Your doctor will probably tell you about the two key ways to treat genital herpes.

• Outbreak Therapy
  
  What is it? Outbreak therapy involves taking a prescription medication at the first sign of a genital herpes outbreak and treating each outbreak individually. This may reduce the severity or the duration of the outbreak. This therapy is also referred to as "episodic therapy."
  
  Is it right for you? Consider the following statements, and ask yourself if they apply to you:
  • I don't have many outbreaks.
  • The outbreaks I have don't bother me that much.
  • I don't know when my next outbreak will come, but I can deal with that.
  • I would rather not take a daily medicine.
  
  If any of these statements are true, talk to your doctor about your treatment options. If your doctor recommends treating your genital herpes with outbreak therapy. Ask our doctor for the #1-prescribed herpes treatment.
  
  
• Suppressive Therapy
  
  What is it? Suppressive therapy involves taking a prescription medicine every day to help suppress outbreaks of genital herpes before they occur.
  
  Is it right for you? Consider the following statements, and ask yourself if they apply to you:
  • I have a lot of outbreaks, or my outbreaks are severe.
  • I worry about when my next outbreak will hit.
  • I am comfortable taking medicine every day.

  If any of these statements are true, talk to your doctor about your treatment options. If your doctor recommends treating your genital herpes with suppressive therapy, you may find it can be a great way to gain more control in your life.

  You should know that there isn't one "right" way to treat genital herpes. Different people experience herpes outbreaks in different ways—some are mild or rare, some are more severe or frequent—so the decision about whether to use Outbreak Therapy or Suppressive Therapy is one you need to make with your doctor to determine what is best for you. And, as your life changes, you may change your mind about how you want to treat genital herpes. That's okay too.

  Important Information About VALTREX

  VALTREX is intended for healthy adults and is available by prescription only. There is no cure for herpes. Even with treatment, it may be possible to spread the herpes virus to others.

  While taking VALTREX for cold sores, you should not exceed one day of treatment, two doses taken 12 hours apart.

  Tell your doctor if your immune system is not normal because of advanced HIV disease, bone marrow or kidney transplant to avoid a potentially serious complication. Common side effects are headache, nausea, abdominal pain, and dizziness.