I went on the Atkins diet around the same time I started taking the medication. I was a few days behind in refilling my meds, and within 2 days of not taking it, I felt flu-like again. Filled the meds and immediately started up. Again, everything was good again. Just recently my prescription lapsed. WHile waiting for doctor to refill and call in to pharmacy, three days passed. Immediately I had a fever, pain in my lower back and thighs. My eyes even hurt to move them. I had a low-grade fever and was fatigued. Went back on the medicine. Within three days, almost all the sypmtoms disappeared. So I guess it is working so well at supressing all viral problems. IDK, but totally opposite of what so many of you said. | F | 34 | 1.5 years 1 g 1X D | 3/1/2011 | 3 | vaginal herpes | Since I've started taking it a little over a year ago, Ive noticed the following symptoms that I never had before. Facial acne outbreaks(worse then when I was a teenager), Slight hair loss and breakage, Numbness in hands, legs, feet. Also body odor and vaginal odor. And lastly muscle pain in my back, shoulder, and neck area. I never had these symptoms in my first 26 years of life so Im guessing its valtrex. | For the most part it prevents outbreaks, although I still get slightly irritated sometimes. | F | 28 | 1.5 years | 1/30/2007 | 2 | GH | Dehydration, dizziness, hallucenations, prickly, tingling pain, itchy crawling skin, exhaustion, extreme vision changes, bloody bruising on skin, hair loss and have some speech problems that I believe are related. | About 15 months ago I contracted GH from my "monogomous" partner of 4 years. Had a very extreme herpes outbreak that freaked me out so badly I started taking valtrex immediately. No outbreaks since but have had severe side effects. I'm so afraid to go off the drug because I don't want another outbreak. My biggest fear is going off the meds and having more extreme outbreaks. However, I really need to get off these meds because they are ruining my life. I feel like herpes was going to ruin my life too so I really don't know what to do. I have reduced my own doses taking 250mg every 2 days, still having all the side effects but no outbreaks. Think I'm going to reduce the dosage even more to see what happens. | F | 51 | 1.5 years 500 1X D | 4/11/2010 | 5 | Herpes | I have had no noticeable side effects from this drug. | This is a great drug. It works so fast. | F | 23 | 2 years | 4/2/2007 | 5 | Nether region HSV1 | No side affects. | Outbreaks are much shorter duration when taken at first signs. | M | 39 | 2 years | 9/13/2004 | 5 | duh | None | Have not had one outbreak since taking it. I have the 500mg pills. I only take half a pill a day. Better have insurance! | M | 49 | 2 years | 8/24/2007 | 5 | genital herpes | no side effects | I have taken it daily for two years and only have outbreaks when I have not been able to take it for two or three days. I am afraid of long term effects and will change to only taking it when I get an outbreak. I am afraid after reading these other postings that I will find out my immune system has become reliant on the drug. | F | 46 | 2 years | 5/14/2007 | 5 | yes | constipation.. im trying to find out if it has caused me to have high cholesterol | as a young single girl it has a real shock when i got genital herpes.. at first i just treated the symptoms but then i go out breaks so i went on daily doasges.. it was a life saver in terms of getting rod of the out breaks but afer a year and a half realised it was causing me to be severely constipated so much that i couldnt have sex for the pain. it got so bad that my supportive boyfriend told me to go off the meds.. i havent had an out break since but i will take it twice a day if i do get symptoms... | F | 22 | 2 years | 5/3/2008 | 4 | hsv | Currently I take 1 gm daily for suppressive. I upped the dosage about 6 months ago from 500 mg daily. I'm very paranoid about an outbreak and also take lysine daily. Recently I ordered somehting on-line called Herpaflor which has Lysine and some other herbal supplements in it. I'm hoping it is ok to use both. I do feel like my stomach gets upset and have occassional headaches. I also have a lysine lip balm because there is a spot on my upper lip that could turn into an OB. To me anything is better than an OB. I am a bit nervous now because I noticed my fingernails seem to have horizontal ridges on them and I just had blood work done. My dr. said I seem to have low potassium. Does anyone if any of these medications affect potassium. Also does anyone seem to feel like their glands under arms sometimes throb. I also seem to notice that the bottom of my back and top of my next seem sore. I'm wondering if that is HSV related or medication related. Thoughts anyone? | F | 37 | 2 years | 4/3/2009 | 4 | cold sores | Bloating, fatigue, but also have noticed that I don't tend to get colds very often, or if I do, they don't last very long (is there a cure