Get Informed: Acyclovir
Active Ingredient(s)
Acyclovir
What does it do?
This product is used in the treatment of Herpes or Chicken Pox. It is an anti-viral which acts to inhibit one portion of the virus reproduction.
- Last Text Update:
- 2010-Mar-21 7:28 AM
- Last Data Update:
- 2010-Mar-20 9:02 PM
Other Names
- Acyclovir
- Zovirax
- Aciclovir
- Soothelip
- Ailax
- Virovir
- Virasorb
- Clearsore
- Aviral
- Colsor
How Safe Is It?
- Your Risk Rating
- Please log in
- Average Risk Rating
-
- Pregnancy Category:
- B
- Black Box Warning:
- No
Facts & Figures
- Date Approved
- 29 Mar 1982
- Est US Patients*
- 362,600
- Generic Available
- Yes
- OTC Available
- No
User Age Distribution*
< 21
21-39
40-59
60+
Age (Years)
* Estimated number of US people currently taking Acyclovir or its active ingredient based on population adjusted patient numbers registered with iGuard.org.
Recent alerts for Acyclovir
There have been no iGuard.org alerts regarding Acyclovir during the past year.
Acyclovir Safety Report
Learn more about iGuard's risk ratings
- Please login or register (it's free) so iGuard can check how Acyclovir interacts with other drugs and diseases in your profile.
What is Acyclovir used for?
iGuard is currently tracking more than 2,400 patients that use Acyclovir (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)). Use the table below to learn why iGuard users take this product; click on any underlined condition to get information on other medications used for treatment.
| Disease / Condition | % | Average Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Genital Herpes | 76% | 
|
| Cold Sores | 24% | 
|
| Shingles | 10% |
|
How well does Acyclovir work?
iGuard regularly polls our more than 2,400 users taking Acyclovir (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medications (TSQM) . This feedback is continuously updated in tables below for the benefit of the iGuard community. To request scores for specific patient subgroups, please contact research@iguard.org.
Average Satisfaction Score
(out of 10)
Average Effectiveness Score
(out of 10)
- 100%
- of patients are confident that the good things about Acyclovir outweigh the bad things.
- 0%
- of patients wish they were told more before they started taking Acyclovir.
Common Side Effects of Acyclovir
iGuard regularly polls our more than 2,400 users taking Acyclovir (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) to monitor the development and frequency of side-effects. This feedback is continuously updated in tables and graphs below for the benefit of the iGuard community.
5% of patients experience side-effects on Acyclovir
< 1% of patients experience signifcant side-effects on Acyclovir
Most Common Side Effects...
-
Fatigue
-
Abdo Pain/Cramps
-
= 10%
Global Patient Feedback for Acyclovir ( Post a comment )
Question/Comment:
worked great w/ Prednisone for symptoms...all gone in a week...the pred gave me some side effects,,,wgt gain of pound in a week, aches n pains, swelling ankles, mood changes and deminished sexual ability
47 year old Male – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-02-16 11:05:37
Question/Comment:
I was date raped 8yrs ago & also take Acyclovir 400mg a day. I used 2 have "outbreaks" either right before, during or after my cycle or after intercourse. After getting tired of something always being "wrong", I ckd with my dr & he put me on 400mg a day. Since I have been taking them daily without stopping, I have had no outbreaks...knock on wood. I took Valtrex when I first went to the dr abt 8yrs ago and broke out into hives. Did Famvir but was too expensive. For those of u that might not know this, Acyclovir is on the $4 list.....
41 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-01-23 21:52:08
Question/Comment:
The second I feel a cold sore coming on I take 1600mg of Acyclovir. Then I take 800mg daily for a couple more days. This ALWAYS reverses the outbreak before it gets bad.
52 year old Male – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2009-11-04 14:34:29
Question/Comment:
I have been taking Acyclovir for 10 years. I take it "as needed" when an outbreak occurs, and
I find that it works really good. When I first started the Acyclovir I experienced "minor" joint
pain, but that went away after about two (2) years or I just got immune to it.
53 year old Male – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2009-08-22 13:48:13
Question/Comment:
After my first outbreak, I started taking Zovirax daily for preventive treatment. After only a couple weeks I started haveing servere digestive problems, I continued treatment for another month, At which time my prescription drug coverage changed I immediately started on Valtrex and haven't had any problems. I can't speak to how well it works since I only took it for a short time and have only had one outbreak, And that outbreak was two years after I tested positive for HSV
24 year old Male – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2009-08-14 07:56:31
Answer/Reply:
I have taken one 400 mg dose of Acyclovir daily for years and can't remember the last time I had an outbreak. If I feel one coming on I take 5 Acyclovirs for a couple of days and the feeling goes away. I have not tried Valtrex but if it ain't broke, why fix it?
59 year old Male – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2009-08-18 22:04:39
You may post comments for the benefit of other patients or post questions other patients might be able to answer. Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Only your age and gender will be published with your comment, although your other user details will be securely recorded for verification purposes.
Comments may be either questions or answers to previously posted questions. Any iGuard.org user may post questions and reply.
36
Patient Comments about
Acyclovir