Could Valtrex be used as an alternative to acyclovir?
Patient: I have facial herpes. I have been under extreme stress for several months and have continual out breaks so my doctor put me on acyclovir 400 mg three times daily. I think this medication is causing depression. So I was looking at Valtrex as an alternative. Doctor: Hello,Thanks for choosing health care magic for posting your query.I have gone through your question in detail and I can understand what you are going through.Both acyclovir and valtrex are more or less the same and both these medications can cause depression as an adverse effect. The fact that you have already stated that you have a lot of stress states a possibility that your current depression could be due to the stress independently rather than the medication adverse drug reaction. You may take escitalopram or fluoxetine along with the medication for herpes. The stress needs to be managed properly. That will require cognitive behavioural therapy. This therapy is taken by either a psychologist or a psychiatrist in which the therapist identifies impaired cognitions (Thoughts) and try to correct them. They are 15-20 min weekly session and there should be around 8-10 sessions to help you with your illness.Hope I am able to answer your concerns.If you have any further query, I would be glad to help you.In future if you wish to contact me directly, you can use the below mentioned link:bit.ly/dr-srikanth-reddy