Comparing Prednisone vs Valacyclovir
Prednisone Remove Prednisone from your drug comparison | Valacyclovir Remove Valacyclovir from your drug comparison |
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Prednisone Remove Prednisone from your drug comparison | Valacyclovir Remove Valacyclovir from your drug comparison | ||||||||||||||||
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Prednisone effectively controls inflammation and an overactive immune system but may not be suitable for everybody. Long-term use is limited by potentially severe side effects such as adrenal... View more |
Valacyclovir is an antiviral drug that helps treat herpes and varicella-zoster infections. It should be started as soon as possible after symptom onset and only needs to be taken twice a day.... View more |
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Prescription only |
Prescription only |
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Ratings & ReviewsRecent helpful reviews |
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7.7
For Inflammatory Conditions: I took prednisone 20mg for 3 years for Autoimmune Hepatitis and it definitely helped bring down my AST/ALT. I even saw regression of cirrhosis (by fibroscan). Side effects included increased appetite, weight gain (20lb max), moon face, hair started growing curly instead of straight, more severe infections (especially GI), and trouble regulating emotions. I didn't complain though, as I knew it was keeping me alive! |
8.6
For Cold Sores: I take valacyclovir 500mg once a day. Usually don't have any cold sores anymore. But I had the most intense stressful week with a lot of triggers. Took the 1g every 12 hours plus icing the areas, and it wasn't enough to stop it. Hoping it heals quickly though so that I can see my boyfriend! So usually the daily suppressor and emergency 1g works, but sometimes life is just too much. Sometimes it gets you, and there's not a lot you can do. :( Since being on valacyclovir however, plus lysine and icing the pre-sores, my life has been a little less miserable in the cold sore department. Still sucks though. For Cold Sores: This stuff makes a huge difference in the duration and pain of cold sores. My dentist prescribes it for me because without it, I get a cold sore every darn time I go to the dentist. For those who have problems with frequent outbreaks, do some research on things you shouldn't eat. Nuts and seeds are huge cold sore triggers because of the arginine in them. Other things that will trigger and outbreak for me: too much direct sun on my face and too much exposure to extreme cold on my face. If I'm really careful about avoiding the things that cause me problems, I can prevent them but it's nice to have the valacyclovir for those times when I don't get it right. |
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Drug Class |
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Side Effects |
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See the full prednisone side effects document. |
See the full valacyclovir side effects document. |
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Pricing and Coupons* Prices are without insurance |
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View all prednisone prices |
View all valacyclovir prices |
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Generic Availability |
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Yes (this medicine) |
Yes (this medicine) |
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Dosage Form(s) Available |
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Brand Names |
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Rayos | Valtrex | ||||||||||||||||
Half LifeThe half-life of a drug is the time taken for the plasma concentration of a drug to reduce to half its original value. |
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36 hours |
3.1 hours |
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CSA Schedule**View glossary of terms. |
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Not a controlled drug
Is not subject to the Controlled Substances Act. |
Not a controlled drug
Is not subject to the Controlled Substances Act. |
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Pregnancy Category |
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Category C
Risk cannot be ruled out
Excluding First Trimester
Category D
Positive evidence of risk
First Trimester See the full Pregnancy Warnings document. |
Category B
No proven risk in humans
See the full Pregnancy Warnings document. |
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FDA Alerts |
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N/A |
N/A |
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Drug Interactions |
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A total of 495 drugs are known to interact with prednisone:
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A total of 59 drugs are known to interact with valacyclovir:
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Alcohol/Food/Lifestyle Interactions |
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No known alcohol/food interactions. This does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. Always consult your healthcare provider. |
No known alcohol/food interactions. This does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. Always consult your healthcare provider. |
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Disease Interactions |
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First Approval Date |
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February 21, 1955 |
June 23, 1995 |
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WADA ClassView World Anti-Doping Agency classifications. |
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N/A |
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More Information |
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Consumer Resources |
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Professional Resources |
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Related Treatment Guide |
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** The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) schedule information displayed applies to substances regulated under federal law. There may be variations in CSA schedules between individual states.
Further information
Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.
For Inflammatory Conditions: My mother has been on prednisone for almost four years for polumyalgia/rheumatica. We found out recently that the reason she was in such horrible back pain and could hardly walk was the extended use of prednisone. The MRI showed she had actual cracks in her spine. We are still in shock. This cannot be reversed. Even though people feel fine and really on top of the world the end result is devastating. So now we are dealing with even more pain not even associated with Polymyalgia. She will never recover from this. Everyone is different, but please look at the cons of the medicine before taking. Beware!