Nausea, abdominal discomfort, weight loss on valacyclovir

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37
Location
Atlanta, GA
Hello all, I've checked other posts though I'm sure this has been discussed. I recently added valacyclovir to my ME/CFS medication line up and since then I've lost weight (unwanted, I'm already underweight due to the ME/CFS itself) and feeling a lot of general abdominal discomfort and nausea though I haven't vomited, I've felt like I will. Is this is a common side effect of valacyclovir? I've taken it before for my ME/CFS but it's been so long I don't remember this. I was taking 1 g/day but now taking 1 g every other day to see if that helps.
 
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55
Sorry to hear about those side effects. They sound awful.
I’ve been on 1g Valaciclovir for almost a year (plus 900mg valcyte). I haven’t lost weight, but I find it impossible to put on weight and am also already underweight. I sporadically have nausea and stomach pains, but haven’t noticed a change in frequency related to the antivirals. My main side effect from valaciclovir was the first two months when I was on 3g per day - poisoned feeling, stabbing pain in underarms and nerve pain in hands and feet. Hence I dropped back to 1g. Not sure how helpful my comment is, but I just wanted you to know I considered it and can confirm no (n=1).

Also re dropping your dose to 1g every second day - my doctor said when I revised my dose down to reduce side effects, that the best dose is the maximum dose that you can consistently take to keep antivirals in your system. I was taking 1g 3x per day. Dropped it to 500mg twice per day and have kept that dose for 9 months. Perhaps you could take 500mg daily rather than 1g every 2 days to keep some drugs in your system? Of course I don’t mean this to be medical advice and please feel free to ignore, especially if your doctor said otherwise. Just an idea.

Take care.
 
Messages
37
Location
Atlanta, GA
Thanks so much for your experience and input. This is going to seem to strange, but I was also taking Florastor which is S. Boulardii probiotics. I was taking 2-3 capsules per day for about 3 months. Once I ran out of the Florastor and discontinued taking them, my nausea and abdominal pain with lack of appetite went away! I still have some of my low appetite that I've had since day 1 of ME/CFS but not the significantly life altering type I wrote about, thinking it was the valacyclovir. Yay! I'm back up to 1 g/day and starting to feel a bit better. I've never had that type of symptom from probiotics, and I've taken S. Boulardii many times before. It may have been how much and how long I was taking it, or the combo of the valacyclovir with the S Boulardii. Either way, I'm just back on my fermented foods and may start another probiotic in the future. For now I'm enjoying not having nausea all the time and abdominal pain.
Thanks again and I appreciate you and this entire site so much.
 
Messages
55
Wow. Who knew probiotics would have such a negative effect? Although we’re such sensitive systems, so then again, I’m not surprised. Years ago I knocked myself sideways with a high dose of methyl folate. And I’ve tried so many things that give me minor headaches or pains here and there. But your reaction to the probiotics was serious.

Very very glad you figured out what was causing it and you’re back to getting help from the valaciclovir. All the best!
 
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