I gave my doctor the information on anti-virals for Meniere's and she gave me a years prescription to Valtrex. But she only prescribed 500 mg daily. I am also on John of Ohio's regime. Has anyone had experience with low dose anti-viral?? thanks.
I was 1000mg x 3/day for the first 3 weeks - actually had to stay on that loading dose for an additional 3 weeks. Then taper to 2/day; now 1/day. But I am at 1000mg day as maintenance. Perhaps your doctor just needs to see the printed documents for Valtrex dosage and would agree to increase?
I think I will increase it to 500mg 3xday. I am a bit older (66) and read it works better in the elderly...well don't know if I qualify there. I am very susceptible to medication and I also read that Valtrex is stronger and is absorbed more easily. Will let you know how it goes. Any other comments from Valtrex users? Thanks
I tried Valcyclovir for 5 days, 500 mg, 3X per day. It really helped clear my aural fullness and I started to really feel better. Then I had extreme abdominal pain. It felt like the pain was in my ligaments, bones, muscles. My doctor ran CAT scans and ultrasounds and ruled out other causes. She then felt it was a reaction from the Valcyclovir.....a known side effect of the drug but not usually that severe. Of course, I immediately stopped taking Valcyclovir. It has taken more than 3 weeks for the cramps to subside. I am super sensitive to medicine and supplements also, so I am always wary of what I take. Of course this may not happen to you, but be careful, there can be side effects.
Actually, I think it helped clear my ear fullness a bit and my vertigo hasn't been as bad. I do think it helped. I am going to see how all goes the next few weeks....I may be in a "remission" time where the fullness and vertigo is not as often. This happened last year about this time, so I am sure it is allergy or weather related. I just can't figure out the trigger. Plus, this spring/summer was worse than last year, so I do want to try to stop it in its tracks so it does not worsen. I spoke with a good doctor friend and she thought the valtrex side effect that I had was dose related, so I am considering trying valtrex again. Very slowly....500 mg per day for 1 week, then increase by 500 mg for another week. Once I start to feel improvement, I will stop at that dose. I really don't want that abdominal pain to recur. It was really bad. Hope this helps
Show your doctor Gacek's paper with the doses. If she won't budge, find another doctor. Life is too short to deal with stubborn doctors.
Valtrex is the Bomb I was taking 1,000 mg 3 x's per day for three months when the beginning of the end began for me. Before that I was on acyclovir for five months. During this five month period I had aural fulness, brain fog and vertigo and the dizzies I have been vertigo, aural fulness and brain fog free for five months. My hearing fluctuates from %25-75 of my good ear. I still have tinnitus but it's easy to ignore. Yesterday I was canoeing and swimming and my ear seemed like it was full of water but it wasn't so I boosted up to three 1,000 mg pills of valacyclovir and my ear went back to clear.
Santa. Yay! I have been feeling discouraged because I still cannot go from 3x to 2x without symptoms returning. I am back at 3x 1000mg for another two weeks. I feel good when I've been on 3g so I figure I'll stay a while longer. I have been on AVs a total of 2 1/2 months. I have tried tapering 2x, about 10 days a piece, before increasing my dose back to 3x/day. Glad to know you did that for several months then still had good results. My doubt creeps in that "it" is coming back and that 3g won't work this time....but it has so far. I have been able to exercise again for the first time in 5 years. It is addicting.
try not to feel discouraged, it took me about 8 months to decrease from 1200 mg of acyclovir to the maintenance dose of 800 mg w/o symptoms.
I just climbed the Eiffel tower yesterday. Before that, the Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame. About 1200 steps total. Could not have done that without valtrex.
Wonderful to hear Scott Tom @Gardengal I tried every 1-2 months until I was finally able to get down from 1200 mg to 800 mg of acyclovir w/o symptoms
I've been able to get down to a maintenance dose of valtrex but that seems to last for 6 months or so and then symptoms return so I immediately go back to the 3 times a dose for a while. I'm now back down to twice a day, since my symptoms returned in late May wondering when to dial it back to the maintenance dose again. This time around I committed to including lysine into the mix and may soon reduce to 1.5 rather than the 1 pill a day for maintenance. We'll see how this works. While I'm not glad that others have gone up and down with this disease, it is somewhat comforting knowing that I am not alone with this struggle. Stay well all.
Hi Chinook good to hear from you. But why do you go back up to 3000 mg from 100 mg? Does 200 mg not help when you need to increase? Also some people's maintenance does on Valtrex or its generic is 1500 mg as Dr Gacek's article states we each need to find the maintenance does that works for us, not everyone will be able to stay on 1000 mg as the lowest dose.