VALTREX When Pregnant

I have two kids and pregro with my third. I have taken Valrex on occassion with all three pregnacies for cold sores, and there have been no problems.

I did take Valtrex too when I was last pregnant (about late 2007) and had it prescribed by my OB b/c my pcp wasn't sure. No probs 4 us.

My daughter took it while she was pregnant and my grandson is now one!!!

I took valtrex when I was pregnant - I had the worst breakout of cold sores ever! It worked well and I now have a healthy 4 month old baby boy. I really think that its ok to take it, although you should really go with your gut feeling and whats good for you. Good luck!

I did take it while pregnant & was uneasy, but seemed to have no problems with it.

S.,

Valtrex is just a timed release acyclovir, and acyclovir has been around for decades-long enough to have been researched well in pregnancy. Of course you should be concerned with taking any medication while you're pregnant, but aAll the research I read says it is safe to take while pregnant. However, you know you need to take it at the first sign of a cold sore, so is it too late already to really be of any benefit?

Is this the first outbreak since becoming pregnant? When I was pregnant, I didn't get a single outbreak for the whole pregnancy. Maybe this will be the only one! Did you get outbreaks with your first pregnancy?

I was 10 weeks along as well and I developed a horrible cold sore that spread from my entire bottom lip onto my chin. It was the worst one that I have ever had. I too was told to take Valtrex by my ob. I was a little worried and even called back to the office and asked a second time if it was alright to take it. I wouldn't worry about it too much they wouldn't tell you to take something that would be harmful to your baby.

My OB prescribed me Valtrex while I was pregnant too. And I never had any problems with it.

I have chronic shingles and took a course of valtrex while I was pregnant. It is safe. As a matter of fact they give it to moms who have genital herpes about two weeks before they are to deliver to prevent transmission to the baby. So no worries! But you could try Zovirax cream first to see if that would help.

I worked at a birthing center and the OBs and midwives prescribed Valtrex for all their patients with genital herpes (same virus as your cold sore) several weeks before birth so they wouldn't be having an outbreak at the time of delivery. It is safe for pregnancy.

I don't know about Valtrex, but would be very wary of taking a prescription drug during pregnancy. Have you ever tried using the amino acid L-Lysine? You can buy it OTC, and as it is one of the essential proteins our bodies need, I can't imagine it would be harmful - I used to give it to my kids when they were little and had outbreaks. I really don't get cold sores anymore, but when I did, I would take several l-lysine tablets several times a day. Also, there are certain foods to avoid. I can't remember all of them, but I know oatmeal, brown rice, nuts, peanut butter. You can probably google foods that contain l-lysine and foods that contain l-arginine (the opposing amino acid). Eat high protein foods - I remember salmon being one that's good to eat. You might not be getting enough protein in your diet. When I started taking a daily protein supplement (I use the soy protein from shaklee), my outbreaks became few and far between. Now, I never get cold sores. Good luck!

If you want to avoid the Valtrex, here's what my doctor (an Integrative M.D.) recommends for me:

* Take 500 - 1000 mg of the amino acid L-Lysine 3 times a day (Lysine is an inexpensive supplement. I get mine at Whole Foods in 1000 mg doses).

* Get rest and de-stress the best you can (not always easy, I know!)

* Avoid: Chocolate, caffeine, and nuts while the outbreak is active. Alcohol too, but I imagine you're already avoiding that. LOL. I saw that Katy said that oatmeal is an "avoid" food, but my doctor told me I could have up to 1 cup a day. It's the only grain I eat, so I rely on it as a comfort food, 1/2 cup for breakfast, and 1/2 cup as a night tie snack. That was OK with my doc.

I had Shingles a couple of years ago and that outbreak lasted over 6 months. When another outbreak started, I followed her advice and it was cleared up within a week. Shingles is another form of herpes (an offshoot of Chicken Pox), and she treats all herpes outbreaks pretty much the same way. This is the same plan she advises for my husband when a cold sore is coming on. I now take 1000 mg of Lysine daily just because it's so good for the skin (protects collagen supplies, etc.). ;-)

Good luck!

hi S....

I had the same problem...I actually suppose to take a bill a day for prevenation...During pregnancy they told me it was ok to take medicine if I have an out break. The issue is they don't know if it's safe or not because no study is allowed on pregnant woman...during my pregnancy I didn't take anything and i will luck that I didn't have any big out break...I felt when I spoke with the dr. that it wasn't safe. Also they have cream that you can use if you have break on that outbreak. Not as affective but a little more safe for the baby...Good luck...

Hello S.. I've never taken Valtrex. But when I had an outbreak while pregnant, I would use Abreva and Herpecin. These are topical ointments and it reduces the time and the severity of the outbreak. But if your doctor says that it's okay, I wouldn't question it necessarily. Unless of course you get a second opinion from another doctor.

Good luck to you,

M. F

I looked it up and here is what it says :
•if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Talk with your healthcare provider about the risks and benefits of taking prescription drugs (including VALTREX) during pregnancy.
•if you are breastfeeding. VALTREX may pass into your milk and it may harm your baby. Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby if you are taking VALTREX.