for the common cold in this drug?!!) | I have been taking a daily 500mg preventative dose for about two years now and it really works well, but I want to wean off it since I am concerned about unknown effects over time. I've noticed that if I miss a dose, I get an outbreak almost immediately - I don't like the feeling of having become dependent. I'm cutting down to 250mg then plan to move to Lemon Balm and other natural options. | F | 48 | 2 years | 5/27/2008 | 4 | herpes | Heachaches, back pain, dry mouth, spaced out, the odd rash. Overal pretty minor for each side effect though.I’ve taken Acyclovir 750mg p/day then 500mg p/day of Valtrex for the past 2 years. I worked myself down from 1000mg and have been fortunate with zero breakouts. I need advice from anyone whos hade EXTREME herpe cases! Please read on. | These side effects are NOTHING compared to what a breakout involves though!Ive had herpes for over 2.5 years now and its been a total nightmare! I would have a text book ob for 5 days always taking valtrex 2 days before any signs appeared. After the ob the entire area/skin where the blisters were would begin to discolor and dissolve away leaving exposed flesh and nerves...VERY PAINFUL! I had 5 of these extreme break outs and would get to see a doctor after the blisters were gone and i was left with lesions the size of a loonie. It had 17 doctors and specialists scratching their heads, all saying that it couldn’t be herpes, but no explanation. Strangely enough, the ONLY medication that would cure this stage was high dosage of prednisone for 5 days. It would take 2 weeks to scab then 3 weeks to fully heal and be back to normal. id get a week or 2 of relief and it would begin again! To this day i still don’t know what the problem is but i do know that it hasn’t happened | M | 26 | 2 years | 11/19/2008 | 4 | Genital Herpes | fatigue | Valtrex works great. I take it every day for suppressive therapy. I have VERY mild outbreaks (just tingling and maybe itching) about every other month. I'm usually extremely energetic, but since I've been on Valtrex, my energy level has declined. I still work out every day, but sometimes it takes a lot of effort. Sometimes I take it in the morning and sometimes at night. This drug is very expensive, but you gotta do what you gotta do. It's worth it. | F | 28 | 2 years | 10/1/2006 | 4 | Cold sores | with prolonged, daily use - acne on face, back and body | I've had cold sores since I was a little girl. This worked just as well as acyclovir but is easy to take | F | 27 | 2 years | 9/12/2006 | 4 | hpsv2 | Alopecia | I suffered from alopecia after 2 yrs of being on the 1000mg daily dosage. I am not trying out famvir. Was out break free though. | M | 28 | 2 years | 8/31/2006 | 4 | Daily suppression of Herpes Type II | Initially, I noticed some minor rashes around my neck, but this went away after taking it for a few months. It does seem as though when I stop taking the drug that I get an outbreak. However, I did have pretty frequent outbreaks before taking the drug (as in at least a minor episode once a month). | One little thing I would like to say first: I noticed that some people report tingling, itching, or soreness around the genital area as side effects, but these are symptoms of herpes. I used to have these symptoms before I ever even started taking valtrex. The soreness I think is from glandular swelling. I am now taking the generic version of Valtrex, which appears to be just as effective. I occasionally do have minor herpes-related symptoms. One thing that I know induces my symptoms even with the Valtrex/generic is drinking coffee and sodas. I went through a very busy couple of months and was drinking too much of both; I cut them out, and I haven't had any problems since. I have also taken Lysine with Valtrex, but I'm not sure if it really made a difference. I would like to get off of the drug at some point; I will be consulting a homeopathic doctor to discuss other natural options. | F | 27 | 2 years 500 MG/Day 1X D | 2/17/2010 | 4 | HSV2 | VERY VERY TIRED. BLOATED. GASSY. BAD HEADACHES. | WHILE TAKING IT I NEVER HAVE AN OUTBREAK. IT HAS LESSENED MY OUTBREAKS IF I DO HAVE ONE BECAUSE I FORGOT TO TAKE MY MEDICINE. I'VE BEEN SEXUALLY ACTIVE WITH MY PARTNER FOR 6 MONTHS AND HE HAS NOT CONTRACTED IT, SO I'M THANKFUL THAT EVEN THOUGH THERE ISN'T A CURE THERE IS AT LEAST A PILL I CAN SWALLOW DAILY THAT MAKES IT STAY DORMANT. ONE DAY WE CAN ONLY HOPE THEY FIND A CURE. IT IS ALWAYS ON MY MIND THOUGH. I CONTRACTED IT THROUGH A DISHONEST BOYFRIEND. IT DEFINITELY CAN MESS WITH YOUR MIND AND MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE LESS OF A PERSON....BUT I KNOW I'M NOT ALONE IN THIS WORLD. | F | 28 | 2 years 1GM 1X D | 5/29/2010 | 3 | HSV1 on genitals | Short term memory loss. Just 2 years ago, I would not have to write anything down. After taking Valtrex for the better part of 2 years, I am losing my memory. I am also experiencing