Acyclovir Oral

Also indexed as: Virovir®, Zovirax® Oral

Acyclovir is an antiviral drug used to treat shingles, genital herpes, and chickenpox.

Summary of Interactions with Vitamins, Herbs, and Foods
In some cases, a herb or supplement may appear in more than one category, which may seem contradictory. For clarification, read the full article for details about the summarized interactions.

May be Beneficial: Supportive interaction—Taking these supplements may support or otherwise help your medication work better.	Citrus root bark* Flavonoids* Geum japonicum* Rhus javanica* Syzygium aromaticum* Terminalia chebula* Tripterygium wilfordii*
Depletion or interference	None known
Side effect reduction/prevention	None known
Reduced drug absorption/bioavailability	None known
Adverse interaction	None known

An asterisk (*) next to an item in the summary indicates that the interaction is supported only by weak, fragmentary, and/or contradictory scientific evidence.

Interactions with Dietary Supplements

Flavonoids
The flavonoids quercetin, quercitrin, and apigenin enhanced the antiviral activity of acyclovir in test tube studies.¹ Controlled research is needed to determine whether taking quercetin or other flavonoid supplements would increase the effectiveness of acyclovir in humans.

Interactions with Herbs

Citrus species
The alkaloid citrusinine-1 from the root bark of citrus plants has been shown to enhance the antiviral activity of acyclovir.² Further research is needed to determine whether taking citrus root bark would increase the effectiveness of acyclovir in humans.

Tripterygium wilfordii
Test tube studies show that triptofordin C-2 increases the antiviral activity of acyclovir against the herpes virus.³ Controlled human research is needed to determine whether taking tripterygium would increase the effectiveness of acyclovir in humans.

Other Herbs
Animal studies have shown that other herbs, including Geum japonicum, Rhus javanica, Syzygium aromaticum, and Terminalia chebula enhance the antiviral activity of acyclovir.⁴ Controlled human studies are needed to determine whether taking these herbs would increase the effectiveness of acyclovir in humans.

References
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1. Mucsi I, Gyulai Z, Beladi I. Combined effects of flavonoids and acyclovir against herpesviruses in cell cultures. Acta Microbiol Hung 1992;39:137–47.

2. Yamamoto N, Furukawa H, Ito Y et al. Anti-herpesvirus activity of citrusinine-I, a new acridone alkaloid, and related compounds. Antiviral Res 1989;12:21–36.

3. Hayashi K, Hayashi T, Ujita K, Takaishi Y. Characterization of antiviral activity of a sesquiterpene, triptofordin C-2. J Antimicrob Chemother 1996;37:759–68.

4. Kurokawa M, Nagasaka K, Hirabayashi T et al. Efficacy of traditional herbal medicines in combination with acyclovir against herpes simplex virus type 1 infection in vitro and in vivo. Antiviral Res 1995;27:19–37.

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The information presented in Healthnotes is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over the counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or chemist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires March 2007.

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