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- Aciclovir
Aciclovir 200 mg Tablets contain a medicine called aciclovir. This belongs to a group of medicines called antivirals. It works by killing or stopping the growth of viruses.
Aciclovir can be used to
• treat chickenpox and shingles
• treat cold sores, genital herpes and other herpes simplex infections
• stop these problems returning after you have had them
• stop these problems in people whose immune system works less well, which means their bodies are less able to fight infections
The usual dose for cold sore treatment is one 200 mg tablet taken five times a day for 5 days
• Allergy to aciclovir or any of the other ingredients of this medicine
• An extended rash associated with fever
• Enlarged lymph nodes
• Increased levels of liver enzymes and/or eosinophilia (drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms) after taking aciclovir.
Skin rashes or redness
The adverse reaction of the skin may appear as rashes with or without blisters. Skin irritation, oedema (DRESS syndrome) and fever and flulike symptoms may occur.
Very Common (more than 1 in 10 people):
• headache Common (up to 1 in 10 people)
• feeling sick
• dizziness
• vomiting
• diarrhoea
• skin reaction after exposure to sunlight (photosensitivity).
• rash
• itching (pruritus)
Uncommon (up to 1 in 100 people)
• feeling confused
• seeing or hearing things that aren’t there (hallucinations)
• feeling very drowsy
• tremors
• feeling agitated
These nervous system side effects usually occur in people with kidney problems, the elderly or in organ transplant patients taking high doses of 8 grams or more of Valaciclovir a day. They usually get better when Valaciclovir is stopped or the dose reduced.
Uncommon side effects:
• shortness of breath (dyspnoea)
• stomach discomfort
• rash, sometimes itchy, hive-like rash (urticaria)
• low back pain (kidney pain)
• blood in urine (haematuria)
Uncommon side effects that may show up in blood tests:
• reduction in the number of white blood cells (leucopenia)
• reduction in the number of blood platelets which are cells that help blood to clot (thrombocytopenia)
• increase in substances produced by the liver.
Rare (up to 1 in 1,000 people)
• unsteadiness when walking and lack of coordination (ataxia)
• slow, slurred speech (dysarthria)
• fits (convulsions)
• altered brain function (encephalopathy)
• unconsciousness (coma)
• confused or disturbed thoughts (delirium)
These nervous system side effects usually occur in people with kidney problems, the elderly or in organ transplant patients taking high doses of 8 grams or more of Valaciclovir a day. They usually get better when Valaciclovir is stopped or the dose reduced.
Rare side effects:
• kidney problems where you pass little or no urine.
