Trust me when I say you do not need to take antiviral prescription medication every day to prevent future outbreaks or use them as a preventative method for passing HSV to partners! These medications are powerful and have many negative side effects. (Talk to your doctor about your prescription, ask what she recommends, understand all the options, and make sure to ask your doctor to go over all the side effects.) (From my experience, the doctors will tell you to use a condom and take the prescription antiviral as a preventative to protect your partner from contracting HSV and getting frequent outbreaks). I am here to tell you this is not completely true…
I hope by sharing my research and experience living with HSV-2 for the past four years gives you a new perspective on the highly stigmatized virus and you learn something new. Keep reading to learn more about the virus, how to cope, love, and live your best life with HSV.
I experienced a streamline of negative side effects from taking my prescription valacyclovir every day. The side effects I experienced included concerning amounts of hair loss, difficulty concentrating, depressive episodes, terrible back/ body pains, and short-term memory loss. It is important to know the medication warns it may cause dizziness, may impair ability to operate vehicle, and states to take with ample amounts of water.
Check out this quick video on the Side effects of Valacyclovir (Herpes Medication) https://www.tiktok.com/@luvu2224/video/7423104680865336622?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7437246895791998495
I was taking 500 mg of valacyclovir a day for over a year and could not explain how I was still getting frequent outbreaks! Isn’t this medication supposed to prevent me from having more outbreaks by keeping HSV dormant? Well, it was not doing a very good job…. This was very frustrating to me since my job at the time was extremely physically and mentally demanding. It required me to have to walk around, drive, and move around for 10+ hours a day. All the running around at work worsened my outbreaks, took longer to heal, made it more painful, and uncomfortable for me. Outbreak or not, I had to get to work! I could not keep calling out once or twice every month making a different excuse. I did not want to have to tell my boss about the virus and explain how it has been affecting my health and work performance. Consequently, I decided to suck it up and take the bad performance review I received instead. I learned not all companies are understanding and willing to make accommodation for people with HSV. Hence, I no longer work there anymore or anywhere I do not feel valued and accepted.
I also think it is important to mention that I was in my first relationship with HSV during this time too and I didn't know all the rules yet! I was learning how to navigate this new virus, protect my partner from it, do good at my job, and still have a great s** life too! I was taking the antiviral every single day despite the bad side effects. I continued to take it because my doctor said to and I was terrified if I did not then I would give it to my partner. I spent that whole relationship pretty much in fear that he might get it from me, so i did what my doctor told me to do and took the entiviral for extra "protection". I was never intimate with my partner if I had symptoms or felt something coming on, and always made sure to communicate with him about my health status. I am thankful that we figured out what works for us and experimented even with the virus because now I know for certain condoms and medication do not prevent the spread (although might help prevent it in some situations or contracting any other diseases). To this day, I have never given anyone HSV-2, I do not use condoms or take the antiviral every day anymore. Now I take the lysine daily, still communicate with my partner, avoid stress/triggers, and overall live a healthier more active lifestyle. I have found this to be a holisitic preventative that works for me and my partner. Being intimate again after herpes was not easy and was a learning curve for me. I had to learn how to be more intuitive with my body’s needs, care for myself better, and speak up about things even if it was uncomfortable for me. Just know, it is still possible to have an amazing love life. You can still do everything you used to in the bedroom. Just DO NOT DO IT on an outbreak!
In addition to experiencing physical symptoms, I was not thinking clearly when I was on the medication. This was beginning to be a problem that was not only affecting my career, but also my health and life too. I realized taking the medicine was not stopping outbreaks and not necessarily preventing it from spreading to my partner. So, I was not only still suffering with physical herpes symptoms, but I was also having all these terrible mental side effects in addition! The first step to regaining control over my life again was to ditch the medicine and only take it when I need it (so during an outbreak). Be empowered to make your own decision when it comes to taking the medication and how you would like to use it. Remember the choice is yours. It is your body and you are responsible for taking care of it .
