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FAMVIR for Treating Herpes in People with HIV
FAMVIR is the only prescription oral antiviral therapy indicated for treating recurrent genital or orolabial herpes in people infected with HIV. In patients with herpes simplex and HIV, the dose of FAMVIR is 500 mg, twice a day, for 7 days.
FAMVIR works by entering the infected cells and preventing the herpes virus from reproducing.
FAMVIR can be taken with or without food.
When discussing treatment options with your doctor, be sure to discuss your lifestyle, how you feel about outbreaks, the pain and severity of your symptoms, and the frequency of your outbreaks. Be sure to talk with your doctor about the type of treatment (episodic or suppressive) that would be most appropriate for you.
Always take your medicine as prescribed by your doctor. If you are taking any other prescription or over-the-counter medications, please be sure to tell your doctor. There is no evidence that FAMVIR can stop the spread of herpes to others. If you are sexually active you can still pass herpes to your partner, even if you are taking FAMVIR. During an outbreak, you must avoid sexual contact, and use a condom in between outbreaks.
Here's some other information you should know about HIV and genital herpes
People who have genital herpes may be more likely to acquire HIV than those who don't have the virus. Genital herpes and HIV can both be sexually transmitted. During an outbreak of genital herpes, CD4 cells, which fight against the herpes infection, are found at the base of the herpes sore. These cells are the main cells attacked by HIV. Therefore, if you have genital herpes sores and are exposed to HIV during sexual contact, HIV can find an easy entry into the body.
People with HIV are immunocompromised, which means that their bodies have a hard time fighting against diseases like genital herpes. Because of this, HIV-infected people are more likely to have more severe, painful outbreaks. Recurrent outbreaks may affect large areas of skin and may take longer to heal. Genital herpes may make people with HIV more infectious to others. The herpes simplex virus may also spread to areas of the body besides the skin. In people with HIV, genital herpes may also enter the rectum, the uterus in women, or the epididymis (a tube that connects the sperm duct to small tubes leading from the testicles) in men.
FAMVIR is a prescription, oral antiviral medication that may help reduce the duration of your symptoms and discomfort. FAMVIR is approved to treat genital herpes or orolabial (cold sores) in people infected with HIV. In the clinical study with HIV-infected patients, FAMVIR was initiated within 48 hours of lesion onset.
Learn about living with herpes
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