The Correct Dosage Valtrex & Valacyclovir Dosage for Cold Sores
speciality medications
The right Valtrex dosage for cold sores can make healing after an infection much more manageable.
However, you’ve got to have the correct dosage. And Valtrex can be used for many infections, which complicates things.
(You probably wouldn’t use Valtrex for cold sores in adults the same way you’d use Valtrex for chickenpox in a child, right?)
This helpful guide will cover much of the information you need about Valtrex and valacyclovir for cold sores.
Using Valtrex for Cold Sores: What to Know Before Getting Started
Let’s start with the most common reason patients take Valtrex: Cold sores.
HSV, or the herpes simplex virus, causes cold sores. This virus moves from person to person through close contact. After HSV gets transmitted to a new person, the virus can remain dormant for years.
Later, if that person gets overly stressed, experiences a hormonal change, has a weakened immune system, or undergoes a similar triggering event, that dormant virus can become active. When the herpes simplex virus becomes active, it can cause cold sores.
Some symptoms of cold sores to watch out for include:
- Tingling or burning around the lips
- Small, painful blisters around the mouth, lips, and nose
- Swelling of the gums, mouth, and lips
- Flu-like or feverish symptoms
These symptoms can impede a patient’s quality of life, especially when blisters crust and scab, or feverish symptoms make it challenging to complete daily activities.
When you consider that these symptoms can last for ten days and that cold sores are highly contagious, it’s clear that a fast-acting antiviral solution is needed.
Fortunately, there is one.
If you’re experiencing painful, frustrating symptoms, valacyclovir for cold sores can provide relief.
Other conditions may result in cold sores or similar lip and mouth blisters. These conditions are wide-ranging and include anything from blocked salivary glands to canker sores, contact dermatitis, and other types of infections.
Your doctor can examine your sores and determine whether Valtrex is a good option.
What is the Right Valtrex Dosage for Cold Sores?
The right Valtrex dosage for cold sores can vary depending on the severity and duration of the symptoms a patient is experiencing.
Typically, doctors will recommend a dosing regimen of:
- 2,000 mg (or 2 grams) of valacyclovir twice per day for the first day
- 1,000 mg (or 1 gram) of valacyclovir once daily for 3-5 days afterward.
Valtrex does not cure cold sores. It does effectively reduce the severity and duration of herpes simplex virus symptoms.
After your cold sores heal, it’s a good idea to prioritize healthy hygiene practices before and after close contact to reduce your chances of contracting them again.
What About Valacyclovir for Cold Sores?
Valacyclovir for cold sores can result in effective healing, too – for a straightforward reason: Valtrex and valacyclovir are the same medication.
Valtrex is a brand-name prescription medication that uses an active ingredient, valacyclovir, to produce its antiviral effect. You can buy Valtrex and benefit from its brand reputation, or you can buy valacyclovir and likely save on your cost per dose.
You may see valacyclovir under several brand names depending on where and how you buy your medication. In North America, it’s branded as Valtrex, but in other countries, it’s known as Valcivir, Talavir, and Zelitrex.
No matter where you’re buying your medication, whether it’s Valtrex or valacyclovir, just make sure you’re working with a reputable, safe online pharmacy.
There are, unfortunately, sketchy online drugstores out there trying to profit off desperate individuals. Seeking secure, professional, and certified Canadian online pharmacies can save you time and money – and ensure you’re getting the proper medication your body needs to heal.
Valtrex and Valacyclovir Cost Comparison
The most significant difference between Valtrex and valacyclovir is cost. Usually, brand-name drugs are more expensive than their generic equivalents.
That’s certainly true for this medication.
American patients pay around $465.00 for 30 pills of brand-name Valtrex, or $15.50 per pill.
That’s a lot of money for a necessary treatment for a painful, contagious disease. If a patient experiences severe or recurrent cold sores, they could easily spend thousands of dollars on cold sore treatments in one calendar year.
