Choice of drugs to cure herpes simplex and zoster

Herpes is an infectious disease that affects the skin, genitals and mouth. Itching, fever, and the emergence of water-filled resilience are various symptoms that can arise due to herpes. If left unchecked this would be very disturbing. Therefore, finding a way to treat herpes is a top priority that should not be underestimated. So, what are the effective drugs against the herpes virus?

Various drug options for skin herpes

Taking the right medication is usually the most effective way to treat skin herpes. The doctor will prescribe medicines that will help prevent the virus from multiplying as well as control the symptoms of herpes.

In addition, medication also helps reduce your risk of transmitting this disease to other people.

Usually the medication for skin herpes that is given is available in pill form as well as ointments. However, in severe cases the doctor may need to give it by injection.

Here are three choices of the main antiviral drugs that are used to effectively treat herpes:

1. Acyclovir

Acyclovir is a skin herpes drug that was first produced in the form of an ointment and is currently mostly in pill form. This antiviral drug has been used since 1982.

This type of herpes medicine is classified as safe and can be consumed daily as needed. Quoted from the American Sexual Health Association, acyclovir has been proven safe to use every day for 10 years.

These drugs work by reducing the severity and length of time the disease appears. That way, the wound heals faster and reduces the risk of new sores forming.

This medication can also help reduce pain after the wound heals and gets better. In people with weakened immune systems, this herpes medicine can reduce the risk of spreading the virus to other parts of the body.

For topical acyclovir, the side effect that is usually felt is a burning feeling when using it. If these side effects persist, tell the doctor who treats you.

Remember, always take the medicine according to the instructions given by the doctor and don't carelessly.

2. Valacyclovir

This herpes drug is a newer breakthrough. Valacyclovir actually uses acyclovir as its active ingredient.

However, this drug makes acyclovir more efficient so that the body can absorb most of the drug content. One of the advantages over acyclovir is that it can be taken during the day without causing headaches or tingling.

Like acyclovir, this drug helps reduce the severity and duration of outbreaks. In addition, valacyclovir also makes wounds heal faster so that the risk of developing new sores is reduced. This medication can also help reduce the length of pain that remains after the wound has healed.

Nausea, stomach pain, headaches, and dizziness can all appear as side effects of the drug. If any of these effects persist or get worse, tell your doctor or pharmacist right away.

3. Famciclovir

Famciclovir uses penciclovir as its active ingredient. Like valacyclovir, this herpes drug also lasts longer if it's already in the body. Therefore, this drug is only consumed for a certain time and should not be too frequent.

This one herpes drug helps prevent HSV from replicating more and more. In addition, famciclovir can also help reduce the severity and relieve symptoms.

In people with weakened immune systems, famciclovir can reduce the risk of spreading the virus. Whether it's to other parts of the body or to other people.

Headaches, nausea, and diarrhea are the most common side effects after taking famciclovir. However, the symptoms are usually mild so they don't interfere with activities.

Additional medicine for shingles

Apart from these three main drugs, there are other medicines that are usually given for other skin herpes diseases such as chicken pox and shingles. The following are various additional drugs that are prescribed as an effective way to treat herpes:

1. Anti-inflammatory drugs

Anti-inflammatory is an additional medication that is prescribed as a way to treat shingles. Ibuprofen or other NSAID medications can reduce pain and swelling. Usually doctors ask patients to drink it every 6 to 8 hours.

2. Analgesics (pain relievers)

These medicines help reduce the pain or fever that is felt as an early symptom of being infected with the chickenpox virus. Sometimes for severe cases doctors also prescribe analgesic drugs from the narcotic class. Make sure to comply with the drinking rules given by the doctor so that the treatment is effective.

3. Anticonvulsants or tricyclic antidepressants

These medications are generally prescribed to treat prolonged pain. The doctor will prescribe it to be drunk 1 to 2 times a day. However, this also depends on the type and dose of drug given.

4. Antihistamines

Antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) are often prescribed to treat itching. This is because the itching from shingles is usually unbearable.

Scratching rashes and wounds can spread the disease widely. For this reason, antihistamines are an effective way to treat itching due to shingles.

5. Cream, gel, or patch is numb

Numbing creams, ointments, or patches such as lidocaine are sometimes given to help with pain from a herpes infection. However, these drugs are usually only used when needed because they are not the main treatment.

6.Capsaicin (Zostrix)

Capsaicin is a drug that is intended to reduce the risk of nerve pain after recovering from shingles. This condition is usually very torturous because it attacks nerve fibers and skin. The skin will feel like it's burning for a long time.

Other treatments for herpes

Antiviral herpes drugs are generally prescribed for patients who have had their first episode of herpes simplex. For recurrent episodes, doctors will usually recommend episodic therapy and suppressive therapy that also uses antiviral drugs.

Episodic therapy

If you have had six recurrences in a period of one year your doctor will recommend episodic therapy.

In episodic therapy, you will be asked to continue taking antiviral herpes drugs for a few days from the first signs of infection. This aims to accelerate healing and even prevent infection from occurring.

This therapy usually helps shorten the symptoms of herpes that usually occur in the long term. Each drug from this antiviral class has different absorption rates and effectiveness. Then the dosage also varies. Generally, you will be prescribed 1 to 5 pills daily for 3 to 5 days after the infection starts.

Suppressive therapy

Meanwhile, suppressive therapy is usually used for people who experience relapses more than six times a year. This therapy can reduce symptoms by at least 75 percent when you are taking antiviral drugs.

Usually, this herpes drug is consumed to relieve and suppress symptoms. This therapy is considered quite safe and effective. Generally, the dosage given varies according to conditions, from 1 to 2 pills per day.

Should you take herpes medicine for life?

Reporting from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, herpes simplex virus infection cannot be cured. Once infected, you will have this virus forever, aka this virus cannot be eliminated from the body.

Antiviral drugs for herpes can only help weaken the virus. So, it is very likely that genital and oral herpes will recur in some time after treatment.

This is why your doctor will likely recommend that you keep taking herpes medication after the first attack.

In severe enough cases, the doctor will ask the patient to take the medicine every day, for life. In addition to reducing the risk of recurrence of symptoms, taking herpes medication for life is important to prevent transmission of herpes to partners or people around the patient.

Don't hesitate to tell the doctor about the progress of the condition. If the combination of drugs that is given feels no effect or causes severe side effects, consult again immediately.