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Valtrex: what should I expect?

Messages
38
I started 1.5 months on Valtrex (l gram x 3 day) and L-Lysine (same). In addition Vit B complex, AHCC, Alpha CRS, Maitak DMG, Baicalin, tumeric, cats claw, licorice root, immuno DMG (Beta Glucan), CBD. I eat clean, non-gmo mostly fruit smoothies laced with tumeric, ginger, thyme and cilantro.

I'm having good days and bad. Still more bad than good though. I can now feel this "thing" cycle daily as well as every 3-4 days I'll get slammed.

I was originally diagnosed with Parkinson's. I am now having almost no tremor (Off all PD meds, yay!) Anti-inflammatories really help too, especially for the neurological aspect.

So, I can say that I have improvement but a long ways to go. My Doc says somewhere close to a year for his patients. He's treated over 2000 with a 70% success rate.


Have you tried a low carb diet? This is a tough lifestyle change and the first 4 days of transition are hell but the benefits are enormous if you can make it into keto. I did it initially to lose weight but because of the benefits to mood, energy and overall greatness I felt I stuck with it for a long time. I never feel better than when doing keto. If your interested read atkins. technically i did it a more healthy way with healthy fats such as olive oil and such but it is definitely worth trying. Cutting out fruit and sugar makes me feel so good.
 
Messages
38
for CMV did you do IgG and IgM? PCR also?

Sorry a little new to all the terms and I can post a snapshot of my tests. they say Ab IgG ... i can attach a snippet
 

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Messages
11
I am already low carb, no sugar, no refined/processed foods. I don't know if I get into keto or not.

Sorin - Chronic EBV/fibromyalgia. My Doc treated himself and spouse 25-30 years ago with anti-virals when the "yuppy flu" was going around. He admittedly said he relapses from time to time and sometimes preemptively takes Valtrex when he had stressful events in his life. He's now 74 years old.
 
Messages
38
I am already low carb, no sugar, no refined/processed foods. I don't know if I get into keto or not.

Sorin - Chronic EBV/fibromyalgia. My Doc treated himself and spouse 25-30 years ago with anti-virals when the "yuppy flu" was going around. He admittedly said he relapses from time to time and sometimes preemptively takes Valtrex when he had stressful events in his life. He's now 74 years old.

I mentioned the low carb because you mentioned fruit smoothies. Low carb would be under at least 40g of net carbs and to get into full blown ketosis you need less than 20g of net carbs which is tough. One smoothly could be 50g+ of net carbs. Its not for everyone but something worth trying for a few weeks if you never have. you feel sick the first few days on true low carb but then get an explosion of energy and well being. It does require constantly calculating carb counts throughout the day.
 
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11
Thanks corn. I do recall reading that now about ketosis now that you jogged my memory. I am taking a Medical Medium (Anthony William) approach to things who says fruit is good.
 

Thinktank

Senior Member
Messages
1,640
Location
Europe
@alice111 , how's it going? Have you started taking valtrex yet?
I just took 250mg to test it out. If no reaction i'm going to up the dose each day.
 

alice111

Senior Member
Messages
397
Location
Canada
@Thinktank hey!! Yes I did :) so what I've been doing is increasing by 1/4 tabs every four days, right now I'm at 1/4 tab 3x day... and knock on wood lol but so far NO Bad reactions, which for me is a bloody miracle hah!

How bout you??
 

Thinktank

Senior Member
Messages
1,640
Location
Europe
I took half a tab today and no reaction so far!
Quite a few people report agitation, restlesness and depression as side effect. I don't want to experience any of that before my long 12-hour flight back home next week, so i'm gonna hold it off until then.
 
Messages
1
I've just started taking Valtrex 500 mg 2x a day again maybe for two weeks or so now, and I FEEL SO MUCH WORSE. I can't really explain the side effects, but fever-ish, even more dizzy and brain fog. Sometimes I'll skip a day or two because I really can't stand to feel this way while at work. Or take just 500 mg/1 a day. Should I be starting even lower?

I had tried this same regimen last year as prescribed by a NYC CFS specialist but felt the same gross symptoms so I stopped it. Even at lower dosage.
Now, I'm seeing a different LI-based CFS specialist (insurance reasons, will probably go back to the first when my new plan kicks in) and he's prescribed the same thing. I warned him about how awful I felt the first round, but he couldn't offer me any suggestions except that maybe it's "dying off." He's also put me on probiotics and whatnot, but they seem to be messing with me gastrointestinal-wise. I'm not too happy with him for several reasons.

I still have high old EBV titers and HHV-6 (from toddler age), probably the same levels as previous year, but nothing that suggests a current infection although I've been feeling at my worst again for the past few months. Also have tested for levels of parvovirus.
 
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Messages
38
I took half a tab today and no reaction so far!
Quite a few people report agitation, restlesness and depression as side effect. I don't want to experience any of that before my long 12-hour flight back home next week, so i'm gonna hold it off until then.

