Reply To: Concerned about HSV transmission to 4mth old

[Joplin44]

Hello ma’am,

Thank you so much for your quick reply. There is so much information on the Internet that it is immensely comforting to know that someone of your expertise, experience, knowledge and compassion is so willing to help people who are frightened and unsure of this virus. Your empathy and assistance is greatly appreciated – more than you will ever know.

If I may, I would also like to ask a couple more questions based on my current subscription.

1. Do we know why people with HSV-2 are unlikely to subsequently acquire HSV-1 and is the opposite true? Are people with HSV-1 less likely to acquire HSV-2 or does it not work like that? This is just for my own bank of knowledge.

2. As I mentioned previously, I have been on Valtrex for many years, but specifically I was on 1000mg daily in the last trimester of pregnancy up until now. I am breast-feeding my daughter and supplementing with formula. In the first month after she was born I was taking 500mg twice daily (hospital directions). In the last six weeks or so I have been taking 1000mg once daily. This was inadvertent and I think in my tired state was based more on habit than anything else, as during my pregnancy and before I was pregnant I always took 1000mg once daily, which is how it has always been prescribed to me. My questions are as follows:

a.What is the difference between 500 mg twice daily or 1000mg once a day?

b. Will the fact that I have been taking 1000mg at once have an adverse affect on my daughter as it is more concentrated at once (or are the dosages something that affect me, as opposed to the effect on my girl through the breast milk)?

c. Are there any long time effects on my daughters development from this drug (and this dosage) in my breast milk given that I am on daily Valtrex and plan to breast-feed until she’s at least 6 to 8 months old? I’m worried about the long-term impact on her if I take this drug daily and continue to breast-feed. Not having outbreaks greatly reduces my stress and obsessive thoughts that I will somehow infect her, however I will discontinue the drug if it somehow affects her long term.

Thank you again Ma’am. You provide such a wonderful service.