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Zovirax, Its Effects, Uses and Available Forms

Nowadays, many people know how to use Zovirax because it’s an effective antiviral medication that is active against herpes viruses. It’s also a man-made nucleoside analogue that stops the production of virus cells by blocking their DNA replication. This medication was approved by FDA almost 35 years ago, and now you can find it in different forms, including standard tablets, capsules, injections, powders, ointments and suspensions that come in a variety of strengths for your added convenience.

Common Zovirax Uses

As you already know, this medicine is often prescribed by doctors to help their patients treat chickenpox, shingles and genital herpes. It also proves to be effective when it comes to reducing the severity and frequency of such infections. When treating shingles, Zovirax works by relieving pain, shortening healing time and limiting the spreading of viruses and formatting new lesions. There are many people who use it to treat chickenpox because it decreases their healing time, eliminates fever and limits a number of lesions. If you prefer its intravenous form, you should understand that it’s often chosen to treat chickenpox and herpes simplex in severe genital herpes cases and immune-compromised people. Special ointments should be used topically to cure initial genital herpes while relieving pain, decreasing healing time and limiting the spreading of this viral infection.

Necessary Dosage

You can take Zovirax both with and without food, but ensure that you know everything about the right dose before starting any treatment. Keep in mind that it may depend on different factors, such as your age, weight, overall health, individual response and others. 200 mg is an adult oral dosage to treat genital herpes, and it must be taken each 4 hours for up to 10 days. If you want to treat shingles, you need to take 800 mg each 4 hours for the same period of time, and the same dose is prescribed to treat chickenpox, but it must be taken 4 times a day.

Risky Drug Interactions

Like other medications, the use of Zovirax may lead to negative effects when combined with certain drugs. For example, it’s not advisable to combine it with Dilantin, Benemid, Depakote, theophylinne, Vistide, Fungizone and some others because you risk ending up with side effects and other health complications, such as specific kidney problems in addition to its reduced effectiveness.

Unwanted Adverse Effects

Another important fact is that the intake of Zovirax may result in such unwanted side effects as:

• Vomiting and nausea;
• Mild headaches;
• Confusion and agitation;
• Skin rash and diarrhea;         
• Muscle pain;  
• Anemia;
• Seizures;
• Hypersensitivity and allergic reactions.

The good news is that they are rare, but if you notice them, you need to call your physician at once because they may get worse. For nursing and pregnant women, it’s not advisable to use Zovirax to be on a safe side.