Effective analogue of "Valtrex". What is better - "Valtrex" or "Acyclovir"?

To give preference to the original medicine or to bet on generics? This question does not give rest to many visitors to pharmacies. And the reason for doubts lies on the surface: why spend money on expensive "magic pills", when you can buy an identical drug for a more modest amount?

Is the "duplicate" always worse than the patented sample and how to understand which medical product is more effective and safer? For clarity, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the most popular medicines aimed at fighting skin diseases.

High price - perfect quality: "Valtrex"

Instructions for use (analogues, although identical in composition, can not be prescribed for use on the basis of this manual) defines Valtrex as an antiviral agent based on valaciclovir and assigns to it the role of an effective tool in the fight against herpes. Getting into the human body, the active substance under the influence of metabolic processes changes its structure. As a result, L-valine and acyclovir are formed. Further transformation of the reagents results in the synthesis of triphosphate acyclovir, which acts as an inhibitor of the DNA polymerase pathogenic agent. In simple terms, "Valtrex" (reviews with herpes on this drug are mostly positive) reduces the activity of the virus due to the inhibition of the evolution of its deoxyribonucleic acid.

Valacyclovir primarily provides localization and suppression of infectious sources, which resulted from the development of cytomegalovirus and / or the Epstein-Barr virus. In turn, the herpes virus of the first, second and sixth type also falls under the sights of the drug and is neutralized by its components.

Medical indications for the use of the drug

The use of "Valtrex" is advisable in the case of:

• The diagnosis of "herpes zoster";
• Detection of symptoms of infectious irritation of the mucous membranes;
• Reasoned suspicions of recurrent genital or labial herpes;
• The need for prevention of skin diseases;
• Postoperative complications in transplantology.

It should be noted that the most effective and affordable analogue (Valtrex has dozens of "duplicators") - the drug under the trade name "Acyclovir" - is almost identical to the famous original by the nature of pharmacological reactions and can be appointed as an alternative medicine. The only nuance concerns the fight against relapses: it is commonly believed that a medicament-synonym in this sense is less productive.

The practical side of the question: the way of application and dosage

Tablets "Valtrex" (the analogue mentioned above, is presented on the market in the form of tablets and in the injectable / cream form) must be swallowed whole without violating the integrity of the shell. The frequency of admission, the duration of the course and the dosage of the drug are regulated by a specific diagnosis.

So, for example, with herpes zoster, the daily norm should be six tablets: 3 times 2 units. The recommended length of therapy in this case is 7 days (the exact time interval is determined by the attending physician). Prevention of the same cytomegalovirus infection requires the patient much more serious efforts. Here we are talking about four daily tricks, each of which implies the use of four pills. And this schedule will need to be adhered to within three months. But the herpes simplex virus can be cured by Valtrex in a few days: up to ten days, one tablet in the morning and in the evening.

Limitations and caveats

Special conditions of use should be observed when treating valacyclovir. The fact is that the active substance, along with the therapeutic effect, sometimes provokes an exacerbation of chronic diseases. For this reason, all drugs that contain this component must be prescribed, adjusted for the condition of the individual patient ("Acyclovir" as an analogue, "Valtrex" as the original is fully subject to this rule).

In particular, violations in the work of the kidneys - a signal that the therapy must necessarily be accompanied by monitoring the level of hydration of the body (especially important for elderly patients). Also it should be remembered that with congenital liver pathologies or with the transplantation of this organ, even low doses of Valtrex are potentially dangerous (despite the fact that the effect of the drug is aimed at suppressing infections caused by cytomegalovirus). The lack of reliable data on the reaction of the fetus to the components of the drug places a restriction on its use during pregnancy. The appointment of "Valtrex" with lactation is justified in exceptional cases.

Side effects of the drug "Valtrex"

Despite the high cost and positive feedback, "Valtrex", like any other medicine, has a number of shortcomings, manifested as side effects of a reversible nature. The most common ones are:

• Headaches, followed by dizziness;
• Various disorders of the digestive tract (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, etc.);
• Functional disorders of the kidneys and outflow channels;
• Decreased or, conversely, excessively elevated tone;
• A tremor that turns into convulsions;
• Skin allergies and swelling.

