HERPES

Herpes Treatment | How do you manage your herpes outbreaks?

Herpes Treatments

What's new in the treatment of Herpes?

Researchers are working on many drugs that may eventually provide faster diagnosis and better treatment of recurrent genital herpes. Scientists are making strides with new discoveries. Check out our news about calcium release, the CD8aa+ T-cells, and the internal pressure of the herpes virus. These new discoveries are helping us better understand the herpes virus. As of yet, there is NO cure.

Vaccines

Herpes vaccines are currently being investigated and it is felt that an effective vaccine may be available in 3-5 years. Vaccines will only function to prevent the infection in new patients. Those who already have the simplex virus disease will probably not gain any benefit. Some vaccines have been tried to prevent the HSV occurrence, but so far had no noticible effects. These include the smallpox, Polio and Lupidon C vaccine.

GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals announced the launch of their phase III trial, called the “HERPEVAC Trial for Women”, which began in November 2002.

Isoniplex (Isoprinosine) is already available in over 56 countries. Most countries have approved it for use in HSV infections due to its antiviral action, and more significantly, the ability to stimulate the body's immune response. Isoniplex is currently under investigational trials for HSV primary and recurrent cases in the United States.

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What About Treatment?

Although there is no cure for herpes, some drugs have been effective in reducing the frequency and duration of outbreaks. It might be a good idea to discuss options with your doctor.

During an outbreak, keep the infected area as clean and dry as possible. This will help your natural healing processes. Some doctors recommend warm showers in order to cleanse the infected area. Afterwards, towel dry gently, or dry the area with a hair dryer on a low or cool setting. To prevent chaffing, some people also find it helpful to avoid tight-fitting underwear and tight pants. Most creams and lotions do no good and may even irritate.

Finally, a healthy immune system may be important in controlling the virus. Don't ignore the need for proper nutrition, exercise, and rest.

Alternative Solutions to treat herpes:

We have also provided links to many alternative treatments for those who wish to suppress herpes naturally:

Red Marine Algae, Vir-L-Lysine, and ChoRaphoR.

We also provided a link to download a relaxation meditation to help relieve your stress for only $5!
Healing Meditation

Pharmaceutical Drug Treatments:

There are three major pills commonly prescribed to treat herpes: acyclovir (Zovirax), famciclovir (Famvir), and valacyclovir (Valtrex). Severe cases may be treated with intravenous (IV) acyclovir.
For more information, click here.

Facts About Treatments

• The program including treatment, diet, and stress management has changed lives and helped create more peace of mind for the remission of herpes. It helps people get their lives back on track, and has also saved many friendships.
• Two control methods are being examined today. One is an antiviral therapy, and the other is immunotherapy.
• The object of antiviral therapy is to develop drugs that can distinguish cells which harbor the virus from those that do not. These drugs must be selective by destroying the virus inside infected cells without harming normal cells. The drug must destroy the entire virus without leaving fragments or producing mutants that may cause later problems. Essentially, antiviral agents must only be lethal to viruses, but also non-toxic to body cells.
• Immunotherapy is an exciting area of medicine. Immunological researchers are developing agents that help fight viruses naturally by stimulating the body's immune response system. Some currently available substances can activate the specialized white blood cells.
• Diet is a very important factor in keeping herpes in remission. It has been found that foods high in I-Arginine may cause herpes outbreaks.

The Amino Acid, Lysine, Controls Herpes

Is it true that the amino acid called lysine, is good for herpes outbreaks?

Yes. Supplementation with free-form lysine has shown to be beneficial in controlling herpes along with a diet high in lysine and low in arginine. "This suggests that physicians in a position to study the effect of lysine in herpes simplex infections should do so. It appears to do no harm and may be a useful therapeutic measure."

Tissue culture studies have demonstrated a beneficial effect on viral replication when the amino acid ratio of arginine to lysine favors arginine. The opposite, preponderance of lysine to arginine, suppresses viral replication and inhibits cytopathogenicity of herpes simplex virus."

L-Lysine appears to be an effective agent for reduction of occurrence, severity and healing time for recurrent HSV infection.

What foods are high in lysine and low in arginine?

Fish, chicken, beef, lamb, milk, cheese, beans, brewer's yeast, mung bean sprouts and most fruits and vegetables have more lysine than arginine, except for peas. Gelatin, chocolate, carob, coconut, oats, wholewheat and, white flour, peanuts, soybeans, and wheatgerm have more arginine than lysine.
(See Diet and Nutrition)

Increase your Lysine

What are Lysine's Method of Action?

Nine proteins have been identified in the enveloped herpes simplex viron. In addition to the capsid proteins, the naked virions contain two additional proteins (VI and VII). Protein VII is an arginine-rich protein of the viral core. It is also known that the proteins synthesised by the herpes simplex virus infected cells contain more arginine but less lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, tryrosine, and isoleucine relative to leucine than the proteins synthesised by unaffected cells.

L-lysine 390 mg. was given orally at the first indication of onset of herpetic oral lesions in eight patients and vulvar lesions in two patients, with uniform rapid resolution of the lesions. This suggests that physicians in a position to study the effect of lysine in herpes simplex infections should do so. It appears to do no harm and may be a useful therapeutic measure.

Dosages:
The amount of lysine required to control herpes varied from case to case but a typical dose to maintain remission was 500 mg daily and active herpes required 1 to 6 g between meals to induce healing.

REFERENCES:

1. Kagan, C. Lysine Therapy for Herpes Simplex, The Lancet, 1:137 26 Jan 1974)
2. Griffith, R.S., A Multicentered Study of Lysine Therapy in Herpes simplex Infection", Dermatologica 156: 257-267 (1978)
3. Griffith, R.S., Success of L-Lysine Therapy in Frequently Recurrent Herpes simplex Infection, Dermatologica 175: 183-190 (1987)
4. Olshevsky, V., Becher, V. Virology, 1970, 40, 948.
5. Kaplan, A.S., Shimano, H., Ben-Porat, T. ibid. p.90.

Working on the theory that people with viral diseases, can benefit from a diet high in lysine and low in arginine, James M. Scutero came up with a chart where foods at the top of the list have higher lysine to arginine ratios.

There are other dietary factors that may influence viral replication and a total approach to nutrition should be used. Use this chart as a guide or a reference only, and see what happens. Look at the absolute figures for Lysine and Arginine content. There is no reason to avoid a food if it has a low Lysine/Arginine ratio and only a few mg of Arginine in it.