What Is Valtrex?
Valtrex® (valacyclovir hydrochloride) is a prescription medication licensed to treat several conditions related to infections with the herpes virus, including:
Shingles (herpes zoster)
Cold sores (herpes labialis)
Genital herpes.
Who Makes Valtrex?
Valtrex is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline.
What Is Valtrex Used For?
Uses of Valtrex include:
Treating shingles
Treating cold sores
Treating genital herpes
Preventing recurrent genital herpes outbreaks
Decreasing the spread of herpes to sexual partners.
Valtrex is not a cure for shingles, genital herpes, or cold sores, nor has the drug been approved for use in children.
(Click Valtrex Uses for more information on what Valtrex is used for, including possible off-label uses.)
How Does Valtrex Work?
Shingles, cold sores, and genital herpes are caused by viruses. Once a person has been infected with these viruses, the virus never goes away. It remains inactive in certain nerve cells of the body, waiting to become active again. Valtrex helps the body fight the infection by preventing the virus from multiplying. When used to treat genital herpes, Valtrex can help prevent outbreaks from recurring and can help prevent the spread of the virus to other people.
Effects of Valtrex
Several studies have examined how well Valtrex treats shingles, cold sores, and genital herpes.
Shingles
In one study, people younger than 50 years of age with shingles were treated with Valtrex within three days of the beginning of a rash. In people who were not treated with Valtrex, it took three days for the formation of new blisters to stop. For the people who were treated with Valtrex, the blisters stopped forming one day sooner. Valtrex will not, however, change the length or severity of postherapeutic neuralgia, which is severe pain that can occur after the shingles rash has healed. Valtrex is also not a cure for shingles.
Cold Sores
When Valtrex was given to people at the very first signs of a cold sore, the cold sores healed one day faster when compared to people who were not given the drug. Although Valtrex helped cold sores heal faster, it did not stop the cold sores from appearing once the symptoms had started. Therefore, Valtrex is not a cure for cold sores.
Genital Herpes
For people who took Valtrex to treat their first genital herpes infection, the lesions healed in nine days, on average, and people had pain for five days, on average. For outbreaks in people who had previously been infected, it took an average of four days for the lesions to heal (compared to six days for people who were not taking Valtrex).
About 65 percent of people who took Valtrex every day were outbreak-free for six months, compared to only 26 percent of people who were not treated. Taking Valtrex every day also decreased the chance of spreading genital herpes to sexual partners. After eight months, less than 1.9 percent of partners of the people who were taking daily Valtrex were infected, compared to 3.6 percent of partners of people who were not taking Valtrex. However, as with cold sores and shingles, Valtrex is not a cure for genital herpes.
