Prolonged Valtrex

[Dan S H]

My Dermatologist said there is no downside to taking Valtrex for a prolonged period of time.  He stated that it will not effect my immune system.  He also said that HSV 2 does not taper of over the years, its completely random.  Have you all heard the same or different?

[Lisajd]

Hsv varies for each person.   It depends how well your body can suppress the virus.  If you understand triggers you will see that if your immune system is comprimised you are likely to get an ob.  People can go for years and get one.  Can be ill health or hormonal.  

[Dan S H]

I do have seasonal allergies.  Dust and pollen.

[Evaluate]

There is no impact to your health taking Valtrex for a prolonged period.  It will, eventually, make it so your body is not able to easily recognize HSV (and create a good immune reaction) as if it was uninhibited by antivirals.

Each individual is different and needs to weigh their own situation with medical advice.

[Dan S H]

8 hours ago, Evaluate said:

There is no impact to your health taking Valtrex for a prolonged period.  It will, eventually, make it so your body is not able to easily recognize HSV (and create a good immune reaction) as if it was uninhibited by antivirals.

Each individual is different and needs to weigh their own situation with medical advice.

Do you mean that it will make my body not recognize HSV on its own and there for will not fight it off as efficiently? 

[Evaluate]

9 hours ago, Dan S H said:

Do you mean that it will make my body not recognize HSV on its own and there for will not fight it off as efficiently? 

First, I'm not a medical professional so don't take what I'm about to say as gospel.

Not entirely, but to an extent, yes.  Valtrex will cause errors in the DNA of HSV when it is forming, so what it affects will not develop into maturity and cause infection.  Your body learns to fight the virus from exposure and will create antibodies when it detects infection.  The more often your body is exposed, the more your body learns that antigens against HSV are important to keep active.  Add Valtrex in and since the virus will not form properly (which is the goal), your body does not recognize it the same as an active invader and reduces the speed and the amount at which antibodies are formed.

This is why you hear people saying that their first outbreak is the worst, but it will never be that bad again, because the body compared to the initial infection has now a better immune response to the virus.  Each person is different and antivirals in suppressive form might be required to keep the infection at bay.

[Dan S H]

20 hours ago, Evaluate said:

There is no impact to your health taking Valtrex for a prolonged period.  It will, eventually, make it so your body is not able to easily recognize HSV (and create a good immune reaction) as if it was uninhibited by antivirals.

Each individual is different and needs to weigh their own situation with medical advice.

Do you mean that it will make my body not recognize HSV on its own and there for will not fight it off as efficiently? 

 

Thank you for the information

[Evaluate]

Your body will recognize it on its own, it just won't consider it as big of a deal with antivirals than without (because the infection will likely be less with antivirals than without).

Theoretically speaking, if you take two people with HSV - one on suppressive therapy and the other who isn't - the one not on suppressive therapy would likely have a more robust immune response than the other.  So if someone was hoping that they'd one day have their body control outbreaks on its own, it would be better to reduce the amount antivirals used from suppressive therapy to treatment for an OB.  As I said, everyone is different but that's the thought behind it from my end at least.

[Dan S H]

20 hours ago, Evaluate said:

There is no impact to your health taking Valtrex for a prolonged period.  It will, eventually, make it so your body is not able to easily recognize HSV (and create a good immune reaction) as if it was uninhibited by antivirals.

Each individual is different and needs to weigh their own situation with medical advice.

Do you mean that it will make my body not recognize HSV on its own and there for will not fight it off as efficiently? 

 

Thank you for the information

 

Thank you again this helps me a lot with my decision