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Significant Interactions:
If you are taking Valtrex with certain other drugs, the effect of either drug could be increased, decreased, or altered. Check with your doctor before combining Valtrex with cimetidine (Tagamet) and/o
r probenecid (Benemid).
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What side effects can this medication cause?
Check with your doctor as soon as possible if the following side effect occurs:
- Painful menstruation, including abdominal cramps, diarrhea, or nausea
- Black, tarry stools; ches
t pain; chills; cough; decreased frequency/output of urine; fever; flu-like symptoms; headache; lower back/side pain; reduced mental alertness; shortness of breath; unusual tiredness; yello
w eyes or skin
- Back, leg or stomach pains; changes in behavior, especially in interactions with other people; difficulty breathing or swallowing; fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat
; high blood pressure; itching; lightheadedness when getting up from a lying or sitting position; redness of skin ;
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How should you take this medication?
Valtrex comes as a tablet to take by mouth. It is usually taken every 8 hours (three times a day) for 7 days to treat shingles. To treat genital herpes it is usually taken twice a day for 5 days. Foll
ow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take Valtrex 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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Precautions while Using this Medicine
The effects of Valtrex during pregnancy and breastfeeding have not been adequately studied. If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, notify your doctor immediately. If you are nursing and need
to use Valtrex, your doctor may advise you to discontinue breastfeeding while using the medication.
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Overdosage
Check with your doctor immediately in case you suspect an overdose. When taken by people with kidney disorders, excessive doses of Valtrex have been known to cause psychological problems and kidney fa
ilure.
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What special precautions should I follow?
Older adults¡XValtrex has been used in elderly patients and has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults. Elderly patients are at a hig
risk for dehydration and should drink plenty of fluids.
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