"Zovirax" is considered an antiviral agent that is used externally to eliminate viral infections caused by the herpes simplex virus and some others. The drug is produced in the form of a cream and ointment, tablets, lyophilisate. The active ingredient in all forms of release is acyclovir.
The cream contains the following auxiliary components: paraffin, cetostearyl alcohol, sodium s alt of lauryl sulfuric acid, poloxamer 407, glycerol monostearate. dimethicone, ethylene glycol polymer, propylene glycol, water.
The composition of the tablets includes, in addition to acyclovir, povidone K30, lactose monohydrate, sodium starch glycolate, microcrystalline cellulose, magnesium stearate.
Auxiliary component of the ointment - white vaseline, lyophilisate - sodium hydroxide.
What are the therapeutic properties of Zovirax skin cream and eye ointment
The active substance of the drug has the ability to inhibit the replication of herpes simplex viruses (HSV) of all types, Varicella zoster, cytomegalovirus andEpstein - Barr. Acyclovir has the most pronounced antiviral properties against the herpes virus of the first type.
Acyclovir is not absorbed into the blood after the first application of "Zovirax" to the infected area of the skin. With subsequent use, the amount of absorption of the active ingredient into the bloodstream is minimal.
When doctors recommend using medication
Zovirax is prescribed for the following conditions:
- Chickenpox (an acute and infectious disease, usually manifested in childhood, the disease is characterized by fever, rashes on the skin and mucous membranes).
- Genital herpes (lesion of the mucous membrane of the genital organs, characterized by the appearance of a group of vesicles, and then erosions and sores).
- Herpes of the lips (a viral disease characterized by a rash of clustered blisters on the epidermis and mucous membranes).
- Keratitis (inflammation of the cornea of the organs of vision, which is manifested by its clouding, pain and redness).
- Shingles (a disease caused by the herpes virus that affects not only the skin, but also the central nervous system).
- Cytomegalovirus (an infectious lesion of viral origin, which is transmitted sexually, through everyday life).
Limitations and adverse reactions
Contraindications to the use of the drug are individual intolerance, as well as diseases of the kidneys and liver.
Side effects when using tablets and lyophilisate:
- Gagging.
- Nausea.
- Diarrhea.
- Leukopenia (a pathology in which the number of leukocytes in the blood becomes less than the lower standard values).
- Anemia (a pathological process characterized by a decrease in the concentration of hemoglobin and red blood cells in the blood).
- Thrombocytopenia (a disease characterized by a decrease in the number of platelets that circulate in the peripheral blood).
- Increased sensitivity.
- Rashes.
- Feverish condition.
- Quincke's edema (a disease of allergic origin, which manifests itself through swelling of the skin, as well as subcutaneous tissue and mucous epithelium).
- Anaphylaxis (the body's reaction to a certain allergen, which is accompanied by muscle stenosis, swelling, as well as severe pain and suffocation).
- Nettle rash (a group of diseases characterized by the development of acutely itchy rashes on the epidermis and mucous membranes).
- Photosensitivity (a disease in which the patient has an acute allergic reaction to ultraviolet light).
- Hepatitis (an inflammatory process in the liver as a result of a toxic, infectious or autoimmune process).
- Jaundice (the result of diseases of the liver and other organs, which manifests itself in the staining of the skin, mucous membranes and sclera in a yellow tint due to bilirubin).
- Psychosis (a mental disorder in which a person cannot correctly perceive the environmentreality and respond appropriately).
- Confusion.
- Tremor (rhythmic muscle contractions).
- Hallucination (an image that appears in the mind of a person without an external stimulus).
- Migraine
- Fatigue.
- Hair loss.
Side effects of applying eye ointment:
- Angioneurotic edema (an acute disease characterized by the rapid onset of local edema of the mucous membrane, as well as subcutaneous tissue and the epidermis itself).
