QUESTION: I was recently diagnosed as having herpes and was given medication. Just how dependent will I become on this drug? Will I be taking it forever?
ANSWER: Any doctor worth his salt knows that for any drug therapy to be effective in the treatment of herpes, there must be a period on and a period off the medication; and this is how it works. A first bout with herpes demands immediate action and medication.
It is called a primary episode, meaning it is the first time you have been exposed to one of the two herpes viral strains.
You feel rotten, are in pain, and have genital lesions.
Your doctor prescribes a drug that will shorten the period of illness and hasten the drying of the lesions and sores.
At this juncture when the active phase is over, and with your physician's consent, you can now safely stop your medication. But keep it on hand in your medicine cabinet.
Herpes recurs: these frequent outbreaks are called nonprimary, because they're not the first time your body has dealt with the virus.
Your timely use of medication can stop a full-blown attack in many cases (prevent lesions from appearing at all in most cases).
If you can tell when your herpes will show itself (you might know for certain that you have bouts with herpes every four to six weeks) again take your medication before it is due to appear.
If there is some important occasion in your life business trip, honeymoon, vacation take the drug in advance as a precautionary measure to spare yourself undue embarrassment.
So the answer is no, you won't be on the drug forever, but it can be at your disposal, under your physician's guidance, to stop the severity of recurrent bouts.
The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician.
Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.
QUESTION: What is globulin that doctors give to prevent infection? ANSWER: Globulins are proteins found in the blood stream that contain the antibodies the immune system uses to fight disease.
This way, they would evaluate your ability to pay and how well you can keep up with your dues. Such information is an important aspect for approval or disapproval of your loan or credit application.
