ChookityPop
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Or the other way around
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Anyone had better result with valtrex vs zovirax?
- Thread starter ChookityPop
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Pyrrhus
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Valacyclovir (Valtrex) is a newer form of Acyclovir (Zovirax).
Valacyclovir is generally considered preferable to Acyclovir because it is better absorbed and only needs to be taken twice a day, whereas Acyclovir requires frequent doses throughout the day.
Hope this helps.
Valacyclovir is generally considered preferable to Acyclovir because it is better absorbed and only needs to be taken twice a day, whereas Acyclovir requires frequent doses throughout the day.
Hope this helps.
I had less side effects with Zovirax, although I had been on the Zovirax for over a year before trying to switch to Valtrex, so that may have had a role. In the end, all the benefits I got came in the first 2 months of taking Zovirax, and after a year I felt no different whether on Valtrex/Zovirax or off of it.
hunter1899
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Did your improvements remain after the first 2 months? Do you mean you just saw no further improvements?
I was in a period of significant decline when I first began the Zovirax. The Zovirax definitely gave me an immediate boost, with little or no side effects, and within a couple of months I returned to what had been my long term baseline. Beyond that time frame the Zovirax appeared to do nothing, and switching to Valtrex did nothing but increase the side effects, so I stopped both entirely and saw no difference whatsoever.
In retrospect, I suspect that my overall viral load had gotten out of hand and was responsible for the significant decline that I was in...then the Zovirax helped reduce my viral load, and I went back to baseline. I don't see any chance that Zovirax, Valtrex, or any other antiviral was ever going to fix my underlying "CFS". This seems to fit the theory that while a virus may be responsible for "causing" CFS, it probably isn't responsible for maintaining it. Or, the virus is now inhabiting a place that isn't accessible to current antivirals.
hunter1899
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Interesting so when you say it reduced your viral load, it was your IGM or EA that was positive or only IGG? Also, it does seem like from SOME people Valtrex does provide a big improvement. I guess with CFS there’s just no rhyme or reason.
I am only guessing that my positive reaction was due to a reduction in viral load, since there was a definite improvement and an antiviral was the only treatment I was receiving.
My doctor at the time said that the results of routine testing for viruses yields mostly useless information so he simply prescribed antivirals and they either helped or they didn't. In my case they "helped", but only to get me back to a previous baseline, and only over a relatively short period of time, after which I simply maintained a former baseline.
Zovirax and Valtrex aren't particular horrible drugs, so there's not a lot of reason not to try them for a short time. Based on my experience I wouldn't expect them to cure anyone of CFS, but they might help pull you out of a bad spell. At different times in the last 36 years I have had similar experiences taking antibiotics and antifungals for short periods. I don't think they are treating the cause of CFS, just helping to reduce a viral, bacterial, or fungal load over a short period of time. I think people with CFS are susceptible to opportunistic infections or other insults to the immune system.