Valacyclovir (the generic for Valtrex) can reduce your symptoms and shorten the amount of time an outbreak lasts. But you need to take it fast — we’re talking within 24 hours of symptoms starting in some cases.
But how much should you take? The valacyclovir dose for cold sores is different from the dose for herpes, and the dose also depends on whether this is your first rodeo or if you’ve experienced outbreaks before.
Ahead, learn how to stop a herpes outbreak in its tracks and what Valtrex dose to take.
How to Tell a Herpes Outbreak Is Coming
First, a quick biology lesson. Herpes is caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). While there are a few different types, we’re talking about two types of HSV here:
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Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), which mostly causes oral herpes, or cold sores
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Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), which mostly causes herpes in your more private areas
However, if you receive oral intercourse from someone with HSV-1, you can get herpes on your privates caused by HSV-1. And vice versa. You can learn more in this guide on HSV-1 and HSV-2.
Some — many, in fact — lucky folks don’t get any symptoms at all, while other people get mild symptoms that could be mistaken for a pimple or ingrown hair. But most people who get symptoms experience herpes lesions, or small blisters, which develop around the mouth, privates or rectum.
But before lesions pop up, you may experience some tell-tale signs an outbreak is coming. These are known as prodromal symptoms. Early signs of oral herpes, which you may feel in the area where a cold sore is about to pop up, include:
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Tingling
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Itching
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Burning
For herpes on your privates, early signs include:
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Localized pain
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Tingling in the legs, hips or rear
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Shooting pains in the legs, hips or rear
You may notice these symptoms a few hours or even days before lesions appear. During your first herpes outbreak, you might also get flu-like symptoms such as:
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Fever
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Body aches
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Headache
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Swollen lymph nodes near the infection
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Sore throat (for cold sores)
You may also get herpes symptoms that aren’t sores at all, such as:
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Itching
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Irritation
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Excoriations (sore red skin that starts to peel)
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Painful urination
The silver lining is symptoms of your next outbreaks are usually shorter and less severe than your first. Phew.
Antiviral medications like valacyclovir, acyclovir and famciclovir can be used to treat herpes outbreaks. Want the nitty-gritty details? Check out this guide on how valacyclovir works.
How Much Valacyclovir Should I Take During an Outbreak?
Valacyclovir is a medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat cold sores, herpes, herpes zoster (shingles) and chicken pox.
Unfortunately, valacyclovir can’t cure the herpes infection, but it can reduce the symptoms and how long lesions hang around.
How much Valtrex you should take during an outbreak and how long you need to take it for will depend on factors such as what virus you’re dealing with and if you’ve had it before.
FYI, you can’t get valacyclovir over the counter. You’ll need to speak with a healthcare provider to get a prescription. They can also give you medical advice on the best valacyclovir dosing for you.
Valacyclovir Dosing for Herpes
A small preface here: your recommended dosage of valacyclovir is going to be whatever your healthcare provider prescribes you. Full stop. All of the information below is based on recommended guidelines, but your healthcare provider will be your best source of information for dosing.
Now that that’s out of the way…
If this is your first outbreak of herpes in your private areas, you should take a 1,000 milligram (mg) dose of valacyclovir twice a day for 10 days. Treatment is most effective if you take it within 48 hours of your symptoms starting.
There’s some good science backing valacyclovir for herpes. For example, studies show that valacyclovir — when delivered within 72 hours of symptoms starting — can speed up healing in people with herpes for the first time. A 1,000 mg dose twice a day for 10 days can lead to:
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Lesions healing in about nine days
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Pain stopping in about five days
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Viral shedding (when your body produces infectious particles) stopping in about three days
If this is a recurrent herpes outbreak, you should take a 500 mg dose of valacyclovir twice a day for three days. Again, you should start treatment as soon as you notice any symptoms — it’s not clear whether valacyclovir will work for recurrent herpes outbreaks if you take it more than 24 hours after your symptoms start. Clinical trials also show that valacyclovir can help those who have had herpes before.
A 500mg dose of valacyclovir twice daily for five days can lead to:
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Lesions healing in about four days
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Pain stopping in about three days
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Viral shedding stopping in about two days
You can also take herpes meds daily to reduce how often herpes outbreaks occur and reduce the chances of passing the virus on to your partner. This is known as suppressive therapy. It’s often recommended for people who get very painful or frequent outbreaks.
For suppressive therapy, people with normal immune function should take a 1,000 mg dose of valacyclovir once a day. If you get nine or fewer outbreaks a year, you might be prescribed a once-a-day 500 mg dose. People who have HIV as well may be prescribed 500 mg of valacyclovir twice a day.
