Treatment For Genital Herpes

FAMVIR® (famciclovir) is an antiviral medicine that may help relieve the symptoms of genital herpes and help herpes sores to heal faster. Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease primarily caused by the herpes simplex type 2 (HSV-2) virus. FAMVIR is an antiviral agent. The active ingredient in FAMVIR enters the skin cells and interferes with the virus’s ability to reproduce.

FAMVIR can be used to treat genital herpes outbreaks in several ways:

• An episodic treatment is when your doctor treats an outbreak of genital herpes as it occurs.
• A suppressive treatment may be used if you have frequent or severe outbreaks.
• Recurrent treatment for patients with HIV. FAMVIR is the only antiviral therapy indicated for treating genital or orolabial herpes in people infected with HIV.

When discussing treatment options with your doctor, be sure to discuss your lifestyle and how you feel about the severity of your genital herpes outbreaks. Most people have a choice of treatments (episodic or suppressive), depending upon your particular symptoms and the discomfort associated with the outbreaks. Talk to your doctor about the type of treatment that would be most appropriate for you.

There is not cure for genital herpes. During an outbreak, you must avoid sexual contact. If you are or thinking about becoming pregnant and you are currently taking any antiviral therapy, please notify your physician.

FAMVIR is not for everyone. In clinical trials, the most common side effects reported in people taking FAMVIR are headache, diarrhea, and nausea. The safety and efficacy of FAMVIR therapy beyond 1 year of treatment have not been established.