Herpes Medications – Your Options

If you have been diagnosed with, or suspect you may be having a genital herpes outbreak or infection you are likely anxious to find effective forms of treatment are available to you.

First you should know there is no cure for the virus, but there are several effective herpes medications to help manage the outbreaks and relieve the symptoms. Although genital herpes will eventually clear up without treatment, it is much better to start taking a medication which can be used to help reduce both the symptoms and the duration of the infection.

Herpes Treatments?

Several decades ago, treatment options for herpes included the direct application of deoxyglucose or the actual removal of infected areas by surgery. It was soon found that the former option was ineffective while the latter course often resulted in the spread of the herpes along the scar which was left after the surgery. This is not surprising considering how infectious the herpes virus is. Herpes is a virus that infects the nervous system and the infection is permanent. Most people suffering from herpes can expect a recurrence about four times per year. One of the big problems is that infected people can keep on re-infecting themselves either on the skin area itself or from nerve cell to nerve cell and this is why it is so important to take medication to treat the symptoms of the herpes.

If you are searching for a natural and safe herpes treatment, try H-Away and H-Prevention – two proven and very effective formulas for preventing herpes outbreaks and eliminating herpes sores and blisters including those pesky cold sores that are so common.

Less than 20-years ago anti-viral medications (Valtrex, Acyclovir, Famvir) for oral use first came on the market and studies indicated that these were safe and effective. Since then it has been found that this medication, if taken on a daily basis can reduce recurrence frequency from approximately four times per annum to about once a year. Also when the recurrence does occur, the symptoms are milder and of shorter duration.

Modern Treatments that Work!

In the last few years, a number of non-prescription medications made from essential oils and other natural products have become readily available. These too have all been shown to have anti-viral properties against herpes simplex. If they are taken in a combined format where one product treats the outbreak and actual symptoms of the herpes while the anti-viral meds provide a daily maintenance and preventative treatment, the results have been very successful.

There is ongoing research into new and improved herpes medications. It is important to keep abreast of what these developments may be. Current research is looking for ways to develop a herpes vaccine and this would certainly be a very welcome breakthrough.

Success Story: There’s no telling where you will find love.

Ed and I e-mailed and spoke on the phone for about six weeks before we met in person. I hadn’t seen a close up photo of him before we met, but his personality shined through in e-mails and phone conversations. I knew from the laugh that came up from his toes and his caring, gentle nature that I would like him regardless of physical appearance. I was pleasantly surprised to find that he is as attractive on the outside as he is on the inside. Our first meeting in at a halfway location, in July 2009, was fun, relaxed and oh so pleasant. We were amazed at our compatibility and almost immediate comfort level with each other.

Love has found us, and we’re trying to figure out how to best handle the 400+ miles between his home and mine. We’re talking about my moving his direction at the end of this year.

Marriage? Well, we haven’t discussed that yet. However, after the miracle of finding this incredible man, nothing would surprise me!

Thanks to Positive Singles 

I hope others who have decided against meeting someone long distance will reconsider. There’s no telling where you will find love.

Male to Female Risk of Transmission

Question:

What are the transmission rates of catching HSV2 from Male to Female when you are not experiencing symptoms. I have had herpes for about five years and I have met someone that I am going to have to tell. I am frightened because I don’t know what the reaction is going to be and I really like this girl a lot. I did some research and a few polls taken indicated that people without this condition would most likely not get involved with people that have HSV2. She has already told me that she is very sexual so I don’t know what is going to happen. I constantly hear negative talk about herpes on the radio and in general conversation with my friends. Although, you would be amazed of how many people that I have seen at my job with cold sores. I am wondering if I should just stick with the dating websites for people with herpes or should I take my chances with possibility and embarrassment?

Answer:

According to studies, over the course of one year, from a male with HSV2 to a negative female, if all you do is avoid sex during symptoms, the risk is 8-10%.

The risk further decreases if you also use condoms OR if you are taking antivirals daily therapy. These actions decrease the risk to 4-5%

If you use condoms AND take suppressive therapy, the risk lowers to under 2%.

When you talk to friend, be sure to explain that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 5 men have HSV2 and about 90% of them don’t even realize it. If your friend has not had a type-specific IgG blood test, she should get tested to see if she might be positive without realizing it.

It’s entirely possible that she will not want to take the risk, but the chances are also good that she will be fine with it. I’ve seen lots of people have good results with negative partners. It helps to think positive (not presuming she’ll drop you like a hot potato!) and have the discussion calmly and matter-of-factly. Letting her sense you are secure and informed will invite secure and informed response. Discussing your sexual histories and suggesting you both get STD testing done and then share the results is never a bad idea. Don’t forget it isn’t all about your Herpes. If you don’t have a conversation and hopefully see her test results, you don’t know if she has an STD you’d like to know about too.

No one can promise that the talk can go perfectly, but you’ll never know until you have the conversation.

It could end up being embarrassing, but it could also end up being very rewarding too!

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