Valacyclovir Dosing for Cold Sores
The valacyclovir dose for cold sores is different from the valacyclovir dose for herpes in your private areas.
For oral herpes, you should take a 2,000 mg dose of valacyclovir twice a day for one day, 12 hours apart. Just like with the private parts variety, you need to act fast. You should take valacyclovir for cold sores as soon as you notice the early signs. Remember, that’s tingling, itching or burning. Valacyclovir may not work as well if you take it once a blister develops.
Clinical studies on almost 1,900 patients with recurrent cold sores have found that valacyclovir can speed up the healing process. When patients took valacyclovir quickly — most of them within two hours of noticing symptoms — their cold sores lasted on average one day less than the cold sores of people who didn’t take any treatment.
Patients receiving treatment in this study took either 2,000 mg of valacyclovir twice a day for one day or 2,000 mg of valacyclovir twice a day for one day then 1,000 mg twice a day the next day. The two-day treatment didn’t have any benefits beyond the one-day treatment. Valacyclovir didn’t help those who took it when the cold sore itself had already popped up.
Other Tips for Managing a Herpes Outbreak
When you’re hit with a herpes flare-up, there are a few things you can do beyond antiviral meds to get you through it.
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Take over-the-counter pain medication. Oral pain meds like acetaminophen, naproxen or ibuprofen and topical meds like benzocaine and lidocaine can help reduce the pain of herpes sores.
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Take a warm bath. Sitting in warm water for 20 minutes can ease discomfort from herpes in your private areas. Just be sure to avoid any soaps or fizzing bath bombs. In general, keep the area clean.
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Apply a cold compress down there. Don’t apply ice directly to your privates. Protect your skin by wrapping an ice pack in a washcloth first.
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Wear loose-fitting clothing. Yes, that means no skinny jeans or joggers, fellas. Let the area breathe.
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Drink cold drinks or suck on a popsicle. This can help cool off painful cold sore symptoms.
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Be careful of natural remedies or wacky products. They’re not always effective. For example, you can buy devices that deliver heat to areas where you feel early cold sore symptoms. This is said to stop blisters from forming, but more research needs to be done to know if these devices are effective.
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Consider L-lysine supplements. Research suggests that a daily dose of more than 3,000 mg of L-lysine may reduce recurrence rates and improve self-reported symptoms of herpes. But more research is needed to know for sure.
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Avoid kissing or sharing bottles or cups. You can pass on the cold sore virus through saliva or touching the sore.
Steer clear of intercourse. If you have herpes in your private areas, you can pass on the virus by having intercourse. Avoid any intimate contact during an outbreak and use a condom when you don’t have symptoms as you can still pass the virus on even when you don’t have lesions. You can learn more in this guide on having intercourse with herpes.
How to Stop a Herpes Outbreak: Key Takeaways
You might not be able to completely stop a herpes outbreak in its tracks. But you can take medication to reduce the symptoms and speed up the healing process. Here’s what you need to know:
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Keep an eye out for early symptoms. That includes tingling, itching or burning around your lips or tingling or pain in your privates, legs, hips or rear.
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Take valacyclovir when you first notice symptoms. Timing is everything when it comes to stopping a herpes outbreak. You want to take valacyclovir within 48 hours of symptoms starting for your first herpes outbreak and within 24 hours for recurrent outbreaks. ASAP is the name of the game for cold sores, too.
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Your valacyclovir dosage will depend on what you’re taking it for. For cold sores, it might be 2,000 mg twice a day for one day. For herpes in your private areas, it might be 1,000 mg twice a day for 10 days for initial outbreaks and 500 mg twice a day for three days for those who have had outbreaks before.
Herpes meds can be a godsend for those who feel an outbreak coming on, and valacyclovir isn’t your only option when it comes to herpes treatments. Dive deeper with this guide on valacyclovir vs acyclovir.
This article originally appeared on Hims.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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The 7 Best Vitamins & Supplements for ED
If you’ve been googling “what is the best vitamin for ED” or “supplements for ED” and coming up short on answers, there’s a reason for it: the “natural male enhancement” pills that you find online and in gas stations are released by brands that make dubious claims about what their products can do, and often, those claims aren’t backed by a lot of research. In fact, many of them are dangerous.
That said, certain vitamins and supplements (not the stuff you see at the gas station) — like vitamins B3 and D, or supplements like L-arginine, to name a few — may offer some erectile function benefits that are backed up by some science.