- Point keratopathy (a pathological process that is characterized by a violation of the structure and functioning of the cornea of the eye).
- Burning.
- Conjunctivitis (an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the organs of vision, provoked by an allergic reaction or infection).
- Blepharitis (bilateral lesion of the ciliary edge of the eyelids).
Side effects when applying the cream:
- Hyperemia of the skin.
- Peeling.
- Dermatitis (damage to the skin, which appears as a result of the influence of chemical factors, as well as physical or biological nature).
- Quincke's edema.
How to take pills?
The drug is taken orally, washed down with water, during a meal. When eliminating infectious lesions of the herpes simplex virus, tablets are prescribed at a dosage of 200 milligrams every four hours, five times a day.
Standardthe duration of therapy is five days, but in severe conditions the course can be extended. With severe immunodeficiency, the dose of Zovirax can be increased to 400 milligrams while maintaining the same frequency of use. Therapy is recommended to be carried out as soon as possible, already with the development of the first signs of the disease.
To prevent recurrence of infectious viral diseases in people with normal immunity, it is necessary to take 200 milligrams of the drug four times a day at regular intervals. The duration of therapy is determined by the doctor.
In the treatment of herpes zoster and chicken pox, five doses of 800 mg of the drug per day are prescribed. The duration of therapy is seven days. The medicine should be used as soon as possible after infection, because in this case the treatment will be most effective.
For the treatment of patients with severe forms of immunodeficiency, four doses of 800 mg of the drug per day are prescribed at regular intervals. People who have undergone a bone marrow transplant are usually advised to take a course of parenteral treatment with Zovirax before prescribing a tablet form of the drug. The maximum duration of therapy is six months.
In patients with severe kidney disease, the dosage of Zovirax is recommended to be reduced to 200 milligrams twice a day.
The shelf life of Zovirax tablets is 60 months. Keep the drug in a dark place where the temperature does not exceed plus twenty-five degrees.
The cost of tablets is from 500 to 850 rubles.
What is the shelf life of Zovirax ointment, we will tell below.
Eye ointment
The drug is placed in the conjunctiva with a strip of 10 millimeters up to five times a day. Therapy is recommended to continue after the disappearance of symptoms for at least another three days.
The shelf life of this dosage form is 36 months, after opening the tube, the drug should be stored in the refrigerator, do not freeze. Ointment "Zovirax" has a shelf life after opening - one month. The cost of the ointment is 250-300 rubles.
Lyophilisate
The prepared solution is applied intravenously. In obese people, the same doses are used as in patients with normal body weight.
To eliminate infectious diseases caused by the herpes simplex virus and herpes zoster, the drug is administered intravenously three times a day at a dosage of 5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.
For the treatment of infectious lesions in people with immunodeficiency, the drug is used intravenously three times a day at a dosage of 10 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.
To prevent cytomegalovirus infection during bone marrow transplantation, Zovirax is administered intravenously three times a day at a concentration of 500 milligrams per square meter of body area. Treatment starts from the fifth day before transplantation and lasts up to 30 days after transplantation.
Special attention should be paid to lowering the dosage of Zovirax inpersons of retirement age with reduced creatinine clearance.
According to the annotation for use, it is known that in people with kidney disease, intravenous use of the drug should be administered with caution. Dosage varies depending on the degree of manifestation of the disease.
Where is the Zovirax expiration date? As a rule, all the necessary information is indicated on the package or on the tube.
Lyophilisate should be kept away from children, at a temperature of no more than thirty degrees Celsius. The shelf life of "Zovirax" in this form of release is five years. The cost varies from 1500 to 2000 rubles.
The duration of treatment with Zovirax in this dosage form is usually five days, but may be adjusted depending on the patient's condition. The duration of preventive treatment is determined by the duration of the infectious-dangerous period.
Cream for external use
This dosage form is applied with a cotton swab or with washed hands. A small amount of the drug is applied to the affected and adjacent areas of the skin and mucous membranes up to five times a day.
