Std question please no judgement

firstbaby2013 · January 2013

I am in my third trimester and I have type 1 herpes on my genitals. Not that I need to justify this to anyone, but I obtained the disease from my monagomous partner via oral sex. I rarely ever break out, only 3 times in the 6 years I've had it. My doctor wants me to take acyclovir to suppress the disease to insure I don't have an outbreak close to delivery. If I did have an outbreak while I was giving birth it would automatically mean I would have a c section. I absolutely do not want a c section. Has anyone taken this drug while pregnant? I have tried to do research on it but there is not enough information out there at this time. Because I do not have outbreaks often a tiny part of me thinks I don't need to take this drug. Obviously If I don't take it and have to have a c section that is what I will do because it is best for baby. I am afraid the drug will negatively effect baby and am at a loss as to which course I should take. Any help and experience with this would be greatly appreciated.

RussianMommy · January 2013

They wouldn't offer you a drug that would affect the baby. I'd just take the medication to be on the safe side

Synth · January 2013

I've had herpetic viral meningitis twice. Ever since the first time, I would get repetitive shingles outbreaks that would take me down for days. As suppression therapy, I've been on Valacyclovir for about 5 years. When I found out I was pregnant, the doctor and I decided that staying on the drug was better than going off of it and risking another meningitis attack, so I've been on it since before I was pregnant. At my growth u/s Friday, the tech said baby girl is "perfect" and everything's looking great, and that she's on track to be about 9lbs when born. So I would definitely say take the meds if that's what the doc recommends.

meganwv · January 2013

I have been taking Acyclovir for the past few years and it's great. My husband is a Dr. and he has no issues with me taking it either. From what I've read, it would be a worse case scenario if you had your first outbreak right before delivery. I take 1 pill a day unless I start to feel like I'm going to have any issues and then I up it to 5 times a day. I've been taking it all along and no one seems to be concerned. Good luck!

SailorXO · January 2013

Take Acyclovir. If the herpes is passed onto baby, and no one knows, your baby will die. Herpes can be passed on even when you arent having a breakout, You must must must take a med.

firstbaby2013 · January 2013

Great thank you! I feel much better having opinions from those who are in the same situation. I want to do what's best for baby b

mariahrb · January 2013

i take it when needed for cold sores. ive taken it twice since being pregnant. doctor said it was 100% ok to do so.

ChevyFam717 · January 2013

SailorXO:
Take Acyclovir. If the herpes is passed onto baby, and no one knows, your baby will die. Herpes can be passed on even when you arent having a breakout, You must must must take a med.

Indifferent Wow... musta taken some real guts to say that sailor...

I honestly don't know much about it - but I don't think your doc would recommend something that would be harmful. Get a second opinion from another Dr. if you are super concerned or ask your Doc if they have any articles or studies regarding side effects for that drug that you can read up on to make yourself more comfortable with it. Good luck! Hopes for no C-Section!

SailorXO · January 2013

Ill tell you what, there'd be something wrong with me if I didn't. My husband also passed it on to me a few years ago. I NEVER had a breakout, even to this day. I posted a while a ago about my fears because we had lost a baby a year ago. This is why. I was never tested, we never knew I had it. Our son was born having contracted it, unbenounced to us, the hospital, everyone. Ten days later he died. We had to go through two days of hell in a children's hospital trying to find out why he just all the sudden was gone. When I read this post I got immediately terrified for her.

It'd be my pleasure to help someone else not go through the horrific experience we did.

lightgetsin · January 2013

I would do what your OB recommends because even if you don't normally get outbreaks, our bodies do strange things when pregnant and you never really know if you are going to have a last minute outbreak.

grace_smith03 · January 2013

SailorXO:
Ill tell you what, there'd be something wrong with me if I didn't. My husband also passed it on to me a few years ago. I NEVER had a breakout, even to this day. I posted a while a ago about my fears because we had lost a baby a year ago. This is why. I was never tested, we never knew I had it. Our son was born having contracted it, unbenounced to us, the hospital, everyone. Ten days later he died. We had to go through two days of hell in a children's hospital trying to find out why he just all the sudden was gone. When I read this post I got immediately terrified for her.
It'd be my pleasure to help someone else not go through the horrific experience we did.

i'm so sorry for your loss...thank you for sharing.

Heartstrings13 · January 2013

SailorXO:

Ill tell you what, there'd be something wrong with me if I didn't. My husband also passed it on to me a few years ago. I NEVER had a breakout, even to this day. I posted a while a ago about my fears because we had lost a baby a year ago. This is why. I was never tested, we never knew I had it. Our son was born having contracted it, unbenounced to us, the hospital, everyone. Ten days later he died. We had to go through two days of hell in a children's hospital trying to find out why he just all the sudden was gone. When I read this post I got immediately terrified for her.

It'd be my pleasure to help someone else not go through the horrific experience we did.

I'm so sorry for what you went through. In NJ, it is state-mandated that all pregnant women be tested for Herpes (if I remember correctly, it's 2x) and also for many other STDs like Chlamydia, HIV, etc. This is why I was perfectly ok with it.

OP - Like many of the PPs said, I would go with what your dr. recommends. I also agree with the PP who said to ask your doctor for any articles that may be able to put your mind at ease.

sthomas1222 · January 2013

My sister and I have had this conversation as she judges me for my medications I've been on during pregnancy. While I don't take anything without researching it, a doctor isn't going to give you something while pregnant unless the benefits outweigh the risks. You seem well informed. The medicine is being offered to hopefully prevent an outbreak. It may or may not work. Either way you may end up breaking out and needing a C/S. But with the medicine that risk is greatly reduced and your doctor feels taking the medicine outweighs the risks, if any, that are involved. Now it's up to you.

carig63 · January 2013

Your doctor wants to prevent your baby from contracting herpes. He/she would not prescribe you a drug that would harm the baby in other ways by preventing herpes. Ask your doctor if you have questions: Dr. Google did not go to medical school!

danuli8 · January 2013

SailorXO:
Ill tell you what, there'd be something wrong with me if I didn't. My husband also passed it on to me a few years ago. I NEVER had a breakout, even to this day. I posted a while a ago about my fears because we had lost a baby a year ago. This is why. I was never tested, we never knew I had it. Our son was born having contracted it, unbenounced to us, the hospital, everyone. Ten days later he died. We had to go through two days of hell in a children's hospital trying to find out why he just all the sudden was gone. When I read this post I got immediately terrified for her.
It'd be my pleasure to help someone else not go through the horrific experience we did.

That is heartbreaking and horrible. Sailor, I am so very sorry for your loss. OP, sounds like acyclovir is a far better alternative...

wells2010 · January 2013

acyclovir is considered generally safe while pregnant and is definitely safer than passing on herpes to your child during birth. Herpes in newborns can affect the brain and other vital organs, which is obviously very serious and may lead to death.

personally, I would not want to risk having a c-section or passing the virus along to my LO and would take the acyclovir.

lil fox · January 2013

Looks good at a class B.

https://safefetus.com/search.php/index/details/DrugId/401/TradeName/Acyclovir/TradeId/3616

February2012Mom · January 2013

I am like you and rarely ever have an outbreak, however, I had two during my pregnancy. There are ~3 days a year that you are contagious without symptoms. Take the med. It has been around a long time and is considered "safe". I took it starting at week 37 on the day and was glad to. Passing it to the baby terrified me. Like pp said, passing it to the baby could cause brain and eye damage, etc.

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