Generic Zovirax

What is Generic Zovirax?

Generic Zovirax is an antiviral skin cream with 5% acyclovir, meaning 50 mg of acyclovir in every gram of cream. It comes in a tube, and our catalog lists the manufacturer simply as Generic. Acyclovir is the same active substance found in Zovirax tablets and in the Ekovir tablets on our site, but in this form it is applied directly to the skin where a herpes outbreak appears.

Acyclovir is a nucleoside analogue. Inside cells infected with the herpes simplex virus, a viral enzyme converts it into an active form that blocks the virus's DNA polymerase, so the virus cannot multiply. Healthy cells hardly activate it, which is why the drug is well targeted.

What is the cream used for?

The main use of Generic Zovirax is cold sores, the painful blisters on and around the lips caused by herpes simplex virus type 1. Many people have this virus without knowing it; in some, it flares up again and again after a cold, fever, strong sun, stress or a hard training block. Applied early, the cream can:

• shorten the time until the sore heals;
• reduce pain, burning and itching;
• sometimes stop a beginning outbreak from developing into full blisters.

The effect of topical acyclovir is modest; in clinical trials the cream shortened healing by around half a day on average. People with frequent, large or very painful outbreaks usually get more benefit from tablets, which act from the inside. The cream does not remove the virus from the body.

How is it applied?

Treatment should start as soon as the first warning signs appear, such as tingling, itching or tightness of the lip, before blisters form. A thin layer is applied to the affected area and the surrounding skin about five times a day, roughly every four hours while awake, usually for four or five days. Wash your hands before and after each application, or use a cotton swab, to avoid spreading the virus to the eyes or to other people. If the sore has not healed after about ten days, the treatment should be reviewed by a qualified medical professional, who should also decide on the use and duration of treatment in children, during pregnancy and for genital outbreaks.

Possible side effects

The cream is usually well tolerated. Brief burning or stinging after application, dryness, flaking of the skin, itching and redness are the most commonly reported reactions. Rarely, an allergic skin reaction occurs, and then the cream should be stopped. It must not be used in the eyes, inside the mouth or inside the vagina. People who are allergic to acyclovir or valacyclovir should not use it, and anyone with a weakened immune system should have outbreaks treated by a doctor. While a sore is active, avoid kissing and sharing towels, razors, cups or water bottles in the gym.

Package

The product is one tube of Generic Zovirax cream containing 5% acyclovir. It can be ordered on MaxLabs.co, and the skin category lists other treatments.