Ordering mail-order medications from a international or online Canadian pharmacy can save American patients a lot of money. It’s becoming more and more common to ship prescription medications across the border. This practice comes with a lot of perks – and significant savings.
Through NorthWestPharmacy.com, American patients can buy brand-name Valtrex for about $230.00 for a six-week supply, or around $5.40 per pill. That’s already 65% savings, but if a patient wants to save further, they can.
Here, you can buy generic valacyclovir for approximately $3.00 per pill, or $90.00 for a 30-day supply.
Next, we’ll talk a little more about proper Valtrex dosage. Different populations can take Valtrex for differing indications, and each situation comes with a specific dosing strategy.
What is the Correct Valtrex Dosage for Cold Sores in Adults?
The right Valtrex dosage for cold sores in adults is usually 2,000 mg twice daily for one day, followed by 1,000 mg once daily for several days. Your doctor will assess your condition and tweak your treatment plan as needed, depending on the progression of your unique symptoms.
The correct valacyclovir dosage for cold sores for adults is the same.
Valtrex and valacyclovir can be used for indications other than cold sores, too.
Depending on the indication, or the reason you’re taking valacyclovir, you may need a different dosage. Some possible Valtrex doses for adults for different conditions include:
- Genital herpes. The herpes simplex virus doesn’t just cause painful mouth sores. Patients who experience similar blisters on their genitals often take 1,000 mg or 1 gram of Valtrex twice daily for ten days. If they experience recurrent episodes of genital herpes, they may be able to take lower doses after the first outbreak.
- Protection against suffering from or spreading genital herpes. Some people can take valacyclovir on an ongoing, daily basis to reduce their chances of transmitting the virus. For people who already have the herpes simplex virus, a lower dose of Valtrex, up to 1,000 mg or 1 gram daily, can lower the chance of recurrent outbreaks or transmission.
- Shingles. Shingles, or herpes zoster, is a related (but different) viral infection. It’s caused by the same virus that triggers chickenpox. In fact, after giving a person chickenpox, the virus can remain dormant in a body for years before reactivating, perhaps due to stress or simple aging, and causing shingles. This infection causes painful rashes accompanied by fatigue, fever, and headaches. It can last for weeks. The standard Valtrex dose for shingles (for adults) is one gram, three times per day, for one week.
What are Typical Valtrex Doses for Children?
Valtrex and generic valacyclovir can reduce suffering and support healing for chickenpox and cold sores in children. Their doses may be different from adult recommendations.
Valtrex Dosage for Cold Sores in Children
If a child aged 12 or older has a cold sore, the usual recommendation is to take two grams of Valtrex every twelve hours, for one day. (This is a total of two doses.)
Children 11 years and younger should avoid taking valacyclovir for cold sores. The safety of Valtrex for this patient population has not been established. Whether a child is above or below this age limit, work with their pediatrician to determine the best possible Valtrex dosing regimen for their symptoms.
Valtrex Dosage for Chickenpox in Children
Chickenpox, an extremely contagious viral infection caused by the same virus that causes shingles, is accompanied by itchy blisters and rashes all over the body. It’s pervasive in children, to the point where it’s considered a rite of passage.
Chickenpox tends to heal within two weeks. Valtrex can help support healing and reduce pain associated with chickenpox symptoms.
Children between 2 and 17 should take doses relative to their body weight. The typical dose is 20mg of valacyclovir per kilogram of body weight, three times daily, for five days.
(By that math, an 88-pound or 40-kg children’s three-times-daily dose would be 800mg.)
Medical Concerns Associated with Valtrex Dosage
After valacyclovir provides its intended antiviral treatment, your body needs to get rid of it efficiently. It’s not good for your body to have excess medication in your system. (This can result in a higher risk of Valtrex side effects, which include nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, and joint pain.)
To avoid allowing valacyclovir to build up in your system, your kidneys will work hard to clear it promptly.
