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Treatment Options

I commonly get cold sores from HSV1 6-8 times a year, and I've decided to go on supression therapy with antiviral medication.

First, I've heard that outbreaks get easier/lesser later on in life, is this true? Will my immune system build up resistance?

Secondly, can the virus build resistance to the antiviral drugs?

Is the best mode of taking these antiviral medications (ie: Aciclovir) to take them continuously, once a day for the rest of my life, or should I only take them during outbreaks?

I've heard of treatments to "Prime the Immune System" where you take antivirals for a week each month to keep up antibodies... have you heard of this treatment? Is it worthwhile?

I also take T-supplements (testosterone), is there any link between T levels and outbreaks? I've read online that low-T can cause outbreaks, while taking supplements may trigger them also (a post read on this forum).

Help!

Thanks
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55646 tn?1263660809
For some people, outbreaks get fewer and shorter, but not everyone.  After about 2 years, the outbreak frequency tends to level off.  We don't see resistance to antivirals yet in health people.  I've never heard any science about priming the immune system, forget that.  If you get frequent outbreaks, daily therapy will be useful in reducing the frequency of outbreaks.  I'm not aware of any links between testosterone supplements and herpes at all.

I don't believe I said taking supplements can trigger outbreaks.

Terri
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Avatar universal
A related discussion, Suppression Therapy was started.
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