Valtrex side effects - good or bad

[kakrpa]

Hi all, I have very high titers of coxsackie a/b, mycoplasma p, EBV, HHV-6, and was rx'd Valtrex by Dr T. I started it last week for a few days (took half dose for 2 days, then full dose for 1 or 2 days?) and then stopped due to what I thought might be side effects. In general I was noticing an increase in anxiety and emotional lability. It's certainly possible this was coincidental and not related to Valtrex - I don't know.

 

I really want to give it a try though and see if it helps me - Dr T wants me to too (we're hoping by reducing titers my anxiety/OCD sx will improve). Anyone out there with good, bad, or indifferent experiences?? How long did you take it and when did you notice improvement? Thank you all so much...

[Sonshine]

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Edited August 2, 2015 by Sonshine

[Brenda4Alek]

My daughter has PANS first flare November 2013. She is high functioning autism. Flipped overnite(anxiety, invasive thoughts, separation anxiety)short of long, Dr. put her on Valtrex 500 3 x day within a week she not only was better, but the BEST in her whole life. she was awakened!!!! out of a deep sleep. He mentioned she should take probiotics because Valtrex(antiviral can cause yeast growth just like antibiotics)

my daughter's PANS is from viruses HSV!, HHV6 and Varicella (chickenpox) November of 2013 was caused by Dad's fever blister (he has gotten for 30 years + when stressed.

Anyway, from December 24 2013 when we put her on Valtrex she was great!!!!!!!! She took kirkman bio complete probiotics but not regurlarly.

Then May 1 2014 she got a stomach bug, very ill, pooped blood, multiple emergency visits. They checked the usual suspects. nothing,

Had an endoscopy, colonoscopy, nothing. Her mental state was deteriorating. EEG, MRI, nothing. Spinal tap, (lumbar puncture) nothing. Her serum antibody for chicken pox thru the roof !!!

Was in a Euless TX hospital for 10 days we removed her and took her to Zale Lipsky Psy admitted thru emergency. UTSW(Univ of Tx Southwest) I told them about PANDAS AND PANS. they checked for NMDA receptor encephylitis.

I asked for an immunologists, infectious disease, they said we are addressing this from a psychiatric position she has psychosis NOS. (no idea) The best hospital that Dallas can provide......Ha. they had her

So heavily sedated. Our immunologist was out of the country.

Where am I going with this. After looking back, me the immunologist, forget Zale Lipsky.

What happened was, The Valtrex killed off the good stuff in the intestines that keeps bad bacteria in check and also keeps yeast in check. So she had Clostria Difficule and Yeast overgrowth. C-Diff can cause strange behavior and can eat holes in your intestines and she had PANS (Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric syndrome)

 

She got out of hospital July 29, 2014 after many tests. Her chicken pox titer and HSV and HHV6 still high we put her back on Valtrex 1000 2 x day, also found out she had C-diff (bad bacteria) By November of this year we had her off all antipsychotic meds ie., zeprexa, zoloft, activan you name it.

As of November 2014 we had her on Valtrex (antiviral)1000 2 x day Flagyl (antibiotic) 3 x day 150mg to kill c-diff, Dyflucan (antifungal) 150 mg 3 times a week for yeast and 2 Probiotics Bio complete and Sacc/Builllari plus a host of supplements.

 

She was doing great from Nov to Jan 1 2015 then she had a flare because she quit taking the antiviral/antibiotics.(she said she had teeth in her stomach) I let my guard down.

We are still battling this, I lost my job Jan 15 due to her flare up. It has now been going on for over a year.

 

we see her immunologist in Plano, TX once a month. He is the one knowledgeable doctor in the area of PANDAS, PANS, etc.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Now with all this being said. It sounds like you already had anxiety before the valtrex, so I don't know how long you took it. But because my daughter was on Valtrex 6 mos I believe the C-diff grew, once we put her on flagyl with the VAltrex she really got better in Nov and went back to work as a sacker at a the grocery store.

 

What i am trying to tell you is. Be it antiviral, antibiotic, side effects include gut dysbiosis. You have to take probiotics for yeast and probiotics that contain yeast for the C-diff.

C-diff in itself can cause psychosis.

 

YOU WILL TAKE THE VALTREX FOR A LONG TIME BUT YOU MUST SUPPORT THE GUT AND YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM IN GENERAL,

Your doctor needs to do more blood work up on you to check your vitamin levels.

A stool sample can be submitted to check for Clostria Difficule.

[trintiybella]

what probiotics are good for C-diff? thanks