Valtrex - Just started - Side effects

[A_Tony]

I have just started Valtrex 1 per day, 500mg.

I was wondering if anyone else who has started this treament for suppression has noticed any side effects such as pain in the lower legs or anything else?

Also did the side effects go away in time?

Thanks.

[noclue22226]

well i have been off the valtrex for over 3 weeks now.....the pain the buttock still seems to come and go....right now not too much of it going on.....and no pains in the arms or legs in the last 4 days....havent seen any odd looking things on the penis shaft so I guess for now its a good sign....the tip still seems to get puffy and irritated sometimes and just doesnt seem to look right....sometime redish like bites or spots at the tender part of the skin in the opening.......they seem to come and go.....really weird....well I guess that is all for now. might go back to my urologist and see what he thinks....

[gracefromHHP]

This is your assignment for this week.  Grab a pencil and paper cause you are getting homework dahlin'!!!!

1 - turn off your computer.  For the next 2 weeks I don't want you reading ANYTHING about herpes. I don't even want you to read the valtrex ads on tv or in magazines - you see one - turn the channel/flip the page!!  Got it?  I think you are fueling your obession that herpes is the only germ in the world.  You may do work online and you can check the weather/read but no herpes sites at all!  ( I can send you my addy if you want to order some adorable stuff from amazon.com and send it to me of course...he he he )

2 - so what will you do during that time? Go volunteer somewhere. A homeless shelter, soup kitchen, your church if you are a church goer ( just call your church leader and they can find something for you to do even if it's just babysitting ), the library, a nursing home etc.  Keep yourself busy and tell yourself that if you were willing to spend the last several months using your spare time to read about herpes - you can give 2 weeks back to your community and help others.  Do anything more productive than think about your nether regions :)

3 - if you have any genital symptoms at all - YOU ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT TAKE VALTREX!!!  Bury your valtrex bottle in a mason jar in the back yard if you have to to resist tempation.   At this point the only thing you should be doing when you get symptoms is going to your provider for an exam. If they look and say looks like herpes - REFUSE TO LEAVE THE CLINIC UNTIL YOU HAVE BEEN CULTURED FOR HERPES FROM YOUR SYMPTOMS.  Got it?  

Be my A+ student this week!!!

grace

[sarahcruz]

Hey.  Stop worrying so much.  Seriously.  This is gonna sound so bad..but it's not that big of a deal.  The more you worry, the more you stress, the more you stress, the more your immune system is gonna break down.  And the more it breaks down, the more symptoms you're going to get.  If you're stressing yourself out ALL the time just because you think you have herpes, sometimes you're body will compensate for you.  You know what I mean?  

Honestly, go off the Valtrex and carry on with your daily life.  It's the only thing that's gonna help you through.

I do have one question though...why when you had the blisters...didn't your Dr culture them???  

[greengem5]

Hi, sorry you are having such a hard time- hun, even if people think that you are overreacting - The situation still has an effect on you. Nobody wants herpes, and I hate the fact that I have it. It does sound like you have the virus - sorry to say. Just try the advice I gave you earlier. If you have any questions about what I've gone through - let me know. I've lived with it now for what seems like forever. Take care.

[noclue22226]

I see how why you think I am overreacting. I can see how anyone can think that not being me. Let me remind you why I think I am still not in the clear yet.

-My situation in my opinion was high risk
-I got some sort of odd symptoms at 2 weeks or so. (Burning at the tip and pelvic pain and pain down the leg but I can remember the extent….its been a while and the rash on the testicles.) I know these all might not be herpes.

-Since then I have had pain in the testicles and irritation at the tip of the penis and on the shaft.
- At 8.5 weeks I got 3 blister/bumps. My doctor said it was herpes. So far he is the only one who saw them. If it isn’t that then what the heck is it?
- Since then the skin has been a glossy type where that was and also in a bigger area on the shaft. I know some people might overanalyze but it just doesn’t look the same.

-I went off the valtrex and 10 days later I got an uncomfortable pain/burning on the shaft so I went back on and it seemed to help.
- I get pains and tingling different place of the body, I know this might not be herpes….it might be the meds I am taking…..the tingling has seem to kind go away for most part.

All my blood and urine tests for stds have been negative which is a good sign, but:

-I read that the herpes  blood tests are not accurate
-I also read that the window frame is 6 months
I also read and was told from Dr. HHH that since it is not 100% accurate there are some people who are positive but never test positive.

That being said, if the blisters wouldn’t have appeared and I would still not feel like **** then I would move on. But something is going on.

And by the way if you notice at the top that of my posts that I addressed them to someone. Notice how it wasn’t to you. That means I wasn’t ******* talking to you. So quit harassing me and trying to cut me down. I don’t know if you get your jollies sitting on this forum cutting people down but I don’t appreciate it…..and from what I see from other people they don’t either.

[waringblender]

I think you should extract yourself from this forum. You clearly have some kind of OCD issues around having herpes. (They have medication for that, though.)

