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Proper Use of This Medicine
Take acyclovir exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor. Use this medication as soon as possible after symptoms appear.
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Side Effects of This Medicine
Oral: (GI side effects reduced if take with meals)
Short-term therapy: nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, headache, dizziness, fatigue, skin rash, edema. inguinal adenopahty, anorexia, leg pain, medicatio
n taste, sore throat.
Long-term: nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, headache, vertigo, insomina, irritability, depression, skin rash, acne. accelerated hair loss, arthralgia, fever, palpitations, sore thr
oat, muscle cramps, mestrual abnormalities, lyphadenopathy.
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Possible food and drug interactions when taking this medication
It is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:
- Carmustine (e.g., BiCNU) or
- Cisplatin (e.g., Platinol) or
- Combination pa
in medicine containing acetaminophen and aspirin (e.g., Excedrin) or other salicylates or
- Cyclosporine (e.g., Sandimmune) or
- Deferoxamine (e.g., Desferal) (with long-term use) or
-
Gold salts (medicine for arthritis) or
- Inflammation or pain medicine, except narcotics, or
- Lithium (e.g., Lithane) or
- Methotrexate (Mexate) or
- Other medicine for infection
or
- Penicillamine (e.g., Cuprimine) or
- Plicamycin (e.g., Mithracin) or
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Symptoms of overdose may include:
Symptoms of overdose may include sluggishness, change in amount of urine, loss of consciousness ¡K
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Why is this drug prescribed?
Acyclovir is used to treat herpes infections of the skin, lip, and genitals; herpes zoster (shingles); and chickenpox. It does not cure herpes infections but decreases pain and itching and promotes he
aling.
Topical acyclovir does not prevent the recurrence of sores but may decrease pain and itching if applied when the earliest symptoms first appear. Oral acyclovir decreases the frequency
and severity of recurrent sores, but it is used only by people with severe herpes infections because of possible adverse effects.
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Special warnings about this medication
If you are or may be pregnant, check with your doctor for instructions on using this medicine during pregnancy.
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