Medications

Treatment with medication is effective in shortening the initial outbreak of the infection, lowers the chance that the infection will come back, and makes any later outbreaks less severe.

• For treating the genital herpes infection, three similar medications are available. These antiviral medications vary in cost and in how often they should be taken. All should be taken for 7-10 days. Your doctor may extend the course of therapy if ulcers have not healed in 10 days.
  
  
  • acyclovir (Zovirax)
    
    
  • famciclovir (Famvir)
    
    
  • valacyclovir (Valtrex)

• Creams or ointments that are placed on the sores are not effective for initial herpes outbreaks.

• For preventing later outbreaks, people with recurring genital herpes infections also may benefit from the antiviral medications. Treatment is started when the recurrence first begins and continues for five days.

• For continuous prevention, a few people who have frequent outbreaks can only control the outbreaks (generally over six recurrences per year) by taking medication every day. Acyclovir, famciclovir, and valacyclovir are all used to treat recurrent disease. This is known as suppressive therapy. Suppressive therapy has been shown to decrease the frequency of genital herpes recurrences by 70%-80% in those who have frequent recurrences, and many people taking this treatment report no symptomatic outbreaks.