[noclue22226]

so your saying i should get tested again?? at what time frame. My last test was at 17.5 weeks.......so 6 months?? at some point i have to stop testing......i am currently off the valtrex for the 3rd day.....so far so good...i still have some discomfort issues but i dont have any burning on the shaft of the penis.....last time it occured 10 days later......so we will see what happens.....i wasnt sure if i should take the test at 6 months??

[greengem5]

I have had herpes for years. I went to the ER, was told that I had it back in '94. It is now 2008 - I haven't taken anything for that in over seven years. Every blue moon there will be an outbreak - but I know when they are going to show up. When I'm really stressed, very sick, or have sex too long. Other than that, I don't have an outbreak. Over the years I have learned how to try and control them from showing up. Keep your body as clean as possible, and try to stay stress free and healthy. You need to take a test to find out if you actually have it or not. Plain and simple. You might be wasting your time taking valtrex. Even if you have it and continue taking the meds, you still might get an outbreak anyway like I did. That is why I stopped taking it in the first place. Asta.

[noclue22226]

sorry i didnt mean any disrespect.......its just been tough like i am sure it has been for others who have or think they have it...

[waringblender]

Jesus, listen to yourself. There are people who actually HAVE herpes who go off their medications, and you don't even have it!

I just happened to come  from another forum where there was a discussion of how weak-willed, spineless, whiny, and entitled Amerikans have become. You would have lasted about a day if you were in the Donner Party, man. Afraid to go off an antiviral medication for a virus you don't have. You deserve an award of some kind (Darwin?).

[noclue22226]

i am just scared to go off it.....afraid of what will happen

[DidisMirage]

Thank goodness you're finally listening!! :)

[noclue22226]

thanks for the advice.....i guess i dont know what to do at this point......i will go off the valtrex for now and see what happens...

[waringblender]

Yeesh. Why do you believe a doctor's opinion about a visual inspection, without a culture, but you don't believe a test result? You've had a negative test result and no cultures of any of your so-called "lesions?" That's some major cognitive dissonance.

You might have one of those chronic pain disorders (??chronic pelvic pain syndrome, or whatever it is called), which is more likely related to emotional problems, like depression, than anything physical. Maybe antidepressants would work for you?

[noclue22226]

Grace,
i appreciate the advice and  understand what your saying. The reason I am still worrying about it is because I am confused. I have had negative test results but at 8.5 weeks after the encounter i  took a blood test and the next day after i had an ultrasound done a cluster of 3 bumps/blisters appeared. I went to the doctor that day and he said it was herpes and gave valtrex. After taking more tests the doctor said he didnt care what the blood results said....he saw what he saw. I took the valtrex the next day and the bumps seemed to go away around 2 days after the inital appearance. Since then I have had the pain the buttock and pelvis still seems kind of sore....but not sure. I guess basically i havent felt the same since prior to the experience. Another doc wo is a urlogogist put me on levaquin more than once for prostatitis. There was orginally pain at the tip of the penis and discomfort in the testicles....that is way back when everything started. I got a rash that covered the testicles....it was very sore and eventually went away days later. I have had the other usual symptoms but at this point there is no point in going on about the day by day thing.......

[gracefromHHP]

The reason I suggested stopping medication and getting the WB is because YOU seem to be having a hard time moving past the possibility of herpes and you seem to need convincing that you really don't have it. Stop the valtrex and should you get obvious genital symptoms during the next 2 months - get them cultured for herpes. No luck with that then get the WB if you still need convincing.  

grace

[waringblender]

He wants to believe he has herpes. That's the only thing I can figure. Knock yourself out, "noclue." (That screen name speaks for itself.) Mind-boggling. Critical thinking must not be part of his repertoire.

[noclue22226]

I found this link online.  http://www.herpes.org/newsletters/bloodtesting2001.pdf My last 2 tests were herpe select tests. It says on this chart that they are 100% accurate for false negatives. and WB is  >99%. Thought WB was almost perfect and the herpes select was at around a 96% for false negatives. Can you give me some thoughts on this??

[noclue22226]

whats a herpes WB?  Thats a westerm Blot?? I thought those are used only if your are equalvocal or the results are uncleaer. I went off it when my blood test at 17.5 weeks was negative. After 10 days I started getting this burning/pain down on my penis and I was having trouble sleeping so I went back on it and i think it took care of that.....it seemed go away after that at least.

[gracefromHHP]

You shouldn't be taking valtrex at this point. Your tests have been all negative.  I recommend stopping it for 2 months, getting yourself a herpes WB and then moving on from the possibility of herpes if it's negative.

grace

[noclue22226]

doctors orders

[waringblender]

Noclue, aren't you the obsessive who doesn't have herpes? Why do you take Valtrex?

[noclue22226]

I am on valtrex and i have been getting tingling in the body. I wonder if its from that? I was on levaquin earlier and i heard that is a side effect so I am not sure what its from.

[A_Tony]

Appreciate the info. Thanks.