Table 1.
Oral antiviral dosing for acute herpes zoster in popular drug prescribing references
| Higher dose (mg/day) a | Lower dose (mg/day) a | UpToDate recommendations (dose in mg/day) [7]-[9] | Compendium of pharmaceuticals and specialties (dose in mg/day) [10]-[12] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acyclovir |
4,000 |
3,200 |
4,000 |
4,000 |
| |
|
2,400 |
CrCl 10–25 mL/min/1.73 m2: 2,400 |
CrCl 10–25 mL/min/1.73 m2: 2,400 |
| |
|
1,600 |
CrCl <10 mL/min/1.73 m2: 1,600 |
CrCl <10 mL/min/1.73 m2: 1,600 |
| |
|
800 |
|
|
| Valacyclovir |
3,000 |
2,000 |
3,000 |
3,000 |
| |
|
1,500 |
CrCl 15–30 mL/min: 2,000 |
CrCl 15–30 mL/min: 2,000 |
| |
|
1,000 |
CrCl <15 mL/min: 1,000 |
CrCl <15 mL/min: 1,000 |
| |
|
500 |
|
|
| Famciclovir |
1,500 |
1,000 |
1,500 |
1,500 |
| |
|
500 |
CrCl 40–59 mL/min: 1,000 |
CrCl 40–59 mL/min/1.73 m2: 1,000 |
| |
|
350b |
CrCl 20–39 mL/min: 500 |
CrCl 20–39 mL/min/1.73 m2: 500 |
| CrCl <20 mL/min: 250 | CrCl <20 mL/min/1.73 m2: 250 |
aDose categories as defined in this study include 50 mg dose above or below the cut-points.
bA dose of 350 mg/day was used instead of 250 mg/day because it was more commonly dispensed in our region with <20 patients being prescribed a dose of <300 mg/day.
Abbreviation: CrCl Creatinine Clearance.