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valacyclovir starting dose and do you always get worse before better?

C

CFS_RPH

Messages
18
Hello,
My wife is about to try valacyclovir for her ME/CFS. I am curious to hear about your experiences of starting dose and titration. I know the studies have shown 1g q6h have worked however some people have mentioned it causing insomnia which for ME is one of the major issues already so we do not want to make it worse. We are thinking of starting 500 mg BID. Any help or insight would be appreciated.

And I know alot of people feel worse at first before getting better after months of treatments. Has anyone felt better without getting worse at first?

Thank you so much in advance
 
Marylib

Marylib

Senior Member
Messages
1,159
So that is 1 gram every six hours? I recently got a prescription for 1gm every 3 hours. (I had asked for the dosage you get when you have shingles). So I don't have experience with that much valcyclovir (valtrex). Hopefully someone will show up who does. Your plan to start with a lower dose twice a day sounds like a good plan. "Start low and go slow," in case of medication sensitivity or side effects.
Personally, I have felt better from time to time without feeling worse from certain treatments. If I feel worse, I stop whatever I have been taking.
 
H

Hope_eternal

Senior Member
Messages
287
Hi, my son started on just 1 pill (500 mg) daily. He did that for a couple months. He was already bedbound for 23 1/2 hrs a day and could barely talk. He also had horrible insomnia and cycling sleep all over the place. He was only able to get up once for the bathroom. He improved with sleep slightly on that dose and he gained enough energy to speak audibly and make one trip downstairs daily after about two months. We have since moved him up to 2 pills (1 g) in the morning and 1 pill 6 hrs later. No positives changes. He’s been on this dosage for about 2 months. Right now he’s been crashed for about a month from a doctor visit. We were hopeful this medication was the answer since we had a good start with it. I hear it can take many months so we haven’t given up. In Dr Lerner’s treatment he did 1 g every 6 hrs. Most got worse before better. Here’s an article in it. Wishing you all the best!

https://www.drmyhill.co.uk/wiki/Valacyclovir_in_the_treatment_of_post_viral_fatigue_syndrome
 
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