This leads to a lot of stress on your kidneys. If you have a medical condition that impairs kidney function or take other medications that also stress your kidneys, your doctor may adjust your Valtrex or valacyclovir dosage accordingly – say, to one gram per day for adults instead of two.
This will involve regular blood work and medical check-ins until you and your doctor find a dose that works for you.
How to Take Valtrex (Your Quickstart User Guide)
Whether you have a cold sore or your child has chickenpox, you need to keep a lot of information in mind.
Allow us to help: Here’s an easy-to-digest Valtrex FAQ that should help ease your experience.
What Happens if you Skip a Dose of Valacyclovir?
It can happen to the best of us – you’re told to take Valtrex or valacyclovir two or three times per day, but you realize a day or two in that, somehow, this didn’t happen. What should you do?
- If you remember the missed dose relatively early, just take it as soon as possible. It doesn’t matter if it’s a few hours late.
- If, by the time you realize you’ve missed a dose, it’s already time for the next (e.g., if it’s the following day already), just take the next dose. Don’t double up on doses of Valtrex.
What Happens if You Accidentally Take Too Much Valacyclovir?
Having too much Valtrex in your system increases your risk of experiencing unwanted side effects.
If you realize that you’ve taken too much, be on the lookout for those symptoms. Common examples of valacyclovir side effects include headaches, vomiting, and nausea.
If you believe that you’re at risk of valacyclovir toxicity, or serious problems associated with taking too much of this drug, watch yourself closely for symptoms of nervous system problems.
These symptoms include unexplained confusion, speech problems, shaky movements, aggressive behaviors, or hallucinations.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms or believe you have taken too much valacyclovir and are worried about your safety, call your doctor, Poison Control, or head to your nearest emergency room.
If My Cold Sores Are Severe, Can I Double My Valtrex Dosage?
Don’t double your Valtrex dosage for any reason.
Even if your cold sores are especially frustrating or don’t appear to be going away, stay on track with your recommended Valtrex dosage.
If you have concerns about the efficacy of your treatment plan, talk to your doctor.
How Fast Does Valtrex Work for Cold Sores?
This is likely the number one thing on your mind. If you’re suffering from cold sores and are taking Valtrex to help you heal, how quickly will you start feeling better?
Of course, the speed at which Valtrex works depends on many factors (e.g., how severe the infection is, how quickly you started treatment, and how your body responds to the medication).
Usually, patients who take Valtrex start to see an improvement in their symptoms in about four days. If you do not see improvement within a week after starting treatment, speak with your doctor. They can update your treatment plan to help you see better results.
Pursue Cold Sore Treatment with Valtrex for Less
When you need Valtrex, you need it quickly. After you start seeing cold sore symptoms, the faster you initiate treatment, the better – which means that you don’t have time to deal with labyrinthine American pharmacy logistics.
(You don’t need impossibly-high herpes medication prices standing in your way, either – but we’ll get to that in a minute.)
We know that buying prescription medication can be frustrating and exhausting. And, if you want privacy, it can feel like you’re out of luck.
That’s where NorthWestPharmacy.com is ready to help.
Once you receive your updated prescription for Valtrex, have your doctor send it to a safe, certified online Canadian pharmacy. Our team can help you get the medication you need in just a few clicks. Or, you can speak to someone on your phone and place an order in a few minutes.
Either way, you don’t have to drive anywhere or deal with hassles – and, before you know it, your required cold sore treatment will be en route to your front door.
Better still?
We can offer you the brand Valtrex or generic valacyclovir you need for reliably low costs – far less than you’ll pay at your brick-and-mortar American pharmacy.
Interested to see how NorthWestPharmacy.com can make getting your required medication much easier (and more affordable)?
Check out our Canadian pharmacy reviews page.
Give our friendly customer service team a call at 1-866-539-5330, or speak with one of our pharmacists M-F.
Then, whenever you’re ready, place your order. It can be that easy! Our international drugstore and safe Canadian online pharmacy and international drugstore is pleased to support you and your healthcare needs.
