"Acyclovir" during pregnancy: instructions for use

Acyclovir is a popular herpes virus medicine that can be used at any age. Pregnant women are not immune from diseases caused by such pathogens. But they are prescribed such a medication with caution after assessing the risks and expected benefits, because its active substance is able to pass the placental barrier. You should not use "Acyclovir" while waiting for a baby without a doctor's prescription.

Features of the drug

"Acyclovir" is presented in the pharmacy chain in a wide range of dosage forms. Here are their main characteristics.

Tablet preparation sold in 10-100 pieces in one package, packaged in blisters of 5-10 tablets. Its main ingredient is called, like the medication itself, acyclovir and is presented in a dosage of 200 or 400 mg in one tablet. It itself is usually flat and round, white in color, with a line on one side. The shelf life of the medicine is 3 years.
Cream 5% produced in tubes of 2, 5 and 10 grams, as well as in jars of 5-100 grams. It is a white homogeneous substance containing 50 mg of acyclovir per 1 g of cream. Additionally, the medicine contains macrogol, propylene glycol, liquid paraffin and other chemical compounds. The shelf life of the cream is up to 2 years from the date of issue.
Ointment 5% sold in glass jars or aluminum tubes up to 30 grams in one package. It has a viscous structure, a white tint with a slight yellowness. The drug is indicated for the treatment of skin. As in the cream, the content of acyclovir in this form is 50 mg per 1 g, and among the auxiliary substances there are nipazole, emulsifiers, propylene glycol and other chemical compounds. Shelf life of the ointment is 2 years. It is sold over the counter and can be stored at room temperature.
Eye ointment 3% is a white or yellow substance. This "Acyclovir" is packaged in tubes of 3 or 5 grams, contains 0.03 g of acyclovir in each gram of the drug, supplemented with petroleum jelly. Storage of an unopened tube is possible up to 5 years from the date of manufacture, an opened one - no longer than 1 month.
Lyophilized powder for preparation of injection solution sold in sterile vials of 1, 5 and 10 vials per pack. One bottle contains 250, 500 or 1000 mg of acyclovir without any excipients. Before administration, the powder is diluted with saline or water for injection. The prepared solution is administered intravenously.

Operating principle

The main component of "Acyclovir" has activity against herpes viruseswhich are types 1 and 2, and to viruses Varicella Zoster, herpes viruses type 3 (they cause chickenpox and shingles).

The drug is also effective against cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr viruses. It directly affects viral particles, affecting their DNA, which prevents pathogens from reproducing themselves. At the same time, such a medicine practically does not affect human cells. In addition, it also has some immunostimulating effect, due to which the symptoms of the disease pass faster.

When is it prescribed during pregnancy?

The most common reason for using "Acyclovir" in expectant mothers is herpes infection. Its manifestations are of varying complexity and localization, for example, herpes on the lips, tonsillitis, stomatitis, conjunctivitis, dermatitis, keratitis, genital lesions. Such an infection is dangerous while carrying a child, especially if it is primary, that is, a woman has encountered the virus for the first time. Infection or exacerbation of herpes is facilitated by a decrease in a woman's immune defense in a position that makes her more vulnerable.

Herpetic infection while waiting for the baby can cause complications such as the threat of miscarriage, frozen pregnancy, premature birth, placental insufficiency. If the virus gets to the fetus in the 1st trimester, it can cause hydrocephalus, digestive tract and heart defects. When a baby is infected in 2-3 trimesters, pneumonia, encephalitis, anemia and even sepsis may develop.

If the risk of fetal infection is high, the use of "Acyclovir" is fully justified. It promotes faster crusting and healing of damaged skin, prevents the spread of the rash, reducing the risk of transmitting the virus to the unborn child, including during childbirth (this risk is quite high with genital herpes).

If a woman often has relapses, she will be prescribed a course of "Acyclovir" at the planning stage of pregnancy in order to reduce the risk of activating the virus at an early stage.

Another common indication for the use of acyclovir-based antiviral drugs is chickenpox... This infection usually occurs in expectant mothers who did not have chickenpox in childhood. Treatment with "Acyclovir" is in demand if the course is moderate or severe.

The disease must be treated in the early stages, as it increases the risk of abortion. Chickenpox is no less dangerous in the last trimester, when the virus is likely to infect a child, causing a severe congenital infection or death of the baby. The question of the appointment of "Acyclovir" to a sick expectant mother is decided individually.

If a woman has suffered chickenpox in childhood, she may develop shingles, because it is provoked by the same pathogen. After the treatment of chickenpox, it does not leave the patient's body, but remains in the nerve cells in a "sleeping" state.

With a decrease in immunity, which often happens during pregnancy, the pathogen leaves the nerves and infects the area that is innervated by them.

Pathology is manifested by a blistering rash, which is very itchy and painful. Hypothermia, chronic stress, antibiotic treatment and some other drugs contribute to its appearance. The use of "Acyclovir" helps to reduce soreness and quickly get rid of skin inflammation. It also reduces the risk of neurological complications, as some people experience itching and pain for months or even years after recovery.

