Acyclovir

Does anyone know how long Acyclovir take to work? I'm in so much pain i can't even go to the bathroom or walk

[petal130]

Unfortunately if you started it more than a couple days into your OB, then it doesn't pack as much a punch had you started it on the outset.

But here are some tips for you:

Outbreaks can be anywhere from mildly uncomfortable to very painful. What can you do for pain relief? Don't hesitate to sit with an ice pack in between your legs too if you need to. Unless you have a medical reason not to - try alternating Tylenol with ibuprofen (Advil/Motrin) for pain relief comparable to some narcotics - ie Tylenol 1000 mg at 6 am, 600 mg Advil at 9, Tylenol at noon, Advil at 3 am etc. Also look for Dermoplast spray (the blue can for the genital area, (not the red can) or another topical anesthetic spray - ask your pharmacist

Keep the affected area as dry as possible and wear no underwear (if possible) to let the air get at the area. The dryer that you keep the area the faster it will heal. When coming out of the shower use your hair dryer on a lower setting to dry the area so that way you do not have to rub it with a towel

Apply cornstarch by sprinkling it on to the affected area as cornstarch helps to keep the area dry.

To decrease the itching at night and to get a good nights sleep take Benadryl before bed time to get that good nights sleep.

Finally if going to the bathroom is painful run water over the area, urinate in a tub or shower. All these help to dilute the acid in the urine.

If you have a lesion in an area that is causing a lot of pain and if it is so positioned that by putting a finger or two on it then put some thing on your hand and cover the area by pressing down and covering the area which will make it less painful to go to the bathroom.

To make you feel better as well bath in either Aveeno or Epsom salts to sooth your aching body.