Medication Strategy: Do you only take medication during an OB or long term daily to suppress?

[hi202020]

Hi guys,

I was recently diagnosed with gHSV1. I'm wondering if it is a good idea to take medication daily for an extended period of time to suppress the virus as much as possible since I heard the first year can be indicative of frequency of outbreaks moving into the future, and it seems plausible that the more you suppress it early on, the less likely it might be to cause outbreaks in the future.

I was speaking to my doctor and they said that they recommend only taking Valtrex/Anti-viral medication during an outbreak and not daily long term as a preventative measure because the virus can become resistant to it and it may not work as well long term, plus there are negative side effects on your kidneys and other organs.

Does anyone have first hand experience with which strategy to use? 1) Only use medication during outbreaks versus 2) Taking daily to prevent outbreaks long term)?

Does anyone know of any studies that suggest which strategy is better?

[hi202020]

By the way, I have been experiencing tingling, burning and itching since my first outbreak, and have been worried that another outbreak might come on but I have no outbreak symptoms. Is a good rule of thumb to stay on the anti-virals until the tingling, burning and what not goes away (despite not having an OB)?

[Freedom87]

Each situation is different. I do not take meds daily. I use L-lysine daily which is a natural supplement to aide in suppressing the virus and some other natural meds to boost my immune system.

At first diagnosis its scary and you want to do anything to never experiance it again. Understandable! However, you may never get another outbreak! So no need for daily meds right! 

I like the natural approach, it works for me. Thats not for everyone, but maybe keep it as an option or discuss with your doctor as another option then daily prescription.

[Anonymous88]

I am on acyclivor 400mg twice a day and haven't had an outbreak whilst on suppressive therapy. Doctor aswel as looking up the medication online shows no sign of damage to your body by taking it daily plus your body won't become resistant to it.