Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Can Valacor Be Taken Until The Day Of The Surgery For Hernia?
Posted on
Wed, 31 Jan 2018
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Wed, 31 Jan 2018
Answered on
Wed, 22 Aug 2018
Last reviewed on
Question : I have just been told today I have to have an urgent hernia op in 2 days, & have just yesterday been told to take a 3 day course of Valacor. Can I take the 3 day course (till Friday am) when my op is Friday pm? Or should I stop now if it acts like a blood thinner please?
Brief Answer:
Information
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Valacor (in the US it's Valacyclovir) is an antiviral medication to treat herpes (shingles, oral herpes, genital herpes) and is not a blood thinner. So I would not be concerned about it doing that and causing bleeding during or after surgery.
I recommend that you start to take it now. You want to decrease any viral load that may be circulating as you don't want it to flare during/after surgery.
However, I also recommend that you tell surgeon who will be doing the hernia repair that you are being treated for a flare up of herpes. He or she may want to make sure that it is under control before doing surgery. So call his/her office now.
Also, on the day of surgery, be sure to tell the anesthesiologist when your last dose was as they may choose to adjust which anesthetics or the amount accordingly (some medications use the same enzymes to metabolize, so anytime a person has anesthesia they should tell the anesthesiologist all of the current and recent medications taken).
So...
1. Take the Valacor and get whatever viral infection you are dealing with under control.
2. Call the surgeon and tell them specifically what you are being treated for and ask if he/she still wants to go ahead with the surgery.
3. Tell the anesthesiologist on the day of the surgery the time you last took Valacor.
Take care,
Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh
Information
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Valacor (in the US it's Valacyclovir) is an antiviral medication to treat herpes (shingles, oral herpes, genital herpes) and is not a blood thinner. So I would not be concerned about it doing that and causing bleeding during or after surgery.
I recommend that you start to take it now. You want to decrease any viral load that may be circulating as you don't want it to flare during/after surgery.
However, I also recommend that you tell surgeon who will be doing the hernia repair that you are being treated for a flare up of herpes. He or she may want to make sure that it is under control before doing surgery. So call his/her office now.
Also, on the day of surgery, be sure to tell the anesthesiologist when your last dose was as they may choose to adjust which anesthetics or the amount accordingly (some medications use the same enzymes to metabolize, so anytime a person has anesthesia they should tell the anesthesiologist all of the current and recent medications taken).
So...
1. Take the Valacor and get whatever viral infection you are dealing with under control.
2. Call the surgeon and tell them specifically what you are being treated for and ask if he/she still wants to go ahead with the surgery.
3. Tell the anesthesiologist on the day of the surgery the time you last took Valacor.
Take care,
Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
