What Are Valtrex 500mg Tablets?
Valtrex tablets are a medication used to treat the herpes virus. The tablets come in 500mg and 1000mg dosages and are generally taken twice a day. Valtrex is the brand name for valacyclovir, an antiviral drug that works by stopping the herpes virus from multiplying. Valtrex can also help to shorten the duration of an outbreak if it is taken as soon as symptoms develop.
How Does Valtrex Work?
The active ingredient in Valtrex tablets, valacyclovir, is a synthetic nucleoside analogue. It works by interfering with the viral replication process, which stops the virus from spreading. They do this by blocking an enzyme called DNA polymerase, which is essential for the virus to replicate.
Valacyclovir is also converted to acyclovir, which is a further powerful antiviral agent. By stopping the virus from replicating, Valtrex tablets can help to clear up an infection more quickly. In addition, Valtrex tablets may also help to reduce the risk of developing herpes lesions in people who have been infected with HSV-1 or HSV-2 in the past.
What Does Valtrex treat?
- Cold sores
- Shingles
- Genital herpes
- Chickenpox