Drug Name

Famvir (Famciclovir)

Drug Uses

Famvir is an oral antiviral prescription medication that is prescribed for: treatment of recurrent genital herpes in otherwise healthy patients; suppression of recurrent genital herpes in otherwise healthy patients; treatment of recurrent herpes simplex virus infections (genital herpes and cold sores) in HIV-infected patients and herpes zoster (shingles).

How Taken

Famvir can be prescribed in one of three ways: Episodic treatment: your doctor treats an outbreak of genital herpes as it occurs. The usual dose of Famvir is one 125-mg pill, twice a day, for 5 days. Suppressive treatment: if you have frequent or severe outbreaks, you take one 250-mg pill, twice a day, for up to 1 year to suppress the genital herpes virus and help to prevent outbreaks. Patients with HIV: Famvir is the only prescription oral antiviral therapy, indicated for treating genital. In patients with herpes simplex and HIV, the dose of Famvir is 500 mg, twice a day, for 7 days. Famvir can be taken with or without food.

Drug Class and Mechanism

Famciclovir is an antiviral drug which is active against the Herpes viruses, including herpes simplex 1 and 2 (cold sores and genital herpes) and varicella-zoster (shingles and chicken pox). It inhibits the replication of viral DNA that is necessary in order for viruses to reproduce themselves. Famciclovir is actually a "prodrug," in that it is not active directly against viruses. Instead, famciclovir is converted to penciclovir in the body, and it is the penciclovir that is active against the viruses. (Penciclovir also is available as a topical and intravenous medication.) Famciclovir is active against the same viruses as acyclovir but has a longer duration of action. Therefore, it can be taken fewer times each day. Famciclovir was approved for use by the FDA in 1994.

Missed Dose

If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do NOT take 2 doses at once.

Storage

Store between 15C and 30C (59F and 86F) and out of the reach of children.

Warnings/Precautions

Do not take Famvir if you are allergic to penciclovir (Denavir) without first talking to your doctor. Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you have kidney disease. You may need a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment with Famvir. Famvir (Pregnancy Category B) should be used during pregnancy only if the benefit to the patient clearly exceeds the risk to the fetus.

Possible Side Effects

Stop taking Famvir and seek emergency medical attention if you experience an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of your throat; swelling of your lips, tongue, or face; or hives). Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to take Famvir and talk to your doctor if you experience nausea or vomiting, headache, diarrhea, dizziness, tingling in your hands or feet, or itching.

More Information

Stop taking famciclovir and seek emergency medical attention if you experience an allergic reaction (difficulty in breathing; closing of your throat; swelling of your lips, tongue, or face; or hives). Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to take famciclovir and talk to your doctor if you experience nausea or vomiting, headache, diarrhea, dizziness, tingling in your hands or feet, or itching. Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

What is the shelf life of the pills?

• The expiry date is mentioned on each blister. It is different for different batches. The shelf life is 2 years from the date of manufacture and would differ from batch to batch depending on when they were manufactured.

Other Useful Information:

Calcium: A mineral found mainly in the hard part of bones, where it is stored. Calcium is added to bones by cells called osteoblasts and is removed from bones by cells called osteoclasts. Calcium is essential for healthy bones. It is also important for muscle contraction, heart action, nervous system maintenance, and normal blood clotting. Food sources of calcium include dairy foods, some leafy green vegetables such as broccoli and collards, canned salmon, clams, oysters, calcium-fortified foods, and tofu. According to the National Academy of Sciences, adequate intake of calcium is 1,200 milligrams a day (four glasses of milk) for men and women 51 and older, 1,000 milligrams a day for adults 19 through 50, and 1,300 milligrams a day for children 9 through 18. The upper limit for calcium intake is 2.5 grams daily.

Cavities: Holes in the two outer layers of a tooth called the enamel and the dentin. The enamel is the outermost white hard surface and the dentin is the yellow layer just beneath enamel. Both layers serve to protect the inner living tooth tissue called the pulp, where blood vessels and nerves reside. Small cavities may not cause pain, and may be unnoticed by the patient. Larger cavities can collect food, and the inner pulp of the affected tooth can become irritated by bacterial toxins, foods that are cold, hot, sour, or sweet - causing toothache.

Naturopathy: A system of therapy based on preventative care, and on the use of heat, water, light, air, and massage as primary therapies for disease. Some naturopaths use no medications, either pharmaceutical or herbal. Some recommend herbal remedies only. A few who are licensed to prescribe may recommend pharmaceuticals in those cases where they feel their use is warranted.

Naturopathy is an American healthcare profession. It was founded in the US as a formal healthcare system at the turn of the 20th century by medical practitioners from various natural therapeutic disciplines. By the early 1900s, more than 20 naturopathic medical schools existed, and naturopathic physicians were licensed in most States. Today there are more than 1,000 licensed naturopathic doctors in the US.

As practiced today, naturopathic medicine integrates traditional natural therapeutics -- including botanical medicine, clinical nutrition, homeopathy, acupuncture, traditional oriental medicine, hydrotherapy, and naturopathic manipulative therapy -- with modern scientific medical diagnostic science and standards of care. The medical research base of naturopathic practice consists of empirical documentation of treatments using case history observations, medical records, and summaries of practitioners' clinical experiences.

At present, the two accredited naturopathic medical schools in the US have active research departments. Naturopathic researchers have investigated the pharmacology and physiological effects of nutritional and natural therapeutic agents, and naturopathic physicians have been active in the investigation of new homeopathic remedies and in the natural treatment of women's health problems. The most recently completed naturopathic study in women's health tested the clinical and endocrine effects of a botanical formula as an alternative to estrogen replacement therapy.

Blood: The familiar red fluid in the body that contains white and red blood cells, platelets, proteins, and other elements. The blood is transported throughout the body by the circulatory system. Blood functions in two directions: arterial and venous. Arterial blood is the means by which oxygen and nutrients are transported to tissues while venous blood is the means by which carbon dioxide and metabolic by-products are transported to the lungs and kidneys, respectively, for removal from the body.

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is produced primarily by the contraction of the heart muscle. It's measurement is recorded by two numbers. The first (systolic pressure) is measured after the heart contracts and is highest. The second (diastolic pressure) is measured before the heart contracts and lowest. A blood pressure cuff is used to measure the pressure. Elevation of blood pressure is called "hypertension".

Brain: That part of the central nervous system that is located within the cranium (skull). The brain functions as the primary receiver, organizer and distributor of information for the body. It has two (right and left) halves called "hemispheres."

Disease: Illness or sickness often characterized by typical patient problems (symptoms) and physical findings (signs). Disruption sequence: The events that occur when a fetus that is developing normally is subjected to a destructive agent such as the rubella (German measles) virus.

Doctor: In a medical context, any medical professional with an MD, a PhD, or any other doctoral degree. The term doctor is quite nonspecific. A doctor may, for example, be a physician, psychologist, biomedical scientist, dentist, or veterinarian. In a nonmedical context, a professor of history might be addressed as doctor, an eminent theologian might be named a doctor of a church, and a person awarded an honorary doctorate by a college or university might also be called a doctor.

The word "doctor" comes from the Latin "docere" meaning to teach. A doctor was a teacher, especially a learned or authoritative one.