Aciclovier, would you please share your experience ?

[aruschima]

Hi everyone,

I have been prescribed the antiviral, Aciclovir, by Meirleier.
I am not very keen to start any chemicals, because i always react adverse to chemical therapies and have improved at some time with alternative treatments.
I also heard from some, who have been in the Montoya trial, that they got worse, some did not improve and a few got better , but relapsed as soon as they stopped the Antivirals.

If you have been on any Antivirals, especially Aciclovier, would you please share your experience ?

Thanks

 

[leaves]

I used it. With hindsight i think it gave me IRIS. First i got flu like symptoms, then a week in I got shingles on both sides of my spine (that happens only with the severely immunocompromised; normally you get it on one side). I have a history of chronic shingles in my early teens. But this was very weird as acyclovir is supposed to work AGAINST the chickenpox virus. Then I stopped it and the shingles dissapeared. Then I took it again and it didnt do anything anymore.
Hope that helps.

 

[heapsreal]

die off from av's has generally come from valcyte as its quite toxic, the other av's like acyclovir, valtrex and famvir dont tend to have die off reactions and are quite safe long term. Personally i would look into valtrex as it turns into acyclovir in the body and last longer and u get higher blood levels of the drug in your system then when taking acyclovir. acyclovir requires multiple doses throughout the day, where valtrex can be taken twice a day. It will take a few months before u notice any positive effects though.

Can u tell everyone why u are on acyclovir eg ebv virus etc

cheers!!!

 

[aruschima]

Hi everyone,

and thanks for your responses.

I like to hear personal experiences from people who have been taking only Aciclovier . Why ?
The picture looks very different if you have been taking combinations or have been taken immune modulators at the same time.

Overall , what i got now from people here and on other boards:

Valcyte made many worse
Valcyte and other antivirals in combination, made many worse
Antivirals in combination with immune modulators made many worse
Aciclovier alone made many better, especially the cognitive function improved . BUT SEVERAL REPORTED TO GET SHINGLES !

After i was reading up on some drug interactions of Antivirals in general, i am not surprised that many who combined several Antivirals, or took other drugs, "got worse".

I sometimes wonder , do docs actually read such stuff and make informed decisions ?

JUST WANTED TO ADD: BRANDE NAMES FOR Aciclovir, Acycloguanosine, Acyclovir sodium, Alti-Acyclovir, Avirax, Valtrex, Vipral, Virorax, Zovirax
For drug interactions : http://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/acyclovir-index.html?filter=3&generic_only=


VALCYTE = Valganciclovir

What other drugs will affect Valcyte (valganciclovir)?

Drug Interactions ! http://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/valganciclovir,valcyte-index.html?filter=3&generic_only=

 

[alice1]

Dr Klimas has just recommended acyclovir for me.I tried either valtrex or valcyte and my body wasn't to happy with it.
Hopefully my body won't reject this med and even better help a whole lot,but I'd take just a little.

 

[CBS]

die off from av's has generally come from valcyte as its quite toxic, the other av's like acyclovir, valtrex and famvir dont tend to have die off reactions and are quite safe long term. Personally i would look into valtrex as it turns into acyclovir in the body and last longer and u get higher blood levels of the drug in your system then when taking acyclovir. acyclovir requires multiple doses throughout the day, where valtrex can be taken twice a day. It will take a few months before u notice any positive effects though.

Can u tell everyone why u are on acyclovir eg ebv virus etc

cheers!!!

Hi Heapsreal,

One very real consideration is that Valtrex can be much harder on the liver as it must first be broken down before it becomes available to the body as acyclovir. Lots of CFS folks are prone to side effects and need to start at very lose doses. Acyclovir can be obtained in an oral suspension form that is much easier to take in low doses and allows you to increase your dose very slowly.

I probably would have found Valtrex to be a complete bust because of side effects but I have been able to get some important relief with very carefully dosed acyclovir - under Dr. Montoya's supervision.

Arushima,

Here's a link to a thread started by Heapsreal where I talk about the sometimes narrow therapeutic window of acyclovir: http://forums.aboutmecfs.org/showthread.php?4083-AV-s-are-working&highlight=acyclovir

Since my last post on this thread, I have increased my dose very slowly (up by 100mg every 2 weeks).

 

[Timaca]

I am on acyclovir 800 mg once daily. I had a herx like reaction about 10 days into starting it, which included a night of horrific depression. Fortunately, it passed in one night. A year ago the dose was doubled....I did get another herx like reaction. Then about 6 1/2 weeks into taking the double dose, I had a day of sobbing out loud (totally out of character for me), and feeling like stabbing myself with knives was a good idea. My doctor decided to drop the dose back, rather than see if the emotional state would pass.

Best, Timaca

 

[aquariusgirl]

timaca
i thought that the drug needed to be taken every 8 hrs because of the viral replication cycle.
any idea why yr doc is dosing once a day?

 

[alice1]

CBS may I ask how long you've been on Acyclovir, what dose did you start with and what dose you're on now?
Also did Dr Montoya start you low to help your body adjust.
I started today at 800mgs.
aruschima my ebv and hhv-6 titers are very high.

 

[Tia]

I am on acyclovir 800 mg once daily. I had a herx like reaction about 10 days into starting it, which included a night of horrific depression. Fortunately, it passed in one night. A year ago the dose was doubled....I did get another herx like reaction. Then about 6 1/2 weeks into taking the double dose, I had a day of sobbing out loud (totally out of character for me), and feeling like stabbing myself with knives was a good idea. My doctor decided to drop the dose back, rather than see if the emotional state would pass.

Best, Timaca

Interesting because this prooves that our depressions IS linked to the ME or it wouldn't pass like that.

 

[aquariusgirl]

Did anyone get a flare up of gallbladder symptoms on valtrex?
I'm getting morning nausea.
V. unpleasant.

 

[alice1]

I get nausea with acyclovir but I drink ginger tea and it helps.
Hope you feel better soon aquariusgirl!

 

[Timaca]

aquariusgirl~ I don't know why my doctor is giving me a once a day dosing of acyclovir. He is a well respected doctor, so I trust what he is doing.

Tia~ My transient depression was linked to the medication, not to the pathogens. However, I do know someone who had sudden onset anxiety, panic attacks and depression, all related to the pathogens.

Best, Timaca

 

[Ninni]

I got Acyclovir (Zovirax) intravenously two years ago. It was administered 3 times per day during two weeks. The side effects were quite bad, got weaker, sicker and more dizzy than before and a burning in my veins all over body. It didnt help my M.E symptoms. I dont have experience in taking it in tablet form and for longer periods though.