Just because you take a prescription antiviral like valacyclovir daily and use condoms, does not 100% mean your partner is completely safe from getting HSV from you. Condoms do not necessarily prevent Herpes Simplex Virus from spreading because they only cover so much (self-explanatory). The virus is known to be transmitted from one host (the person infected) to another host (partner/person not affected by HSV), when the person not infected by the virus comes into direct contact with an infected person. There are many different ways the virus can be spread. However, direct skin to skin contact with someone who has the virus is the most common. The risk of transmitting HSV is highest when someone is having an active outbreak. Although it can still be passed asymptomatically (when a person infected is not experiencing symptoms). The virus is most contagious during an active outbreak when noticeable physical symptoms arise. Viral particles can also be active asymptomatically before, during, and a couple days to a week after outbreak. This is why you need to wait 3-7 days after initial outbreak is healed to engage in any intimate activity that may involve the infected area. Even though it looks gone, there is a possibility that viral activity is still happening where the infected area was, even though there may not be symptoms (asymptomatic). Herpes can also be transmitted to another person asymptomatically (when no physical symptoms are present). Asymptomatic shedding usually occurs right before and after an outbreak.
Video: Asymptomatic shedding explained
Video “What is Asymptomatic shedding in HSV”
If you take the medication every day, your body will build a tolerance to it just like with any other medications. Thus, when you are having an active outbreak and take the medicine, it might not work as fast or well compared to past outbreaks. Instead, I take 1,000-2,000mg of lysine daily, and only consume my antiviral at the first thought or sight of a potential HSV bump. Lysine is an essential amino acid used as a protein builder in the body. It helps grow and repair tissue. The best part about taking lysine for herpes is that the herpes simplex virus does not use lysine to replicate itself and it also competes with arginine! This means that high levels of one can significantly reduce the uptake of the other. That is why taking a lysine supplement in addition to following a low arginine diet helps prevent outbreaks. HSV needs arginine to make copies of itself. When lysine competes with arginine, it takes away the virus’s ability to grow more. This is not a cure for herpes by any means, but taking lysine daily is a great diet/lifestyle tip for people that have HSV. Since the herpes simplex virus requires arginine (another essential amino acid in the body), to grow and reproduce, taking lysine helps hinder the process of HSV from making more copies in the body. HSV is a virus, not a living organism, so it needs to find a host to grow in (Merriam). The virus can only replicate inside of the host cells it infects and is dormant when found outside of living cells. Effectively surviving off host cells they
infect (Merriam). Taking lysine daily with a low-arginine diet is a safe way to prevent frequent HSV outbreaks. Lysine also has several skin benefits because it helps the body produce collagen and helps wounds heal faster!
Different Lysine Supplements I Use and recommend.
Solgar Lysine 1000 mg
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00014WXQO/?tag=solliv-20
Pure Encapsulations L-Lysine - Essential Amino Acid Supplement for Immune Support & Gum, Lip Health* - with L-Lysine HCl - 90 Capsules
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000H85JYC/?tag=solliv-20
L-Lysine + Monolaurin 600mg 1:1 Ratio, 100 Capsules
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VNV2ZKP/?tag=solliv-20
I hope by sharing my research and experience living with HSV-2 for the past four years gives you a new perspective on the highly stigmatized virus and you learn something new. Keep reading to learn more about the virus, how to cope, love, and live your best life with HSV.
Friendly reminder, you are not alone in this and do not deserve to feel isolated. Follow my Tik Tok @luvu2224 for more information about herpes, my experiences, and to join a positive and supportive community online😊
Works Cited
“Herpes Simplex Virus.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/herpes-simplex-virus. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.
“Virus vs. Bacteria: What Is the Difference?” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/virus-vs-bacteria-difference#:~:text=Living%20or%20Not,through%20something%20called%20quorum%20sensing. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.