Ekovir (800mg, 5 pills)

What is Ekovir (800mg, 5 pills) by John Lee?

Ekovir (800mg, 5 pills) is the strongest of the three Ekovir tablets from John Lee in our catalog: 800 mg of acyclovir per tablet, with 5 tablets in one pack. Acyclovir, first sold under the brand name Zovirax, is an antiviral drug from the group of nucleoside analogues. It blocks the reproduction of herpes viruses inside infected cells.

The 800 mg strength exists mainly for infections caused by the varicella-zoster virus. This virus causes chickenpox in childhood, then stays dormant in the nerves for decades and can return later as shingles. Varicella-zoster is less sensitive to acyclovir than herpes simplex, so it needs considerably higher doses, which is why such a large tablet is useful.

What is it used for?

Shingles (herpes zoster) starts with burning or tingling pain on one side of the body, followed a few days later by a band of blisters along a nerve. It becomes more common with age and is also triggered by a weakened immune system, illness or heavy stress. Treating it with acyclovir aims to:

• speed up the healing of the rash;
• reduce the acute nerve pain;
• limit the spread of the blisters and new lesions;
• lower the risk of complications, especially when the eye area is involved.

Adults and teenagers with chickenpox, which tends to be more severe in adults, are also treated with high-dose acyclovir. Shingles near the eye or on the forehead or nose tip needs an eye specialist as well, because it can threaten vision. Lasting nerve pain after shingles, called postherpetic neuralgia, is a separate problem that may need other treatment.

How is it taken?

For shingles in adults with normal kidney function, the standard regimen is 800 mg five times a day for seven days, taken roughly every four hours while awake. Adult chickenpox is commonly treated with 800 mg four times a day for five days. In both cases the drug works best when started early, ideally within 72 hours of the rash appearing for shingles and within 24 hours for chickenpox. Shorter, high-dose courses are also used for recurrent genital herpes. One pack of 5 tablets covers only about one day of a shingles course, so the full course requires more. The dose and length of treatment must be agreed with a qualified medical professional, and they will be reduced in people with weaker kidneys.

Possible side effects

At high doses, digestive complaints such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are the most common, along with headache and fatigue. Older adults and people with kidney disease are more likely to develop confusion, agitation, shaking or, rarely, hallucinations, because the drug accumulates. Acyclovir can also crystallize in the kidneys when someone is dehydrated, so drinking well throughout the course is important. Anyone who has had an allergic reaction to acyclovir or valacyclovir before should not take it.

Package

One pack of Ekovir (800mg, 5 pills) contains 5 tablets of acyclovir 800 mg made by John Lee. It can be ordered on MaxLabs.co, and the acyclovir page lists every product with this substance.