Valacyclovir

Valacyclovir is a medication taken by mouth with or without food. Dosage and length of treatment are based on the type of infection, medical condition, and how you respond to treatment. Valacyclovir decreases the severity and length of outbreaks, helps sores heal faster and if taken every day keeps new sores from forming.

This medication works best when it is started at the first sign of an outbreak and may not be as effective if treatment is delayed. When using valacyclovir for genital herpes and cold sores, start dosing at the onset of telltale symptoms like tingling, itching or burning. valacyclovir works optimally when the amount of medication in the body is kept at a constant level, so it's important to take your medication at the same time each day and for the entire length of treatment.

Tell your Nurx medical provider if you suffer from renal impairment as the dosage may need to be adjusted for you. To avoid compromising your medication, store valacyclovir at room temperature in a dry location and keep it in its original packaging.

It's important to remember that valacyclovir is not a cure for herpes and the virus continues to live in your system between outbreaks. Valacyclovir cannot entirely stop the spread of herpes, so it's best to avoid kissing or drink sharing (cold sores) or sexual contact (genital herpes) during an outbreak. Continue to use protection such as condoms to avoid spreading the infection between occurrences.

For this medication to be the most effective, take it at the same time each day and for the entire prescription duration. Be sure to let your Nurx medical provider know if you have immune system disorders such as HIV or if you have kidney disease or you're on dialysis. Organ transplants can increase the chance for infection or complications, so be sure to let us know if you have a history of kidney, heart, or pancreas transplant before you start taking valacyclovir.

While allergic reactions to valacyclovir are rare, they can happen. Get medical attention if you develop allergy symptoms such as rash, itching, swelling, severe dizziness, or trouble breathing.

Like most medications, side effects sometimes occur but diminish as you use the medication. The most common side effects reported from valacyclovir users are nausea, stomach pain, headache, or mild dizziness. Mild dizziness can be made worse by adding alcohol or cannabis, so it's best to avoid these substances while taking valacyclovir. If dizziness occurs, avoid driving or operating heavy machinery until you feel able.

Serious side effects are uncommon and typically appear as changes to mood, trouble speaking, or feeling shaky or unsteady, Serious effects may cause changes in the amount of urine the body produces so it's important to tell your Nurx provider about any history of kidney impairment or organ transplant. Talk to your Nurx medical provider if side effects become a concern or if they don't go away.

Some medications can affect how you react to valacyclovir and the effectiveness of your medication. If you are taking medication for the treatment of kidney problems, including medicines such as naproxen and over the counter ibuprofen, valacyclovir may interfere with these medications. Since valacyclovir contains similar ingredients to acyclovir (Zovirax) used to treat cold sores, it's best not to combine these medications. If you take tizanidine, please let your provider know, as this interacts with valacyclovir.

It's also a good idea to avoid certain vaccinations while taking valacyclovir since medicines can interact with each other. Tell your Nurx medical provider about vaccinations, current medications, and over-the-counter remedies you're taking to make sure valacyclovir will work safely and effectively for you.

It's important to prevent the presence of lesions when the baby is born. Studies show very little adverse effect on pregnant women taking valacyclovir but it's important to review this with your health care provider to determine if the benefits of taking valacyclovir during pregnancy outweigh the risks.

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it's close to the time to take a second dose (you remember at 3 p.m., but your next dose is scheduled for 5 p.m.) just take the one dose. Doubling up on the medication can increase the chance of serious side effects.

Consultation
Anyone who requests herpes treatment will be charged a $30 consultation fee. Please note that at this time, we do not submit claims to insurance for the medical consult fee.

Medication
For those paying with insurance: We will bill your insurance directly for your medication and the price to you will depend on the specifics of your plan. Please connect with your insurance company if you would like to learn more about your copay.
For those paying without insurance: Medication costs $45 for a 3-month supply of outbreak treatment (meaning you only take the medication when you experience an outbreak or feel one coming on). It costs $75 for a 3-month supply of preventive therapy (meaning that you take a pill every day to prevent outbreaks). If you have both oral and genital herpes and need outbreak treatment, the price will be $60 for a 3-month supply.

Support Fee
Nurx will charge a flat $3 support fee each month one or more of your orders are processed. This fee covers your unlimited, on-demand access to our customer care team as well as certain processing fees. This fee will only be charged once in any month, even if you have multiple orders processed that month. This fee applies whether the order is filled through Nurx or at your local pharmacy. If your order is filled via Nurx, the support fee is billed at the time of fulfillment. If your prescription is sent to a local pharmacy, a support fee will be applied at that time. In the future, the support fee will be applied on a cadence that matches your medication refill cadence.

Yes, we accept most forms of private health insurance for medications. If you’d like to know if we accept your health insurance plan, please connect with our team at [email protected]. Please note that at this time, we do not submit claims to insurance for the medical consult fee.
Nurx does not accept any federal or state government insurance plans, such as Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, or any of their affiliated managed care plans, nor can Nurx service such patients. We recommend that you find a local provider in your community that participates in your government payer program.