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What special precautions should I follow?
Other medicines¡XAlthough certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your do
or may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your health care professional if you are using any other topical prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) me
dicine that is to be applied to the same area of the skin.
Other medical problems¡XTell your doctor if your herpes simplex infection keeps coming back while you are using acyclovir
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Precautions
Before taking acyclovir,
- tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to acyclovir, valacyclovir (Valtrex), or any other drugs.
- tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescripti
on and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially probenecid (Benemid), zidovudine (Retrovir, AZT), and vitamins.
- tell your doctor if you have or have ever had kidney disease, probl
ems with your immune system, human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV), or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
- tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are br
east-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking acyclovir, call your doctor.
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How to Use
This medication is used to treat herpes infections of the skin, mouth, mucous membranes, genital herpes, herpes zoster (shingles), and chickenpox in some individuals. This medication does not cure her
pes, but relieves the pain and may make the infection clear faster.
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Possible food and drug interactions when taking this medication
It is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:
- Carmustine (e.g., BiCNU) or
- Cisplatin (e.g., Platinol) or
- Combination pa
in medicine containing acetaminophen and aspirin (e.g., Excedrin) or other salicylates or
- Cyclosporine (e.g., Sandimmune) or
- Deferoxamine (e.g., Desferal) (with long-term use) or
-
Gold salts (medicine for arthritis) or
- Inflammation or pain medicine, except narcotics, or
- Lithium (e.g., Lithane) or
- Methotrexate (Mexate) or
- Other medicine for infection
or
- Penicillamine (e.g., Cuprimine) or
- Plicamycin (e.g., Mithracin) or
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Overdosage
Symptoms of overdose may include sluggishness, change in amount of urine, loss of consciousness ¡K
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Why is this medication prescribed?
Once a medicine has been approved for marketing for a certain use, experience may show that it is also useful for other medical problems. Although not specifically included in product labeling, acyclo
vir by injection is used in certain patients with the following medical conditions:
Herpes simplex (for prevention of repeated infections) in people with a weak immune system
Herpes zos
ter infections of the eye
Shingles (for prevention of repeated infections) in people with a weak immune system
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