Warnings and precautions with Balacyclovir
In addition to side effects, there are certain risk factors and warnings associated with taking any type of pharmaceutical. It is important to familiarize yourself with all the risk factors and discuss them with your doctor before you start taking valacyclovir.
You should talk to your health care provider if you have the following:
- Kidney disease or kidney failure
- Had a bone marrow or kidney transplant
- HIV or AIDS
- Depression
- Problems with you immune system or if you have immune system disorders, such as cancer
- Any and all allergies you may have including those to foods, dyes and preservatives.
Always tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding before you start taking valacyclovir. Always tell your doctor about all of the medicines you are taking including prescriptions and over the counter medications including vitamins and herbal supplements.
Warning and precautions
- Valacyclovir has the potential to interact with other medications
- Valacyclovir is a pregnancy category B medication, meaning that it is probably safe for a pregnant woman to take during pregnancy. It has not been studied in pregnant woman and the risks of taking valacyclovir while pregnant are not known. Pregnant woman should only take the drug if the benefits outweigh the risks to the fetus. Always discuss this with your doctor before using valacyclovir if you are pregnant.
- Valacyclovir is passed through breast milk. If you are breastfeeding or plan to start breastfeeding, you will need to discuss this with your doctor first. Only your doctor can decide if you can take valacyclovir while breastfeeding is okay for your particular situation.
- For people with poor kidney function will have a lower dose of valacyclovir. People taking valacyclovir at a normal dosage with poor kidney function are at increased risk for serious kidney problems.
- A condition called thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura/hemolytic uremic syndrome or TTP/HUS has developed in some patients taking valacyclovir. TTP/HUS is a conditions involving low red blood cell and platelet counts. The body will also form many small blood clots. The condition most occurred in patients with HIV and others that have had a kidney transplant.
- People 65 years of age and older have a higher risk of certain side effects. Your doctor can give a lower dose of valacyclovir to avoid this.
- When used for cold sores, valacyclovir should not be taken for more than one day. If you do take it longer than this it will not increase the effectiveness of the drug but could cause side effects.
- Valacyclovir has not been studied in people with HIV that have a CD4 cell count of less than 100 cells/mm.
- Valacyclovir has not been studied in people with poorly functioning immune systems such as people with cancer and people taking immune suppressing medications such as after a transplant.
- Valacyclovir has not been studied in the prevention of spreading herpes in people with multiple sex partners or in non-heterosexual couples.
- Valacyclovir should be started as soon as possible.
- It is important to understand that valacyclovir will not cure herpes or fully prevent you from spreading herpes to your partner. You should always wear a condom during sexual activity.
Valacyclovir is a very effective drug in treating and preventing the spread of the herpes simplex virus. There are some risk factors involved with taking the drug and you should always discuss these with your doctor before taking the drug.