Antiviral drugs may be useful in early stages of some virus infections or to prevent recurrences or reactivation in chronic infections. Most drugs exert their effects only during certain stages of viral replication and many are relatively toxic for the host when used systemically. In general, chemotherapy of virus infections in animals is uncommon with limited applications, mainly in topical treatment of ophthalmic infections.
ZIDOVUDINE (Retrovir ®) is used for treating HIV infection when used along with other medicines. It is also used with other medicines to help prevent women from passing the HIV virus to the fetus during pregnancy. Retrovir is an antiviral. It works by blocking the reproduction of the HIV virus
AMANTADINE (Symmetrel®) is an antiviral agent. Amantadine prevents or treats certain influenza (flu) infections. It is not an effective treatment for colds or other viruses. Amantadine can also improve muscle control and reduce muscle stiffness in patients with Parkinson's disease (shaking palsy) or similar movement disorders
STAVUDINE, d4T (Zerit®) is an antiviral drug called a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor or NRTI. Stavudine is used to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Stavudine may reduce the amount of HIV in the blood and increase the number of CD4 cells (T-cells) in the blood. Stavudine is used in combination with other drugs to treat the HIV virus. Stavudine will not cure or prevent HIV infection or AIDS. You may still develop other infections or conditions associated with HIV
ACYCLOVIR (Zovirax®) treats certain types of viral infections, specifically herpes infections. Acyclovir will not cure herpes infections; it will help the sores heal faster and help to relieve the pain or discomfort
As You Age, Better Health Means Better Sex
(HealthDay)
HealthDay - TUESDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) -- Better health translates into
better sex lives, with healthy people more likely to engage in sex (and
good sex at that) and to express an interest in sex, new research
finds.
U.S. herpes rates remain high: CDC
(Reuters)
Reuters - About 16 percent of Americans between the ages of 14 and 49 are infected with genital herpes, making it one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases, U.S. health officials said on Tuesday.