You shouldn't be breaking these in half ... I forgot why but I remember reading it is not good. I think it is also dangerous if you get any powder or residue in your eyes. (Which makes me wonder what this is doing internally). My script also has a big warning on the side about breaking in half.
 
Messages
38
I've just started taking Valtrex 500 mg 2x a day again maybe for two weeks or so now, and I FEEL SO MUCH WORSE. I can't really explain the side effects, but fever-ish, even more dizzy and brain fog. Sometimes I'll skip a day or two because I really can't stand to feel this way while at work. Or take just 500 mg/1 a day. Should I be starting even lower?

I had tried this same regimen last year as prescribed by a NYC CFS specialist but felt the same gross symptoms so I stopped it. Even at lower dosage.
Now, I'm seeing a different LI-based CFS specialist (insurance reasons, will probably go back to the first when my new plan kicks in) and he's prescribed the same thing. I warned him about how awful I felt the first round, but he couldn't offer me any suggestions except that maybe it's "dying off." He's also put me on probiotics and whatnot, but they seem to be messing with me gastrointestinal-wise. I'm not too happy with him for several reasons.

I still have high old EBV titers and HHV-6 (from toddler age), probably the same levels as previous year, but nothing that suggests a current infection although I've been feeling at my worst again for the past few months. Also have tested for levels of parvovirus.

Antivirals can make you feel pretty rough until you get used to it. I started taking truvada 10 months ago and felt sick for a week ... gas, diharea, fatigue. This went away. then valtrex 3 months ago which gave me horrid gas again and nausea for a few weeks but again went away ... adding the Valcyte a month later just made my stomach ache. I do have moodiness on valtrex ... adding in valcyte destroyed my libido. I take 4 pills most days staggered about 4 hours apart. I also pee a lot but my body adjusted after time. Stick with 1 a day for a week and then up to 2. It's possible you are having other reactions so your liver and kidney function should be checked regularly. Some days I just take 1 valcyte as this drug worries me because of it's unknown side effects.
 

alice111

Senior Member
Messages
397
Location
Canada
This might be the biggest regret of my life posting this.. since the universe has a sick tendency to take away anything I say out loud... Bbbuuuuuut so far I'm up to

1/2 tab morning
1/4 tab afternoon
1/4 tab bedtime

And this is weird guys... I feel good. Like good good. I don't think have felt this well in.. I can't even remember.. I just wanted to update! Hopefully I have not jinxed myself.. :nervous:
 
Messages
38
This might be the biggest regret of my life posting this.. since the universe has a sick tendency to take away anything I say out loud... Bbbuuuuuut so far I'm up to

1/2 tab morning
1/4 tab afternoon
1/4 tab bedtime

And this is weird guys... I feel good. Like good good. I don't think have felt this well in.. I can't even remember.. I just wanted to update! Hopefully I have not jinxed myself.. :nervous:



That's great ...I do notice I have some small setbacks from time to time where I felt it stopped working ... I.e. I went down hill a little last week but that seems to have reversed itself. I hear it's pretty common.
 

alice111

Senior Member
Messages
397
Location
Canada
@Thinktank so far zero side effects. Literally, not a one. I think possibly because I've been increasing so slowly?

Improvements (keep in mind I am still being VERY strict about my pacing, at this point I might actually be able to do more, but I'm really holding back)

-energy
-not crashing, I've done a few things now that would for sure have crashed me, but no crash has come!
-no flu like symptoms, this one is the biggest, I can't remember the last time I'd didn't feel like ass.. just you know the achy, flu y goodness that comes with m.e., but it's like all of a sudden it's gone!!!

I should also note I am taking something else the doc gave me called KI that's an immune support, I had a bad reaction to it at higher dose but seem to have found my sweet spot at a 1/2 tab 2x day - I think I have to stick at this dose because of th1 th2 balance. Just wanted to mention that!
 
Messages
38
Interesting ... KI has a these ingredients
Each tablet contains herbal extracts equivalent to the dried herbs:
Astragalus membranaceus root 5g (Astragalus)
Lentinula edodes mushroom 3g (Shiitake Mushroom)
Olea europaea leaf 2g (Olive tree leaf)

Olive leaf could cause a herx reaction
 

alice111

Senior Member
Messages
397
Location
Canada
Just thought I'd give a little update! I'm now on 1/2 tab 3 times a day so far so good.

The only thing is I feel like I have had a bit more anxiety than usual.. but this does fluctuate randomly anyway.. so I'm not sure if I can blame the valtrex.

Has anyone else experience increased anxiety with valtrex?

@Thinktank have u started yet?
 
Messages
38
Anxiety is common ... for some reason it seems to effect women more than men from what I read but I don't think there is any scientific proof to that. I wonder if it somehow effects hormones. I find myself a little short and quicker to temper on it but no anxiety.