Hi Jen,

Your questions aren't dumb.  :)

The pills shouldn't effect any of those things you listed below.  However,
check your vitamins and make sure you aren't taking anything with L-arginine
in it.  (That's an amino acid).  L-arginine can aggravate your herpes.  And,
sunlight is also a trigger so make sure you cover up the bikini area when
tanning.  Along the same lines, are you taking any protein powders or amino
acids for your work-outs?  They may also contain large doses of L-arginine.

Take care,
ar

Hi Jen:

I know it is a bummer about your diagnosis, but it is not the end of
the world....really, I promise.  No dumb questions, I
promise....chances are, you will ask something that someone else would
like to know but haven't yet.  

Suppressive therapy is a very common choice -- although there are many
people who support more 'natural' approaches.  You just have to decide
what works for you.  Some people do not have to be on constant
suppressive therapy, some do it for a year or two and then go off it
-- because over time your outbreaks are supposed to get easier.
Everyone is different....so take it week by week, month by month....

One suggestion is to keep a 'diary' of when you get outbreaks....their
frequency, etc.  

Don't be skeptical of the Valtrex....try it and see how it does for
you.  You might not need constant suppressive therapy.  You might only
need outbreak/healing therapy.  Thus, the diary....

The key to the Valtrex helping with outbreaks is to take it the MINUTE
you feel tingling, etc. It seems you already get this concept....=)
Keep an extra 5 day supply of 500mg pills -- your dr can write for it.
You don't want to get caught on the edges of an outbreak without the
pills -- in my estimation.

I can't not remember my source but one study I read indicated that
unless the Valtrex was taken at the beginning of an outbreak, it was
as helpful as a placebo -- meaning there was no faster healing time.  

OH, I found the documentation:  

"There are no data on the effectiveness of treatment with VALTREX when
initiated more than 72 hours after the onset of signs and symptoms.
Therapy was most effective when administered within 48 hours of the
onset of signs and symptoms."

SOURCE:  http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic3/valacyclovir_ids.htm

The things you mention are not problems....other than the potential of
the friction in your pelvic area from running....depending on where
you get your lesions/outbreaks.  

Since you do keep yourself healthy and take care of yourself, that is
a big part of the battle to keep outbreaks down, so you have already
fought half the battle.

As Ar mentioned, watch out for arginine....

No issues with tanning....=)

I am new to the support group as well and the information found here
and in the archives is amazing....=)  There is good information and
bad.  The more you read, the more you will know what is helpful and
truthful and what is not.  

Hope some of that helps....

R.

Valtrex shouldn't affect any of those things, Jen.  Ultraviolet light,
like you get in a tanning salon, could be a herpes trigger, though
(and really, the less UV you get in your life the better.)

It would be better to ask your doctor about things that you shouldn't
take in conjunction with Valtrex, but off the top of my head I can't
recall anything specifically.

Watching out for supplements that contain L-arginine is good advice.

The only dumb question is the one that was never asked.

Take care,

Mike