Anti-viral makes me dizzier.........?

Discussion in 'Your Living Room' started by rondrums, Apr 1, 2014.

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  1. rondrums

    rondrums Bilateral

    I started on Valtrex (Valacyclovir) about a week ago. It says right on the bottle "Can cause dizziness." Seems rather counter-productive to me. I've been dizzier than usual this past couple of days.

    Anyone else experienced this?

    Bless all,
    Ron
     
  2. msprygada

    msprygada New Member

    Yanksgirl got really dizzy when she was on AV's. I was on the third day but ok after that.
     
  3. Vicki615

    Vicki615 New Member

    It could be the virus making its last stand, nucleic acids which are given off by the virus.
    For me personally I did not feel right on Valcyclovir (side effects) I feel better on acyclovir.

    I hope the AV gives you relief, best wishes!
     
  4. Pakrat3

    Pakrat3 New Member

    Vicki--Please tell me about the nucleic acids. Are these acids a bi product of the virus being forced forced back into submission? And I'm assuming these acids can cause dizziness. I know you and Ron have been on here and dealing with this beast for a long time, and was just wondering if this was the consensus during previous discussions amongst the gang. I am currently not taking any AV's, but did bump up my Lysine to 4500MG daily, and initially had a little discomfort, not dizziness, but just some mild nausea, and this might be the answer. After about 3 days, this discomfort seems to be going away.
     
  5. rondrums

    rondrums Bilateral

    I didn't realize they were different drugs.
     
  6. Vicki615

    Vicki615 New Member

    Yes Valcyclovir is the generic for Valtrex acyclovir is the generic for ZOVIRAX

    A major difference between acyclovir and valacyclovir pertains to their bioavailability, or how efficiently they are absorbed into the bloodstream after ingestion. Valacyclovir tends to be absorbed more slowly than acyclovir, regardless of whether it is administered as a topical solution, by mouth, or via intravenous (IV) means. These two drugs are also broken down by the body at different rates. Acyclovir is metabolized my quickly, meaning that it must be taken more frequently than valacyclovir.


    When I felt so lousy on valcyclovir I googled it and found some people had more side effects with it than acyclovir.
     
  7. Vicki615

    Vicki615 New Member

    Hi Pakrat,

    the statement I made about the virus giving off nucleic acids was said by Dr Gacek. and yes he was referring to feeling dizzy or dizzier after starting an antiviral.
     
  8. msprygada

    msprygada New Member

    It is also said the your symptoms will get worse as the AV is fighting off the virus. My symptoms were varied for the months prior to taking AV's but on the third day they wore almost always on (so I was hoping they were working) and continued to this day as in in my 7th week of Valtrex. 3 weeks @ 3000 mg/day, 3 weeks of 2000 mg/day, and now I am on 1000 mg/day for the next three weeks. I don't hold hope that things will get better in the next 3 weeks before my scrip runs out.

    I know some people said they had to be on AV's longer before they kicked in but my ENT only agreed to this much to try it so I am out of luck unless I visit my family doctor and see if he would agree to letting me try them for a longer time frame.
     
  9. msprygada

    msprygada New Member

    Yes, Dr. Gacek quoted me the same thing to me when I presented my question to him wondering if the AV's were working for me after many weeks into taking them:

    "Although the response you describe is unusual, it some times will be experienced until the inner ear has had more exposure to the antiviral. This is thought to be caused by inflammatory nucleic acids in the inner ear fluids. These are by products of the virus and can only be neutralized by nuclease enzymes in the blood. So it may take longer to note appositive response.Just stay with the 2tab/day level."
     
  10. Vicki615

    Vicki615 New Member

    I hope the AV's work for you msprygada fingers crossed!
     
  11. yanksgirl

    yanksgirl New Member

    Well, Dr Gacek told me to stop them after 2weeks
    But I decided to complete 3weeks. Was still so dizzy and nauseated, SO decided to stop.
    Emailed him two more times but have not heard back. Thanked him for his help with so many.
     
  12. msprygada

    msprygada New Member

    well I just got a reply from Dr. Gacek about my current lack of response to AV treatment and here was his response which was not very good news for me.

    "The main response to the antivirals is the relief of vertigo. This is because that is where the virus is located. The hearing loss and ringing iscaused by the release of toxic viral nucleic acids into the inner ear fluids which have their effect on the hair cells in the hearing organ. If the antivirals are used early enough, and the damage to the hair cells is reversible, the hearing will improve and the tinnitus will be decreased by the use of the drug. If you have not experienced any improvement by now[demonstrated by hearing test], then you should not need any further AV."

    So since I don't have and have never had vertigo does that mean I just do nothing until I get it? This is pretty depressing. While the symptoms I have (fullness, sound distortion, some hearing loss, occasionally some lightheadedness) are something I could tolerate the rest of my life if things never got worse and I never got vertigo. But I am under the impression that if something is not done to treat the disease that hearing continues to get worse as well as the symptoms and eventually I will end up getting vertigo which I know I will not be able to handle as I was working under the car last weekend and after being under the car for a few hours and at one point near the end I got up and while I did not get vertigo or even feel light headed I got really nauseous for about 15 minutes and I wanted to die and felt like crap for that evening until I went to bed. I will not tolerate feeling like that (call me a wuss if you like) and that is why I am being very proactive in trying to get a handle on this.
     
  13. rondrums

    rondrums Bilateral

    I'm afraid I'm going to have to give up the Valtrex. I was so dizzy today I could barely make it through work, and I had no business driving a car.

    This is after about 7 days. Can't deal with it.

    Bless all,
    Ron
     
  14. yanksgirl

    yanksgirl New Member

    That was exactly where I got to and made / the same decision
     
  15. Vicki615

    Vicki615 New Member

    I am wondering if the excessive dizziness is a side effect of the medication or something in the medication is making the MM worse if the MM is not due to a virus.
     
  16. rondrums

    rondrums Bilateral

    My guess is the latter. The infection causing the MM is fungal or bacterial. Stephen Spring says that, even if it viral, if your immune system is malfunctioning, anti-virals won't work properly.

    Done with AV's for now, trying to get rid of this frigging dizziness.

    Bless all,
    Ron
     
  17. Vicki615

    Vicki615 New Member

    I hope you find a way to get rid of your symptoms Ron..fingers crossed for you!
     
  18. yanksgirl

    yanksgirl New Member

    sure does make one wonder, but many have had success with av's so ????
     
  19. Vicki615

    Vicki615 New Member

    not all MM is caused by a virus, but it seems the majority is, but not all. and those who have MM not due to a virus could be aggravating it by the AV's it seems, ofc I have no idea if this is the facts or not, just an observation.
     
  20. yanksgirl

    yanksgirl New Member

     

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