A few med questions...preventing an outbreak

[nurselove]

Hey guys, I'm new to herpes and this site but based on my current outbreak I have some questions that I can't find the answers to. First, I had my primary outbreak a little over a month ago. I was on my period when my outbreak occurred.

 

Last week I started my period and then ended up with another OB. I had one sore for about 3 days and then it went away. About the day after it disappeared I got another open area in another genital area and I ended up with swollen lymph nodes. I've read that periods can bring on an OB. Since I'm new to this I'm not sure if it'll continue that way or not. So here's my question. I'm not really wanting to take the meds on a daily basis to prevent OBs if I don't have to but I'm wondering if I'm able to determine over the next few months that my period will trigger an outbreak is it possible to just take valtrex or acyclovir a week or so before my period to prevent it? Does anyone have any experience with this at all? Thanks for any/all input :)

[WCSDancer2010]

Short answer - yes... if your period is a trigger, initially try maybe taking valtrex 3 days before... over time you can figure out what works for you. I'm to a point where i take them as soon as I feel a tingle and it knocks it right down, but I don't have a partner...so I'm not trying to protect anyone from it right now :)

[DamagedLotus]

Similar thing happened to me. I had my first OB around my period, the next month I was fine, and then had an OB around my period for the next three months (my first OB didn't happened until ~3-4 months after diagnosis) I did take meds each time but the last time I pretty much held off on taking them. That OB took about three weeks for it to completely heal. Since then, I have been OB FREE for the past two months (cross my fingers that I continue that way). I do think my cycle (the hormones during) contributed to the OBs, as the month after my first I was on birth control that stopped my cycle. I also have a theory that the extended outbreak allowed my immune system a good chance to "get use" to the virus and better fight it off.

 

I've also been tracking any symptoms and OB so I can get a feel for signs. Seems like all of my OBs happen after my period rather than before.