joint pain and weakness, especially in my elbows and forearms. I had an ongoing rash on my lower legs that itched very bad. All of the symptoms, except my memory, are getting better. The rash is gone, but the arms are still a little weak and sore. | M | 39 | 2 years | 3/17/2006 | 3 | Cold Sores, HSV 1&2 | None in the first couple months of use, then noticed sensitiivty to light and sun, tiredness, blurred vision, lethargy. | Initially I thought this medicine was a god-send. It ended the horrible cold sores on my lip. But after taking the pills daily for suppression, I noticed many changes in my body. First I became sensitive to the sun. No longer could I workout in the sun in short sleeves or tanks. My skin began to break out in blotches. I had to wear long clothes in the summer. Then came the lethargy and memory loss. Blurred vision. Frequent colds and flu-like symptoms that I never had before. I developed all types of allergies in the summer. Lastly, the blisters, bumps on my legs, arms, neck and back. More rash-like than anything. But it kept me from wearing short skirts and showing my arms. Now I am going to stop the medicine and go to the alternative route. This skin irrtation has been very hard on my already sensitive skin. I really wish there was more testing done on the medicine. It went from being a great thing to my worst enemy. I'll see what results going cold-turkey does for me. | F | 36 | 2 years | 3/1/2007 | 3 | Herpes Simplex 1 (lip) | Bad headaches, fatigue, mild nausea, foggy head, sort of feverish | I take 2000mg when I feel an outbreak coming on and 2000mg 12 hours later. (Dr.'s orders) Outbreaks are so quick the drug doesn't seem to be able to counteract them. Now I usually take the drug when I believe I may be at risk for an outbreak. (sick, fatigued or stressed) 2000 mg Lysine and 2000mg Vitamin C per day have reduced the frequency of the outbreaks significantly. Only recently realized the drug itself is making me feel like crap. Going to try more Lysine + Vit. C and skip the Valtrex altogether. | M | 44 | 2 years | 3/28/2008 | 1 | Herpes | I developed hives 8 months ago. They would come and go and it was very uncomfortable, sometimes even miserable. Over the months it got more severe. Then in December I developed blistering and rashes all over my body in addition to the hives. I have so much itching and discomfort at this point, it's interfering with my life. I've been to the dermatologist multiple times and had biopsies. Results are nonspecific, inflammation possibly due to contact dermatitis or a reaction to a medication. I've done so much detective work and experimenting trying to find out what's causing this. I think I have pinpointed it to Valtrex. I took Valtrex occasionally when I'd have an ob. Each time I would take it I believe my skin condition got worse. I have not taken it for a month now and am still suffering with severe dermatitis. | Have taken Valtrex off and on for about two years | F | 48 | 2 years | 1/29/2009 | 5 | mouth herpes outbreaks | none | I love it! Take one 1gr pill/day with no outbreaks in 2.5 years. I had two SEVERE outbreaks in a 6 month period with numerous sores thru out entire mouth. | M | 48 | 2.5 years | 11/27/2005 | 4 | to prevent outbreak of genital herp | side effects are hard to define - I am not sure whether it is the regular use of the drug or the herpes virus. frequently I find red swollen spots on my hands and feet this is how the virus reveals itself to me in the early stages. my feet often get so sore I can't walk. I also experience headaches and tiredness - again not sure if this is the drug or the illness | If I take valtrex during these outbreaks the symptoms will generally disappear - however the time it takes to be relieved varies. I have not had herpes lesions since taking valtrex | F | 37 | 2.5 years | 10/21/2005 | 5 | Herpes II | Constipation seems to be the only side effect I can directly connect. Stool becomes dark, small rounded pieces. Keeping an eye on the BUN levels to make sure the kidney is able to handle the long term flushing of this chemical. Does anyone know of a long term follow-on study? I'd like to get in one so they know what to expect for those having to take this in the future. | Life changing drug. I am so thankful that my wife has an insurance plan to cover the cost. | M | 48 | 3 years | 7/9/2005 | 5 | herpes | some sleepiness and a little lightheadedness, but i'm pretty sensitive to medications in general | i highly recommend valtrex...it works quickly and effectively. | M | 26 | 3 years | 11/16/2003 | 5 | Herpes | None | Take it daily - no flareups experienced in years! | F | 27 | 3 years | 7/9/2004 | 5 | Systemic EBV; HHV6; HSV | None and I consider myself extremely sensitive to any medication | Awesome, amazing drug. No side effects, there is no "herxheimer" effect, where people get this, I don't know. Herxing occurs with spirochete bacterias, Lyme, Syphyllis, Sarcodosis, etc. Has