According to the instructions for the Zovirax cream, the duration of therapy is usually four days. With slow healing, treatment can be extended up to ten days.
If after 10 days of therapy the symptoms of the disease persist, it is necessary to consult a doctor.
Zovirax cream expiration dateis thirty-six months (if the tube is not opened). Store for thirty days after opening. After the expiration date, Zovirax cream should not be used. The medication should be kept away from children, at a temperature of no more than plus twenty-five degrees.
The cost of the cream varies from 180 to 200 rubles. Can Zovirax be used by young patients? Consider further.
Children
According to the instructions for use, young patients with immunodeficiency are prescribed the drug according to age:
- Use half adult dosage until age two.
- Children from two years of age are given adult doses.
According to the instructions for Zovirax, children are prescribed it in the following dosages:
- Babies under two years of age are prescribed 200 milligrams of the drug four times a day.
- For small patients from two to six years old, the medicine is recommended four times a day, 400 mg.
- Children from six years of age are prescribed medication four times a day, 800 milligrams.
The most accurate dosage can be determined based on the patient's weight: 20 mg per kilogram of body weight four times a day. Duration of therapy - 5 days.
According to the instructions for use, it is known that eye ointment and cream are used in children in the same way and in the same concentrations as in adult patients. Dosages of lyophilizate for intravenous use in children from three months to twelve years are calculated based on the area of the skin.
When eliminatedinfections associated with the herpes simplex virus and herpes zoster, intravenous injection dosages are calculated according to the scheme of 250 milligrams per square meter three times a day.
When Pregnant
It is allowed to use tablets, solution, as well as cream and ointment "Zovirax" with an interesting position in a woman and during breastfeeding, but with extreme caution, if indicated and if the intended benefit to the mother outweighs the risk to the fetus. According to studies, there was no increase in the number of congenital diseases in children whose mothers took the drug during pregnancy.
Preparing the solution
According to the instructions for use, it is known that Zovirax must be administered intravenously, slowly, over one hour. To make a solution with a concentration of the active ingredient of 25 milligrams per milliliter, you need to add 10 ml of water or sodium chloride to the ampoule with the powder and shake until completely dissolved.
For adults it is recommended to use infusion solutions in packs of 100 ml, even if this will give acyclovir concentrations well below 0.5%. Zovirax IV is compatible with these solutions and remains stable for twelve hours at 15 to 24 degrees.
Analogues of Zovirax ointment
Substitutes for this dosage form of the drug are:
- "Aciclovir".
- "Valacyclovir".
- "Penciclovir".
- "Gerpevir".
- "Virolex".
- "Cyclovax.
An analogue cheaper than "Zovirax" - "Acyclovir", its cost varies from 40 to 180 rubles.
Features
Before using the medication, it is important to read the annotation. There are several directions for using the ointment and cream:
- The greatest therapeutic effect is achieved with the early start of therapy with Zovirax cream in the phase of active spread of the virus.
- You can not apply "Zovirax" on the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, because in this situation there is a pronounced inflammatory reaction.
- During the treatment of herpes with lesions of the mucous membrane of the urogenital tract, it is necessary to refrain from intimate contacts during the use of the drug.
- For severe lip infections, a doctor should be consulted before treatment.
- Zovirax does not interact with drugs from other therapeutic groups.
- If it is necessary to treat a herpes infection in women during pregnancy or during breastfeeding, the use of the cream is possible only if the probable benefit to the mother outweighs the risks to the baby.
Cream "Zovirax" is available without a doctor's prescription. Other dosage forms can only be purchased with a prescription.
Patients' opinions about the drug
Almost all reviews of"Zoviraxe" perfectly characterize the therapeutic efficacy of the drug. Most often used "Zovirax" from herpes. Negative reviews about adverse reactions and drug inefficiency are rare. The biggest dissatisfaction is the cost of the medication.
