How effective is Valtrex for suppressive therapy?
Over half of the patients (55%) who experienced a high frequency of outbreaks (6 or more per year) did not have a single outbreak for 6 months while taking a 1-gram Valtrex Caplet once a day. Only 7% of those taking placebo (sugar pill) avoided an outbreak in 6 months. By the end of 12 months, 33% of the patients taking Valtrex still had not had a single outbreak compared to only 4% of those taking placebo (sugar pill). Patients with nine or fewer outbreaks showed comparable results with Valtrex 500 mg once daily. There are no data on the safety or effectiveness of suppressive therapy longer than 1 years duration.
