Valtrex
Valacyclovir 500mg and 1000mg tablets for shingles, cold sores and genital herpes — an antiviral that shortens outbreaks and can also keep them from returning.
All strengths and pack prices
| Strength | Pack | Price | Per tablet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500mg | 12 tablets | $45.04 | $3.75 |
| 500mg | 24 tablets | $84.14 | $3.51 |
| 500mg | 36 tablets | $115.56 | $3.21 |
| 500mg | 48 tablets | $146.88 | $3.06 |
| 500mg | 60 tablets | $169.14 | $2.82 |
| 500mg | 90 tablets | $229.49 | $2.55 |
| 1000mg | 12 tablets | $65.52 | $5.46 |
| 1000mg | 24 tablets | $126.64 | $5.28 |
| 1000mg | 36 tablets | $185.40 | $5.15 |
| 1000mg | 48 tablets | $243.09 | $5.06 |
| 1000mg | 60 tablets | $296.64 | $4.94 |
- Category
- Antivirals
- Active ingredient
- Valacyclovir
- Route
- Oral
- Form
- Tablet
- Strengths
- 500/1000mg
You will receive a quality generic equivalent, depending on stock.
Shipped in a discreet, unmarked envelope.
Details
- Conditions
- Shingles · Cold sores · Genital herpes
- Therapeutic Class
- Antiviral
- Pharmacological Class
- Antiviral
- Minor Side Effects
- Headache, nausea
- Moderate Side Effects
- Dizziness, stomach pain
- Dosage Forms
- Tablet
- Administration Route
- Oral
- Originator
- GSK
- Onset Time
- 1 hour
- Duration
- 8–12 hours
- Storage Instructions
- Store in a cool, dry place.
- Drug Interactions
- Probenecid, Cimetidine
What you will receive
Valtrex is the originator brand name, made by GSK. We use it to identify the medicine; the pack you receive is a generic equivalent, not the original Valtrex.
- The same active ingredient (Valacyclovir) at the same strength.
- The exact brand supplied depends on what is in stock when your order ships.
FAQ
Which generic valacyclovir strengths and pack sizes can I order?
Generic valacyclovir comes as 500mg and 1000mg tablets. Packs range from 12 to 90 tablets, depending on strength. This is generic valacyclovir, not the original Valtrex. Larger packs cost less per tablet.
How discreet is delivery of generic valacyclovir to Hong Kong?
Your generic valacyclovir parcel is plain and unbranded, with nothing on the outside about the contents. Tracked courier takes 5 to 9 business days and includes online tracking. If a parcel goes missing, it is sent again free or refunded if that is not possible.
How long does a course of valacyclovir last?
It depends on what is being treated. Shingles and chickenpox take seven days of treatment, a cold sore is covered by two doses twelve hours apart, and genital herpes is treated for several days. When valacyclovir is used to keep outbreaks away, it is taken once or twice a day for months at a time.
What's the difference between valacyclovir and acyclovir?
Valacyclovir is converted into acyclovir once it is inside the body, so the two work in the same way. Valacyclovir is absorbed more completely, which is why it can be taken once, twice or three times a day rather than the five daily doses acyclovir tablets often need.
Which strength should I order, 500mg or 1000mg?
Both strengths treat the same conditions; what changes is how many tablets make up a dose. A one-gram or two-gram dose means fewer tablets when you use the 1000mg strength, while 500mg tablets let you build the dose in smaller steps. The pack you need depends on how long the course runs.
Can I take valacyclovir with food?
Yes. The tablets can be swallowed with or without food, so there is no need to time a dose around meals. A glass of water is all you need to take them with.
Does valacyclovir stop genital herpes coming back?
Taken every day, valacyclovir can cut how often outbreaks return. It does not clear the virus from the body, so an outbreak can still happen, and daily treatment is taken for as long as it is helping. A short course for an outbreak you have now is a different routine.
About Valtrex
What valacyclovir treats
Valacyclovir is an antiviral tablet. It is used for outbreaks caused by the herpes family of viruses: shingles (herpes zoster), the painful blistering rash that follows a nerve; cold sores on and around the lips; genital herpes, both a first episode and later ones; and chickenpox in some people. It works by stopping the virus from multiplying, which shortens the outbreak and eases the symptoms. The virus itself stays in the body afterwards, so outbreaks can return once a course ends. Starting at the first tingle, blister or patch of pain gives the best result.
How to take it
Swallow the tablets with water; food makes no difference, so take them with a meal or between meals. How often you dose depends on what is being treated. Shingles and chickenpox are usually treated for seven days with one dose every eight hours. A cold sore is treated with two doses twelve hours apart. Genital herpes is treated with one or two doses a day for several days, and the same once- or twice-daily pattern is used long term when the aim is to keep outbreaks from returning. Valacyclovir is a form of acyclovir that the body converts after swallowing; because it is absorbed well, it is taken far fewer times a day than plain acyclovir. Keep the strips in their box somewhere cool and dry.
Side effects to know about
Headache and nausea are the most common complaints, and some people get vomiting, diarrhoea or stomach pain; these usually pass. Serious reactions are uncommon. A rash with blisters, sores in the mouth or peeling skin needs urgent treatment, and so do confusion, unsteady movements, slurred speech, hallucinations or a seizure. Fever together with passing much less urine, or swelling of the legs and ankles, also needs urgent attention. Anyone with kidney disease clears valacyclovir more slowly and may be given a lower dose or longer gaps between doses.
500mg, 1000mg, and plain Valacyclovir
Valtrex here is valacyclovir 500mg and 1000mg film-coated tablets. The higher strength suits doses of a gram or more, so a single dose means fewer tablets to swallow; 500mg tablets let you build the same dose in smaller steps. A second product with the same ingredient, Valacyclovir, also comes as 500mg and 1000mg tablets — the two differ in name rather than in strength or form.
Sources
- Valacyclovir: MedlinePlus Drug Information — MedlinePlus
- Valaciclovir 500 mg film-coated tablets - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) - (emc) — electronic medicines compendium (emc)