lowered viral blood testing titers significantly. | F | 46 | 3 years 500mg 2X D | 2/18/2010 | 5 | Genital Herpes | Fatigue, nightmares, gas | F | 55 | 3 years | 1/26/2009 | 5 | GH | Ocassional mild head ache. No additional side effects | I was diagnosed with GH four years ago and took Valtrex 500mg twice daily for 5 days during the outbreak. I would have a break out about every three months. I started taking 500mg daily a year ago and haven't had an outbreak since. I would highly recommend this drug | M | 38 | 3 years | 4/26/2008 | 4 | genital herpes | nausea, headache, diarrhea, confusion, hot and cold sweats | at first this was my miracle fix because there were no side effects but lately its making me so sick I cannot take it anymore. I take it at night and that always worked fine but now I wake up very very nauseated with diarrhea, chills and hot seats. Sometimes I have a headache. It usually lasts from 9am to 1pm and its too much for me to handle. Often during the day I feel disoriented or confused as well. I thought that if I drank alot of water then I could take it but Im still sick. | F | 29 | 3 years 500 MG 1X D | 2/12/2011 | 4 | Herpes | I have had no noticeable side effects from this drug. | F | 30 | 3 years | 7/8/2002 | 3 | HSV 1 | Knee, ankle and foot pain, severe headaches (like tension migraine headaches), and one I'm noticing more is a feeling of not being able to focus or get out my responses as fast a I would want to other people, like I lose my sense of concentration. | I only take it when I feel the onset of an outbreak coming on. It def. stops the outbreaks if caught on time or makes them go away faster. I just don't take it daily because of the side effects I experience. Anyone in need of some encouragement or would like to talk about this crazy thing called genital herpes that we have acquired can email me. I like to talk. | M | 27 | 3 years 500mg 1X D | 1/10/2011 | 3 | Herpes virus | Possible increase in frequency of migraines, dizziness especially when rising, possible irritability (unsure if the drug is the cause or something else), fatigue | I am unsure if some of the side effects are because of the drug or due to something else. I do know that the crashing fatigue, dizziness, and migraine frequency coincide with my beginning daily valtrex for suppressive therapy. Doctors have assured me that Valtrex has nothing to do with the increase in frequency of migraines, but I remain uncertain... the only test will be to stop the drug and see what happens. The upside is that it has been highly effective in reducing the number of outbreaks. I went from having them so infrequently that I barely remembered I had the disease to having them about once a month after having children. On valtrex, I rarely have outbreaks. I am unsure if the side effects are worth it or not, if that is what they are. My husband thinks they are, but then, he doesn't have to live with them! | F | 34 | 3 years | 4/4/2008 | 3 | Genital Herpes | ?? increased frequency of migraines ?? not sure... | The cost is killing me. Have tried acyclovir but it doesn't do as well for outbreaks. Wondering if anyone has taken acyclovir for daily suppressive dose and Valtrex for outbreaks? Can you "mix" the two? | F | 36 | 3 years | 1/3/2010 | 2 | genital herpes | none other than increased outbreaks if I do not take it daily. | GH for 18 yrs. Initially, ob's were so infrequent(1-2/yr)that I took no meds & endured the ob's.Then a doc urged me to take Acyclovir during ob's to shorten duration. It did shorten duration & discomfort, but outbreaks increased to 5-6/yr. Decided to take daily Valtrex the past 3 yrs to prevent outbreaks so my hsb and I could safely try to conceive. Since then, I now get an outbreak if I don't take the med for 1-2 days. I hate this. The med has made my body more dependent on it. My doc doesn't believe me, but 2+2=4! I see others have said this too. I too have thought that this is the intention of the drug maker. As soon as we give up on conceiving, I will go off Valtrex & try to let my body build back its virus-fighting abilities, maybe try alternative medicine route. But may be stuck on it forever now, padding the pockets of the pharm. co's. | F | 43 | 3 years | 2/12/2009 | 1 | genital herpes | I had no side effects | It simply does not work for me, and I am in no way immune compromised. I took it with what seemed like success for about two years, then in the last year I have had more outbreaks than ever. They could be related to an extremely stressful job, but my doctor said Valtrex should suppress gh anyway. I got myself all freaked out that I could have HIV because that's pretty much the only information available on the net as to why Valtrex wouldn't work. I tested negative for HIV. It just simply does not work for everyone. Not the wonder drug everyone says it is, and I'm annoyed by that. | F | 29 | 3 years | 1/6/2007 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 |