Contraindications

All forms of "Acyclovir" are prohibited for women who are hypersensitive to both their main ingredient and any of the auxiliary agents. If the patient has impaired renal function or dehydration, treatment with such an antiviral drug requires increased caution.

Depending on the composition of the tablets, this form of "Acyclovir" is also contraindicated in lactose intolerance, glucose-galactose malabsorption and lactase deficiency.

Side effects

When using an ointment or cream, local side effects may occur, such as peeling, redness, burning, dry skin. In some patients, such forms of "Acyclovir" cause allergic dermatitis. As for oral administration, there are general negative effects during treatment with pills, for example:

pain in the abdomen, nausea, loose stools and other signs of irritation of the digestive tract;
a decrease in the number of erythrocytes and leukocytes, an increase in the activity of liver enzymes, an increase in the level of bilirubin and other changes in blood tests;
feeling of weakness, headache, drowsiness and other symptoms of the effect of the drug on the central nervous system;
skin rash, fever, pruritus, hives and other manifestations of allergies.

In rare cases, the tableted "Acyclovir" causes edema, blurred vision, swollen lymph nodes, muscle pain and other symptoms. If any negative phenomena occur, you should suspend treatment and consult your doctor.

How to apply?

Choosing the right form of "Acyclovir" for a specific expectant mother depends on the reason for use and symptoms. For example, if a woman just has a “cold” on her lips, treatment will be limited to the use of an ointment. If the eyes or mucous membrane of the oropharynx are affected, it is advisable to lubricate the rash with eye ointment. If the infection is difficult, and there is a high risk of complications, they resort to pills, and sometimes to injections of "Acyclovir". What form of medicine is shown to the expectant mother is determined by her attending physician.

Most often, pregnant women are prescribed an ointment for external treatment or cream, because they penetrate the bloodstream in a minimal amount, so the risk of harmful effects of such "Acyclovir" on a child is very low. At the same time, 5% local remedies can only be applied to inflammation of the skin and lips. It is advisable to start lubricating the affected area at the first symptoms of herpes, when a woman notices itching, tingling or burning.

Treatment is carried out with a clean hand or cotton swab. Ointment or cream is applied up to 5 times during the day. Most often, a 4-hour break is made between lubrications. According to the instructions, the duration of the use of such types of "Acyclovir" is often 5 days, but sometimes the agent has to be applied even longer - up to 10 days.

If a woman's eyes are inflamed, the use of a 3% ointment is shown, which is allowed to be applied to the mucous membrane. Such a drug will reduce pain, accelerate the recovery of the affected eye tissues, and stop the spread of the virus. The product is applied in a thin strip about 1 centimeter long under the lower eyelid. To get the drug into the conjunctival sac, the eyelid needs to be pulled down a little.

Eye ointment should be used at intervals of 4 hours until the symptoms of infection completely disappear, plus another 2-3 days after healing. The same remedy is used to treat rashes on other mucous membranes, for example, if the virus has infected the oral cavity or genitals. The frequency of lubrication and the duration of therapy in these cases should be checked with the doctor.

If the doctor has appointed a pregnant woman "Acyclovir" in tablets, then it should be taken with meals or before meals. After swallowing the drug, drink it with a sufficient volume of water. The dosage is influenced by the course of the disease and its severity. The most common scheme for infection with herpes viruses of types 1-2 involves 5-fold intake of one tablet at a dosage of 200 mg for 5 days. In the daytime, the medicine is drunk at intervals of 4 hours, at night they take an 8-hour break.

In severe cases, treatment is extended to 10 days, and in case of damage to Varicella Zoster, higher doses are used. Usually, for the treatment of chickenpox, it is required to take 800 mg of Acyclovir four times a day, for the treatment of herpes zoster - in the same single dose, but 5 times a day. Injections for pregnant women are rarely prescribed.

Reviews

The majority of women who have used "Acyclovir" while waiting for a baby leave a positive review of this drug. The main advantages of the drug include effective action and a variety of forms., which allows you to use it for herpes of the lips, eye damage, chickenpox and other manifestations of a viral infection. In negative reviews, they complain about the appearance of adverse reactions, among which headaches, digestive problems, edema, and an allergic reaction are often noted.

Analogs

If it is necessary to replace Acyclovir with a medicine with the same active ingredient, the doctor will prescribe Zovirax, Herperax, Medovir, Virolex and other drugs. They are represented by tablets, ointments, creams, lyophilisate for injection and other dosage forms, so choosing the right analogue is quite simple. Such funds effectively fight against herpes viruses, protecting the fetus from infection.

To support the woman's body in the fight against viruses, drugs based on interferons can also be used. One of the most popular is Viferon. In the form of a cream and ointment, it can be used at any stage of pregnancy, in the form of rectal suppositories - from the 14th week of gestation.