Valtrex and Depression

Several side effects are possible with Valtrex, and depression is one of them. Up to 7 percent of people taking Valtrex for genital herpes suppression and 1 percent of people taking it for genital herpes treatment reported this side effect. Because of the likely link between Valtrex and depression, it is important to talk to your healthcare provider if you experience feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and hopelessness or if something just does not seem "right."

Valtrex Medication

Valtrex and Depression: An Overview

There are several possible side effects for people taking Valtrex^® (valacyclovir hydrochloride), and depression was one of the more common ones reported in clinical studies on the drug.

Understanding Clinical Studies

Before medicines are approved, they must go through several clinical studies in which thousands of people are given a particular medicine and are then compared to a group of people not given the medicine.

In these studies, side effects are always documented. As a result, it is possible to see what side effects occur, how often they appear, and how they compare to the group not taking the medicine. Side effects are then usually separated into those that occurred in more than 1 percent of people (common side effects) and those that occurred in less than 1 percent of people (rare side effects).

For people taking Valtrex, depression was a reported side effect that occurred in up to 7 percent of people taking the drug for genital herpes suppression. It was reported in 1 percent of people taking Valtrex for genital herpes treatment.

Valtrex and Depression Article Continues on Next Page >