Everyday Rx · FAQ
What should I do if I miss a dose of Cold sore treatment?
Short answer
If you miss a Cold sore treatment dose, check your prescription label and contact your pharmacist or prescribing physician for timing advice. This short course has a specific schedule, so do not restart it or add doses on your own. Never take two doses together to make up for one.
Follow any missed-dose instructions on your pharmacy label. For valacyclovir in general, missed-dose advice is often to take the dose when you remember unless it is nearly time for the next one. However, the cold sore course is brief and has a specific interval between doses. Ask your pharmacist or prescribing physician how to handle a delayed dose.
Tell them when you took the first dose, how much you took, and when the second dose was due. Do not double up, take the doses closer together, or restart the course without advice. Your kidney health and the length of the delay may affect the instructions they give you.
If you vomit after taking a dose, do not automatically take another one. Ask your pharmacist whether a replacement dose is needed. If you accidentally take more than prescribed, contact Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for guidance. Seek urgent medical care for confusion, a seizure, or other severe symptoms.
Sources
Written by the Verra clinical team · Medical review pending
General information, not medical advice. If you're in crisis, call or text 988.
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