So, whether you came here in search of vitamins for erectile strength or supplements for ED, we’re happy to share what research shows about vitamins that help with ED…maybe. We’re going to go through all the vitamins you should look for, and the foods in which you can find them
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You’re probably aware of ED treatments like Viagra, which work by increasing blood flow to your privates when you’re in the mood for love-making. But what about the options available without a prescription?
Well, if you’ve been looking at the “natural male enhancement” stuff on gas station shelves, we have some bad news. As we’ve discussed in our guide to herbal supplements for ED, most non-prescription products for treating ED are, to put it lightly, lacking in scientific evidence (unless they are something specifically approved or authorized by the FDA for ED, like vacuum devices or the topical gel, Eroxon).
That said, as we mentioned above, some research shows that deficiencies of certain vitamins might contribute to ED. If you’re deficient, adding these vitamins to your diet might improve your overall health, including your ability to get and stay so.
To put things in perspective, here’s the current wisdom:
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Numerous factors can play a role in ED, including your cardiovascular health, psychological well-being and your level of interest in love-making.
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Currently, the most effective oral treatments for ED are PDE5 inhibitor medications, such as sildenafil (the active ingredient in Viagra).
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Vitamins B3, B9, C and D have been linked with blood flow, ED or testosterone levels in scientific studies. However, there’s very limited research on the link between vitamins and ED, meaning our understanding of this potential link isn’t very strong right now.
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To get reliable relief from ED, it’s best to talk to a licensed ED healthcare provider online to learn how you can improve blood flow to your privates and strengthen your erections.
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Depending on your medical history, they may check your blood pressure, cholesterol and other tests that can screen for health conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes and other things that are a risk factor for ED.
Okay, now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s talk vitamins.
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Vitamins are critical for the proper functioning of your body. They play vital roles in the development of your bones and organs. They also power essential biological processes that keep you alive, from your metabolism to the operation and function of your brain.
Because vitamins play such important roles in your health and survival, vitamin deficiencies can have serious negative effects on your well-being. What vitamins are good for erectile dysfunction, then, are the ones you don’t have enough of.
Some potential vitamins for ED include:
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Vitamin B3 (niacin)
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Vitamin B9 (folic acid)
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Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
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Vitamin D
Let’s look into each one to learn more.
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Some scientific research suggests that vitamin B3, or niacin, may be helpful for managing ED.
For example, a study in 2011 found that adult men with ED and dyslipidemia (abnormal amounts of lipids in the blood) experienced improvements in erectile function after taking niacin for 12 weeks.
Vitamin B3 is an important vitamin for metabolic function. It’s linked to a reduced risk of certain types of cardiovascular disease thanks to its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects.
Niacin is widely available as a health supplement. It’s also found in a variety of foods, including:
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Red meat, poultry and fish
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Bran, yeast and whole-grain cereals
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Peanuts, legumes and seeds
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Eggs
(Related: The Best ED Pills for Men: Pros & Cons of ED Medication)
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Another vitamin that may be linked with ED is vitamin B9, or folic acid.
A study published in the Asian Journal of Andrology analyzed the folic acid levels of men with ED and found that men with ED typically had lower levels of folic acid than healthy, unaffected men.
Interestingly, low levels of vitamin B9 were also linked to PE — another common male performance issue.
A newer study from 2020 noted a more direct link between vitamin B9 and health. In this study, men with ED showed measurable improvements in erectile function after taking a vitamin B9 supplement on a daily basis for three months.
Vitamin B9 plays key roles in the synthesis of DNA and RNA — essential molecules for storing and reading genetic information. It’s also important for the production of healthy red blood cells.
You can purchase vitamin B9 as a health supplement, but it’s also found in a wide range of foods, like:
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Leafy green vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach, asparagus and lettuce
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Meats, including liver
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Fish and other seafood
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Peanuts, sunflower seeds and beans
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Milk and other dairy products
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Eggs
Folic acid is also commonly added to many breads, cereals, pastas and other grain products in order to prevent nutritional deficiencies.
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Vitamin C is one of the most important vitamins for our bodies. When it comes to erectile health, research suggests that it might play a role in certain biochemical pathways that allow you to get and stay hard during intimacy.
For example, a review published in the journal Fertility and Sterility noted that vitamin C is one of several vitamins and minerals that support the biochemical pathway that leads to the release of nitric oxide.
Nitric oxide, or NO, is generally viewed as the principal agent responsible for relaxing the tissues inside your privates and allowing blood to flow in and create arousal.
Beyond its potential role in your health, vitamin C plays a key role in the biosynthesis of several neurotransmitters, as well as important structural proteins — like collagen, for example.
It’s also essential for maintaining healthy teeth and gums, absorbing iron and promoting proper wound healing.