By the way, any analogue ("Valtrex" is most often compared with "Acyclovir") is also imperfect: after receiving it, in addition to the above-mentioned negative reactions, patients sometimes experience unconscious fatigue against the activation of hepatic enzymes. In addition, there were isolated cases when the prescribing of a "duplicate" drug led to an increase in the concentration of urea and creatine.

A worthy analog: "Valtrex" or "Acyclovir"

Ideal drugs, as you know, does not exist. Nevertheless, assessing the advantages and disadvantages of the drug "Valtrex" (reviews for herpes on emotional and information load are about the same as the comments on "Acyclovir"), we can conclude about its full pharmacological competence.

If we conduct functional parallels with the "backup", whose price is three to four times lower, and the medicinal properties are practically the same, the advantage still remains for the patented original. The basis for such a statement is the mechanism of absorption of reagents.

Valaciclovir - the basic component of Valtrex - is able to overcome the blood-brain barrier even before transformation into acyclovir and thereby maintain activity until the moment it encounters viral DNA; The active component of the medicine-synonym starts to act directly at the start of metabolic processes, as a result of which it loses some of the therapeutic potential. And yet, thanks to a balanced pharmacological kinetics, the drug with the trade name "Acyclovir" positively stands out against other analogues.

What is the purpose of Acyclovir?

The relatively high price of Valtrex (analogous to a few times cheaper) is not the only reason that the attending physician points out in the recipe Acyclovir. It's just that sometimes, due to the diagnostic features, there is no need to use a powerful original.

Specific example. The patient has problems with the kidneys and liver. The formula of the active substance of the preparation "Valtrex" is selected in such a way as to guarantee the maximum rate of excretion of components from the body. But valaciclovir, transforming, quite heavily burdens those very problematic organs of the patient. Therefore, from a medical point of view, it is advisable to use an analog drug with a modified output algorithm.

A global goal of the appointment of "Acyclovir" is still the same - neutralization of infections of a viral origin (control of herpes and its derivatives).

Forms of production of the drug "Acyclovir" and recommended doses

The original preparation "Valtrex" (instruction, analogs, dosage and special conditions of use described above) has a tablet form of release. "Acyclovir" is available in the form of tablets, cream and solution for intravenous administration.

Infusion, as a rule, is resorted only to severe forms of infection. The drug is administered at 5 mg / kg 3 times a day for 5 days. Under standard conditions of the disease, the medicine-synonym is prescribed in the form of pills, which must be taken in such quantity:

• Five times a day for one unit (5-10 days) if simple herpes is diagnosed;
• Five times a day for four units (7 days), if confirmed suspicions of shingles.

The cream is applied to the affected area 5 times a day for 5-10 days.

Arguments in favor of the original and generics

All the known analogues of Valtrex (reviews about them, by the way, can be found very different: from laudatory speeches to ruthless criticism) contain ingredients identical to those present in the original.

However, it is impossible to talk about the complete similarity of an expensive medicine with more affordable generics. Belonging to different price groups is conditioned by the following criteria:

• Degree of purification of reagents and the number of side effects;
• Presence / absence of auxiliary components;
• Ease of use.

But the most important factor is an international patent: Valtrex has it, Acyclovir does not. Although, again, do not forget that the lion's share of counterfeits in the pharmaceutical market are low-quality copies of expensive originals. It is economically unprofitable to deal with the counterfeit production of generics.

A brief overview of other synonymous drugs

The question of what to choose - "Valtrex" or "Acyclovir" - is not entirely correct and reflects the current situation not fully (although the majority of votes is still assigned to the original for the original). Today the list of available analogs has several dozen positions, and only an experienced doctor is able to determine whether a particular "backup" is suitable for the role of the main drug or not. For example, the pharmacological duel of "Valtreksa" and "Famvira" is unlikely to reveal a winner (in view of metabolic nuances, famciclovir sometimes gives results where other drugs are powerless, but often idles in the most common cases). But the "Medovir" on the effectiveness of the preventive course has all chances to break out ahead.