Good sources of vitamin C include:
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Citrus fruits, such as orange, grapefruit, lemon and lime
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Other fresh fruits, including kiwifruit, guava and papaya
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Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and blueberries
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Red peppers, green peppers, broccoli and other vegetables
Many fruit and vegetable juices also contain plenty of vitamin C. You can also find it in most multivitamin supplements.
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Although research into the effects of vitamin D on performance is limited, some studies have found that vitamin D deficiency is linked to ED.
A small study published in the International Journal of Impotence Research found that men with vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency had lower levels of function than men with normal vitamin D levels.
However, it’s also worth noting that this study only investigated function and depression symptoms in young men with low vitamin D status.
A meta-analysis from 2020 also found that vitamin D deficiency may be associated with severe forms of ED.
According to a review published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, around 24 percent of people in the United States have low vitamin D levels. Low vitamin D levels are even more common in Canada and Europe.
Your skin produces vitamin D when it’s exposed to sunlight, and it doesn’t take much to maintain healthy levels. Most people will be able to produce enough vitamin D to stay healthy with natural sun exposure from going for a daily walk or running errands.
If you live in an area with limited sunlight or prefer not to spend too much time outdoors, you can also take in vitamin D from food or vitamin D supplementation.
Foods that contain vitamin D include:
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Fish, including salmon, trout, tuna, sardines and many fish oils
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Cheese, milk and other dairy products
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Red meat and poultry
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Soy, almond and oat milks
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Mushrooms
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Apples, bananas and other fruits
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Rice, lentils, sunflower seeds and almonds
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Broccoli, carrots and other vegetables
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Research on other supplements for ED is often inconsistent or not very strong. Some men might see an effect, many might not.
ED supplements that may produce improvements in function and health include:
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L-arginine. This amino acid plays a key role in the production of nitric oxide, which is a molecule that relaxes your blood vessels and promotes healthy blood flow.
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Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). This hormone is a precursor to testosterone, which is important for regulating your drive.
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Ginseng. This herbal supplement might produce improvements in function and satisfaction, but the quality of research is low.
Just like with vitamins, it’s important to keep in mind that supplements aren’t subject to clinical trials like medications. This means that there’s a lot that we don’t know about them, including the safety and effectiveness of using them as ED treatments.
(Related: What Foods Help You Get Hard: 8 Foods For Erectile Dysfunction)
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None of the “vitamins for erection health” listed above — or anything else you can find in a multivitamin — are proven, evidence-based treatments for ED.
Currently, among the most effective options for treating ED are FDA-approved medications called PDE5 inhibitors. These treatments work by dilating the arteries that supply your privates, allowing for better blood flow to your tissues.
Unlike vitamins and natural remedies, they’re subject to large-scale clinical trials before they go onto pharmacy shelves, meaning we know that they’re safe and effective for most men.
If you find it difficult to get or maintain an erection, consider one of the following medications:
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Sildenafil. The active ingredient in Viagra, sildenafil provides relief from ED for around four hours per dose.
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Tadalafil. The active ingredient in Cialis, tadalafil is a long-lasting medication that can provide relief from ED for up to 36 hours.
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Vardenafil. The active ingredient in Levitra, vardenafil provides relief from ED for four to five hours.
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Avanafil. Sold as Stendra, avanafil is a newer treatment that provides relief from ED for up to six hours, with a lower risk of side effects than other oral ED medications.
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Chewable ED medications. These fast-acting chewable mints include ingredients like sildenafil, tadalafil and vardenafil to help you get and stay hard during intimacy.
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Although research is limited, some studies have shown a link between ED and certain vitamin deficiencies.
If you’re deficient in vitamins B3 (niacin), B9, C or D, increasing your consumption might improve your overall health, and maybe your ED symptoms. However, there are several things you’ll want to keep in mind before turning to vitamins as a “proven” ED treatment:
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Vitamins like B3, B9, C and D are important for your overall health and health, and may help in the management of ED. More research is needed to determine whether natural supplements containing L-arginine, ginseng and others are as effective as supplement makers claim.
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It isn’t clear if these vitamins help with function if you don’t have a vitamin deficiency. In other words, if you’re healthy, taking extra vitamin C may not have any impact on your performance in the bedroom.
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More isn’t always better when it comes to vitamins. Certain vitamins are toxic when consumed in excess, meaning you shouldn’t exceed the recommended intake if you choose to use a vitamin supplement.
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Vitamins aren’t a replacement for FDA-approved ED medication, or for healthy, natural habits and lifestyle changes that can make maintaining an arousal easier.
This article originally appeared on Hims.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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Featured Image Credit: Jelena Danilovic/istockphoto.
